And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.
Abiathar and Joab were equally guilty of treason, yet Solomon rightly made a difference: Abiathar is only degraded and confined to Anathoth, spared because he had borne the ark before David and suffered all his afflictions. Kindness to God's people shall be remembered to their advantage.
AI summary
Commenting on 1 Kings 2:26-34
And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lord,.... At Gibeon: and said unto him; that is, to Joab: thus saith the king, come forth; meaning, out of the tabernacle; which plainly shows that his orders were not to slay him in it: and he said, nay, but I will die here; since he must die, he chose to die there; but what was his...
JOAB SLAIN. (1Ki. 2:28-45) Then tidings came to Joab--The execution of these sentences respectively on Adonijah and Abiathar prepared Joab for his fate. Death, due to his great crimes (Num 35:33), would long ago have been inflicted, had not his power and popularity with the army been too formidable for the old king.
Commenting on 1 Kings 2:28-45