Context No. 2755 of 4322 · 2 Samuel

2 Samuel 3:22-30: in context

22Behold, David’s servants and Joab came from a raid and brought in a great plunder with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23When Joab and all the army who was with him had come, they told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.” 24Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, and he is already gone? 25You know Abner the son of Ner. He came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do.” 26When Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David didn’t know it. 27When Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the body, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother. 28Afterward, when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29Let it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house. Let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.” 30So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

Abner, once Saul's commander, has just made peace with David and left Hebron in good faith. Then Joab, David's hard-edged general, comes back from a raid and hears of it, and he is enraged. He sends messengers to bring Abner back, takes him aside at the gate as if to speak privately, and there strikes him dead, avenging his brother Asahel, whom Abner had killed in battle.

When David hears, he publicly disowns the killing: I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD forever of the blood of Abner; let it fall on Joab's house. And that disavowal matters. But look at what Joab did. He dressed murder as justice for his brother, when it was really the killing of a rival, a man of peace, under the cover of a friendly conversation. Vengeance that calls itself justice still stains the hand that takes it, whatever name it wears.

Have I ever dressed up a personal grudge as righteous justice, and called plain revenge by a holier name?

Sources

2 Samuel 3:27: "Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the body, so that he died."
Deuteronomy 32:35: "Vengeance is mine, and recompense... For the LORD will judge his people."
Proverbs 26:24: "He who hates disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart."