JOAB: One of the most notable contemporaries
of David, son of Zeruiah, sister of David, and
brother of Abishai and Asahel (II Sam. ii. 18). He
first appears in II Sam. ii. 13 as one of David's captains in the war with Ish-bosheth, though
I Sam. xxii. 1
implies that he had then been long a companion
of David. In this war Abner, the leader of
Ish-bosheth's forces, slew Asahel, Joab's brother,
causing a blood feud with Joab, who avenged his
brother by killing Abner, but under such circumstances
as to involve David in the suspicion of
playing Abner false, since he was treating with
Abner for the union of the northern tribes under
his sway (II Sam. ii.-iii.). Joab was so powerful
in the army that David had to confess his inability
to punish Joab for the murder and the consequences
which might have resulted (II Sam. iii. 39).
I Chron. xi. 4-8 makes Joab win his position of
leader by capturing the fortress of Jerusalem; but
this does not agree with II Sam. v. 6-9 and the
context, according to which Joab was already a
leader.
According to II. Sam viii. 16,
when David became
king of all Israel, to Joab was given command of
the army, but since military achievements thereafter
were ascribed to David himself, the name of
Joab appears only occasionally. He waged a bloody
war in Edom and drove the Edomitic king in exile
to Egypt (I Kings xi. 15-17); defeated the
Aramean allies of the Ammonites (II Sam. x. 6-14);
executed the command of David to have Uriah
killed in a skirmish (II Sam. xi. 14-27); and yielded
to David the glory of a hard-earned victory over
the capital of the Ammonites (II Sam. xii. 26-31).
It was Joab who, by employing a stratagem carried
through by a wise woman of Tekoa, persuaded
David to recall from exile Absalom, who had killed
his brother Amnon, and two years later secured a
formal reconciliation between father and son
(II Sam. xiii. 39-xiv. 33). In the rebellion of Absalom
Joab remained true to David, killed the unfilial
rebel, and advised the king wisely when the latter
in mourning for his son was likely to alienate the
affections of his people. He defeated an attempt
of David to appoint Amasa in his place
(II Sam. xvii.-xx.),
killing Amasa in the war which arose
over the rebellion of Sheba and thus raising another
blood-feud. He opposed the census of the people
ordered by David (II Sam. xiv. 1-9). At the end
of David's reign Joab favored Adonijah as the rightful
heir to the throne, and thereby incurred the enmity
of Solomon, who was designated David's successor
and was favored by the party of Nathan.
For this and earlier offenses Joab was slain at the
altar by command of Solomon
(I Kings ii. 18-34).
(H. GUTHE.)
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
The commentaries on Samuel and Kings and
the relevant sections in the works on the history of Israel
(named under AHAB);
DB, ii. 858-859; EB, ii. 2460-2462;
JE, vii. 187-189.
