2 Samuel 3:26-39--Joab Murders Abner, David Mourns Abner

2 Samuel 3:26-39
English Standard Version

Joab Murders Abner
26 When Joab came out from David's presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah. But David did not know about it. 27 And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. 28 Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29 May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!” 30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

David Mourns Abner
31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” And King David followed the bier. 32 They buried Abner at Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 And the king lamented for Abner, saying,

“Should Abner die as a fool dies?
34 Your hands were not bound;
    your feet were not fettered;
as one falls before the wicked
    you have fallen.”

And all the people wept again over him. 35 Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, “God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!” 36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people. 37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king's will to put to death Abner the son of Ner. 38 And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39 And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The LORD repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!”

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Joab will not listen to David and decides to take "justice" (read that as vengeance) into his own hands.  He sends messengers after Abner to tell him to come back.  All this was done without David's knowledge (or the LORD's instruction or approval).  Once he returned, Joab pulled him aside and struck him in the stomach so that he died in much the same way as Joab's brother Asahel.

Then David heard of it and David made a proclamation that he and his house should forever be held guiltless concerning the blood of Abner and that the guilt should fall directly on the head of Joab and his father's house.  Then David curses Joab to ask the LORD to always make Joab's house have someone inside of it that would be seen as cursed by the LORD.  Let me just post David's words here, "And may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!"  The first two issues in David's curse would make the person unclean and unable to approach the LORD's altar (they could not bring their sacrifices to the Tabernacle or later to the Temple).  The next phrase seems like too exact of a translation in the ESV so it looses some of its meaning.  The "spindle" that David is talking about is a walking stick that would be used by someone who was lame and needed it for support or was blind and needed it to put out in front of himself to help him "see."  Being lame or blind like this would be seen as being cursed because of sin (just see the reactions of the disciples and the Pharisees when Jesus came across people who were lame or blind).  The next two seem self-explanatory that David wishes for Joab's family to die in battle to the LORD's enemies (David knows that the LORD uses the pagan nations to execute His righteous judgement) and that those who survive should be financially destitute so they struggle even for their basic needs because this would be a sign to all the other people that they should not imitate or follow in the footsteps of Joab.

Apparently Joab's brother Abishai was also involved in this murder (though it doesn't seem like he gets caught like Joab did).  They both plotted and executed this murder as an act of vengeance for the loss of their brother Asahel that died in the Battle of Gibeon because he would not stop pursuing after Joab, and Joab was forced to hit Asahel with the blunt end of his spear after warning him several times to break off his pursuit.  Even though Joab and his family are now forever marked by this black spot, the LORD will continue to use Joab in mighty ways, and he will be one of David's "mighty men" that will be fearless in taking on giants and great numbers of enemy forces.

In the last part of today's passage that we're looking at, David mourns for Abner.  Remember that David lived in the house of Saul for quite some time and Saul's family was like family to him.  While others from Judah would only see an "us versus them" issue where there were those from the "house of David" (us) and those from "the house of Saul" (them), David saw from the love that Jonathan had for him that there could be those in the house of Saul that would be loyal to him.  I believe it was for the sake of Jonathan and the covenant that David made with both Jonathan and Saul that David tried to show mercy to Abner, though I don't really believe that Abner was being genuine in his allegiance to David.  The king of Israel caught Abner in sin and called him out for it, and instead of repenting, Abner threatened treason and to take as many people with him as he could (though in the process of doing this, he admitted that he knew all along that David was the legitimate king and that Israel was not only fighting against David, but against the LORD).

David commanded Joab and all those that were with him to tear their clothes and to put on sackcloth and to mourn the death of Abner.  David followed those who carried the coffin (he was at the back of the funeral procession), and they buried Abner in Hebron, meaning that David gave him burial rights as if he was a member of David's own family.  David honored the covenant that Abner made with him just before his death and counted him as one of his own.

Then David and all the people after him wept and wailed at the grave of Abner.  David cried out (probably in song knowing David),

“Should Abner die as a fool dies?
   Your hands were not bound;
    your feet were not fettered;
as one falls before the wicked
    you have fallen.”

Then all the people again wept over the grave of Abner, and David would not eat or drink anything until after the sun went down, though everyone tried to plead with him to eat something.  The people accepted David's answer, and David's words and actions convinced all the people that he had nothing to do with the murder of Abner and that only Joab and his family were responsible for this premeditated murder.

Then David reminds all his men that he had called for mercy and grace to be shown, but Joab and his family had instead chosen wrath and vengeance which only belong to the LORD (and are delegated to the king to punish the wicked, but David had chosen in this case to have mercy, which was his right as king).  Therefore, David calls on the LORD to deal with Joab and his family as if they are wicked men (like the pagan Gentiles) and in a way asks the LORD to not show them mercy because they have not shown mercy to others--a principle that we will see repeated in the parables of Jesus, for the one who is unforgiving has proven that he had never been forgiven and is shown no mercy in the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.  We see the same principle at work here, but David will change his tune in Psalm 51 when he is the one who stands condemned and is in need of mercy.  No curse will be put on his house like was put on the house of Joab.  We don't really see a change of heart in Joab though as we will see him do the same thing again in the future when it comes to Absalom in 2 Samuel 18 (we'll get there).  Joab is a man that will try to create his own form of justice and take vengeance into his own hands.