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
When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate as if to speak privately with him. Joab then stabbed him in the abdomen and killed him, avenging the shed blood of his brother Asahel.
Homicide » Instances of the punishment of murderers » Joab
So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and executed Joab; he was buried at his home in the wilderness.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Commander of david's army
Joab » Son of david's sister » Captures rabbah
So David assembled all the army and went to Rabbah and fought against it and captured it.
Then Joab sent a full battle report to David. He instructed the messenger as follows: "When you finish giving the battle report to the king, if the king becomes angry and asks you, 'Why did you go so close to the city to fight? Didn't you realize they would shoot from the wall? Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn't a woman throw an upper millstone down on him from the wall so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go so close to the wall?' just say to him, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.'" So the messenger departed. When he arrived, he informed David of all the news that Joab had sent with him. The messenger said to David, "The men overpowered us and attacked us in the field. But we forced them to retreat all the way to the door of the city gate. Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall and some of the king's soldiers died. Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead." David said to the messenger, "Tell Joab, 'Don't let this thing upset you. There is no way to anticipate whom the sword will cut down. Press the battle against the city and conquer it.' Encourage him with these words."
Joab » Son of david's sister » Numbers the people
Then they went to the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went on to the Negev of Judah, to Beer Sheba. They went through all the land and after nine months and twenty days came back to Jerusalem. Joab reported the number of warriors to the king. In Israel there were 800,000 sword-wielding warriors, and in Judah there were 500,000 soldiers.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Defeats and kills abner
As they grappled with one another, each one stabbed his opponent with his sword and they fell dead together. So that place is called the Field of Flints; it is in Gibeon. Now the battle was very severe that day; Abner and the men of Israel were overcome by David's soldiers. The three sons of Zeruiah were there -- Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. (Now Asahel was as quick on his feet as one of the gazelles in the field.) Asahel chased Abner, without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner. Then Abner turned and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?" He replied, "Yes it is!" Abner said to him, "Turn aside to your right or to your left. Capture one of the soldiers and take his equipment for yourself!" But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. So Abner spoke again to Asahel, "Turn aside from following me! I do not want to strike you to the ground. How then could I show my face in the presence of Joab your brother?" But Asahel refused to turn aside. So Abner struck him in the abdomen with the back end of his spear. The spear came out his back; Asahel collapsed on the spot and died there right before Abner. Everyone who now comes to the place where Asahel fell dead pauses in respect. So Joab and Abishai chased Abner. At sunset they came to the hill of Ammah near Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. The Benjaminites formed their ranks behind Abner and were like a single army, standing at the top of a certain hill. Then Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will turn bitter in the end? When will you tell the people to turn aside from pursuing their brothers?" Joab replied, "As surely as God lives, if you had not said this, it would have been morning before the people would have abandoned pursuit of their brothers!" Then Joab blew the ram's horn and all the people stopped in their tracks. They stopped chasing Israel and ceased fighting. Abner and his men went through the Arabah all that night. They crossed the Jordan River and went through the whole region of Bitron and came to Mahanaim. Now Joab returned from chasing Abner and assembled all the people. Nineteen of David's soldiers were missing, in addition to Asahel. But David's soldiers had slaughtered the Benjaminites and Abner's men -- in all, 360 men had died! They took Asahel's body and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Joab and his men then traveled all that night and reached Hebron by dawn.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Defeats the ammonites
He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army and they were deployed against the Ammonites. Joab said, "If the Arameans start to overpower me, you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you, I will come to your rescue. Be strong! Let's fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!" So Joab and his men marched out to do battle with the Arameans, and they fled before him. When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before his brother Abishai and went into the city. Joab withdrew from fighting the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem.
The Ammonites marched out and were deployed for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the field. When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel's best men and deployed them against the Arameans. He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army and they were deployed against the Ammonites. Joab said, "If the Arameans start to overpower me, you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you, I will come to your rescue. Be strong! Let's fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!" So Joab and his men marched toward the Arameans to do battle, and they fled before him. When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before Joab's brother Abishai and withdrew into the city. Joab went back to Jerusalem.
Joab » captivity return
Joab » Son of david's sister » Kills amasa
One of Joab's soldiers who stood over Amasa said, "Whoever is for Joab and whoever is for David, follow Joab!" Amasa was squirming in his own blood in the middle of the path, and this man had noticed that all the soldiers stopped. Having noticed that everyone who came across Amasa stopped, the man pulled him away from the path and into the field and threw a garment over him. Once he had removed Amasa from the path, everyone followed Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.
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
Absalom said to Joab, "Look, I sent a message to you saying, 'Come here so that I can send you to the king with this message: "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there."' Let me now see the face of the king. If I am at fault, let him put me to death!" So Joab went to the king and informed him. The king summoned Absalom, and he came to the king. Absalom bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and the king kissed him.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Causes sheba to be put to death
I represent the peaceful and the faithful in Israel. You are attempting to destroy an important city in Israel. Why should you swallow up the Lord's inheritance?" Joab answered, "Get serious! I don't want to swallow up or destroy anything! That's not the way things are. There is a man from the hill country of Ephraim named Sheba son of Bicri. He has rebelled against King David. Give me just this one man, and I will leave the city." The woman said to Joab, "This very minute his head will be thrown over the wall to you!" Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice and they cut off Sheba's head and threw it out to Joab. Joab blew the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each going to his own home. Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Procures the return of absalom to jerusalem
So the Tekoan woman went to the king. She bowed down with her face to the ground in deference to him and said, "Please help me, O king!" The king replied to her, "What do you want?" She answered, "I am a widow; my husband is dead. Your servant has two sons. When the two of them got into a fight in the field, there was no one present who could intervene. One of them struck the other and killed him. Now the entire family has risen up against your servant, saying, 'Turn over the one who struck down his brother, so that we can execute him and avenge the death of his brother whom he killed. In so doing we will also destroy the heir.' They want to extinguish my remaining coal, leaving no one on the face of the earth to carry on the name of my husband." Then the king told the woman, "Go to your home. I will give instructions concerning your situation." The Tekoan woman said to the king, "My lord the king, let any blame fall on me and on the house of my father. But let the king and his throne be innocent!" The king said, "Bring to me whoever speaks to you, and he won't bother you again!" She replied, "In that case, let the king invoke the name of the Lord your God so that the avenger of blood may not kill! Then they will not destroy my son!" He replied, "As surely as the Lord lives, not a single hair of your son's head will fall to the ground." Then the woman said, "Please permit your servant to speak to my lord the king about another matter." He replied, "Tell me." The woman said, "Why have you devised something like this against God's people? When the king speaks in this fashion, he makes himself guilty, for the king has not brought back the one he has banished. Certainly we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up again. But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways for the banished to be restored. I have now come to speak with my lord the king about this matter, because the people have made me fearful. But your servant said, 'I will speak to the king! Perhaps the king will do what his female servant asks. Yes! The king may listen and deliver his female servant from the hand of the man who seeks to remove both me and my son from the inheritance God has given us!' So your servant said, 'May the word of my lord the king be my security, for my lord the king is like the angel of God when it comes to deciding between right and wrong! May the Lord your God be with you!'" Then the king replied to the woman, "Don't hide any information from me when I question you." The woman said, "Let my lord the king speak!" The king said, "Did Joab put you up to all of this?" The woman answered, "As surely as you live, my lord the king, there is no deviation to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king has said. For your servant Joab gave me instructions. He has put all these words in your servant's mouth. Your servant Joab did this so as to change this situation. But my lord has wisdom like that of the angel of God, and knows everything that is happening in the land." Then the king said to Joab, "All right! I will do this thing! Go and bring back the young man Absalom! Then Joab bowed down with his face toward the ground and thanked the king. Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, because the king has granted the request of your servant!" So Joab got up and went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. But the king said, "Let him go over to his own house. He may not see my face." So Absalom went over to his own house; he did not see the king's face.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Killed by benaiah, under solomon's order
May the Lord punish him for the blood he shed; behind my father David's back he struck down and murdered with the sword two men who were more innocent and morally upright than he -- Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah's army. May Joab and his descendants be perpetually guilty of their shed blood, but may the Lord give perpetual peace to David, his descendants, his family, and his dynasty." So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and executed Joab; he was buried at his home in the wilderness.
Joab » Son of david's sister » Censures david for lamenting the death of absalom
The king covered his face and cried out loudly, "My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!" So Joab visited the king at his home. He said, "Today you have embarrassed all your servants who have saved your life this day, as well as the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines. You seem to love your enemies and hate your friends! For you have as much as declared today that leaders and servants don't matter to you. I realize now that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, it would be all right with you. So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to your servants. For I swear by the Lord that if you don't go out there, not a single man will stay here with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time!" But the Israelite soldiers had all fled to their own homes.