Joab in the Bible
Meaning: paternity; voluntary
Exact Match
And their sisters [were] Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three.
Zeruiah's three sons were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel. Abigail bore Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite.
The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Ataroth-Beth-Joab, and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites.
And Meonothai begot Ophrah: and Seraiah begot Joab, the father of the valley of craftsmen; for they were craftsmen.
Then David said, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites first will be chief and commander." And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first and became chief.
And he built the city all around from the Millo and up to the circuit. And Joab restored the remainder of the city.
Now Abishai the brother of Joab was himself the head of the three. And he roused himself with his spear against three hundred [whom he] killed and [made] a name for himself among the three.
Now the mighty warriors of the troops [were] Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo from Bethlehem,
Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the bearer of the weapons of Joab the son of Zeruiah,
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was court historian;
David heard about this and sent Joab and the entire army of warriors.
When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some men out of all the elite troops
“If the Arameans are too strong for me,” Joab said, “then you’ll be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I’ll help you.
Joab and the people with him approached the Arameans for battle, and they fled before him.
When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they likewise fled before Joab’s brother Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab went to Jerusalem.
In the spring
So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan and bring a report to me so I can know their number.”
Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply the number of His people a hundred times over!
Yet the king’s order prevailed over Joab. So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel and then returned to Jerusalem.
Joab gave the total troop registration to David. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 swordsmen and in Judah itself 470,000 swordsmen.
But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the word of the king was repulsive to Joab.
All that Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah had dedicated, along with everything else that had been dedicated, were in the care of Shelomith
Joab son of Zeruiah began to count them, but he didn’t complete it. There was wrath against Israel because of this census,
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Thematic Bible
Citizens » Loyal » Joab
Homicide » Instances of felonious » Joab
And when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there under the fifth rib, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
Homicide » Instances of the punishment of murderers » Joab
So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and struck him down, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Commander of david's army
Joab » Son of david's sister » Captures rabbah
And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; And charged the messenger, saying, When you have finished telling the matters of the war unto the king, And if so be that the king's anger arises, and he says unto you, Why approached you so near unto the city when you did fight? knew you not that they would shoot from the wall? Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went you near the wall? then say, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Joab had sent him for. And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entrance of the gate. And the shooters shot from off the wall upon your servants; and some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shall you say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another: make your battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and so encourage him.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Numbers the people
And came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer-sheba. So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Defeats and kills abner
And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. And there was a very fierce battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David. And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Are you Asahel? And he answered, I am. And Abner said to him, Turn you aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay you hold on one of the young men, and take you his armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn you aside from following me: why should I strike you to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab your brother? However he refused to turn aside: therefore Abner with the blunt end of the spear struck him under the fifth rib, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still. Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of a hill. Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour forever? know you not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, before you bid the people return from following their brethren? And Joab said, As God lives, unless you had spoken, surely then in the morning the people would have gone up every one from following his brother. So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more. And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim. And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel. But the servants of David had struck down Benjamin, and Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died. And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulcher of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Defeats the ammonites
And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon. And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then you shall help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for you, then I will come and help you. Be of good courage, and let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seems to him good. And Joab drew near, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him. And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then they also fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that had come were by themselves in the field. Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians. And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon. And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me: but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. Be of good courage, and let us fight valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight. So Joab and the people that were with him drew near before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him. And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
Joab » captivity return
Joab » Son of david's sister » Kills amasa
And one of Joab's men stood by him, and said, He that favors Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab. And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still. When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Opposes the numbering of the people
Joab » Son of david's sister » Replaced by amasa as commander of david's army
Joab » Son of david's sister » Supports adonijah as successor to david
Joab » Son of david's sister » Barley field of, burned by absalom
And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto you, saying, Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, Why am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me. So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Causes sheba to be put to death
I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: you seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why will you swallow up the inheritance of the LORD? And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall. Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Procures the return of absalom to jerusalem
And when the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and pain him honor, and said, Help, O king. And the king said unto her, What ails you? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead. And your handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one struck the other, and slew him. And, behold, the whole family is risen against your handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that struck his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my ember which is left, and shall not leave to my husband either name or remnant upon the earth. And the king said unto the woman, Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you. And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne be guiltless. And the king said, Whosoever says anything unto you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you any more. Then said she, I pray you, let the king remember the LORD your God, that you would not allow the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth. Then the woman said, Let your handmaid, I pray you, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on. And the woman said, Why then have you thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king does speak this thing as one who is faulty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one. For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither does God respect any person: yet does he devise means, that his banished one be not expelled from him. Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and your handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid. For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God. Then your handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD your God will be with you. Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray you, the thing that I shall ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak. And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered and said, As your soul lives, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken: for your servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid: To bring about this change of affairs has your servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth. And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again. And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, Today your servant knows that I have found grace in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant. So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Killed by benaiah, under solomon's order
And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing of it, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the army of Judah. Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his descendants forever: but upon David, and upon his descendants, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace forever from the LORD. So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and struck him down, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Censures david for lamenting the death of absalom
But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, You have shamed this day the faces of all your servants, who this day have saved your life, and the lives of your sons and of your daughters, and the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines; In that you love your enemies, and hate your friends. For you have declared this day, that you regard neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it would have pleased you well. Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak kindly unto your servants: for I swear by the LORD, if you go not forth, there will not tarry one with you this night: and that will be worse unto you than all the evil that befell you from your youth until now. Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king does sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.