1 Kings 2:6. Let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace— David's dying order was an order worthy of a good king, and fit to be given in the last moments of his life. The crimes which drew down this punishment upon Joab, have already been expatiated upon in the course of these notes. Many reasons concurred to prevent David's calling him to an account; but it is plain, that he could not, consistently with the law, have forgiven him, if he had been so inclined. His deferring his punishment so long, was no reason why he should always do it. Reasons of state prevented its being inflicted before, and reasons of state required its being put in execution at this juncture. In time of war it was dangerous to attempt it, on account of the power, influence, and military skill of Joab; in a time of peace it was safe, because Joab's power was then upon the decline. Joab was ambitious, enterprising, and restless, and, not having proved very loyal to the father, might have practised the same perfidy against the son; who, being young, and scarcely settled in his throne, might have suffered from his treachery, his want of fidelity, and his ambitious views, which were insatiable. We may consider this transaction in another light: we may consider Joab as relative to David in his public capacity. Now David, in his public capacity, was king of Israel: Joab, in his public capacity, stood related to him as his general, and assisted him, and adhered to him in his extremities. David therefore, in his public capacity, was obliged by the laws of God and man to punish assassinations and murders; and Joab in his public capacity too, as general, was an assassin and murderer; and therefore, David in his public capacity, as king, was obliged to punish Joab with death in his public capacity as general, assassin, and murderer. Though Joab had been his faithful general, and frequently assisted David in his extremities, private obligations are in their nature inferior, and ought to give way to public ones; and the yielding up of such an offender to public justice, when personal obligations might have been pleaded in his favour, was a nobler sacrifice in its nature, and renders David's character as a prince the more illustrious. In this light we must commend the master, who died meditating and ordering the punishment of a servant, who, by basely stabbing two worthier men than himself, forfeited the protection of his king and country, and cancelled all the obligations which could arise from his former services. It should be added, that whatever Joab's past services were to David, and however faithfully he had formerly been attached to him, yet he had now been engaged in a conspiracy to depose him, and to set aside the intended succession to the crown, and had actually proclaimed Adonijah king, during his father's life. This was adding rebellion to murder. What was David to do? Was he to have forgiven him at his last hours, in order to manifest his own charity? No! For if a prince's charity influences him, living or dying, to pardon repeated offences, inconsistent with the public safety, it is folly and weakness, and not virtuous charity; it is cruelty to his people, instead of real generosity and goodness. David had not this charity, and it heightens his character that he had not. His last charge to Solomon shews his inviolable regard to justice, by positively ordering the execution of a murderer too powerful for himself to punish; and he would neither have been a wise nor a righteous prince had he forgotten or failed to do it.

1 Kings 2:19. And she sat on his right hand— Nothing can be more respectful than the behaviour of Solomon to his mother; nor could he have shewn her more honour than to seat her on his right hand: for in those times to seat a person on the right hand, was to equal them with one's self, and to make them partakers of the same rank, dignity, and power. See Psalms 110:1.

1 Kings 2:22. Ask for him the kingdom also— That is, "Ask, I say, the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah, by whose counsel he endeavours to invade the kingdom:" which is as much as to say, "If Abishag be given to him, all the people will conclude that the kingdom belongs to him." The Hebrews say, it is not lawful for any man to take a woman who has belonged to a king, unless he be a king. It is evident from the 28th verse, (where we are told that Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom,) that he was privy to this counsel, and therefore as conscious of his guilt, he fled to the horns of the altar; and as Solomon, doubtless, very well knew the evil purposes of Adonijah and his brother conspirators, no imputation of cruelty can be laid against him for taking off an incorrigible rebel. Adonijah indeed, had he lived under our constitution, would have had a fair hearing before conviction. But we should remember, that in the kingdoms of the East, the government was absolute, and the power of life or death entirely in the prince; so that Solomon, without the formality of any process, could pronounce his brother dead: and because he conceived that, in cases of this nature, delays were dangerous, he might send immediately and have him dispatched; though we cannot but say, that it had been more to his commendation, had he shewed more clemency, and spared his life.

1 Kings 2:25. Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada— It was formerly very customary among princes to employ their officers, or greatest confidants, in such executions. Among the Romans, the soldiers were always the persons who carried to prison, to torture, or to execution, such as were found guilty of any offence; and this Tertullian makes an argument to dissuade Christians from engaging in the wars, lest thereby they should be obliged to imprison, punish, or execute malefactors. In Dan 2:24 we read, that Nebuchadnezzar sent Arioch, who was chief commander of his troops, to destroy the wise men of Babylon, because they could not interpret his dream; and therefore we need less wonder, that we find Solomon employing Benaiah, the captain of the guard, on the like office: but whether he did not first drag Joab (1 Kings 2:34.) from the altar, before he slew him, for fear of polluting the holy place with blood, or whether Solomon did not rather think fit to have him killed even at the altar, and let all men see that no place, though never so sacred, should secure any man from the hand of justice, commentators have not agreed. See Exodus 21:14.

1 Kings 2:26. And unto Abiathar—said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, &c.— How far the high-priest Abiathar was concerned in the plot against Solomon, the sacred history does not particularly inform us: but such was the reverence paid to the sacerdotal character, that Solomon would have hardly dared to have deposed such a one, had not the constitution of the nation authorized him to do so. When Abiathar, by his conspiracy, had merited severe punishment, Solomon might lawfully take from him all the revenues of his place, as well as the liberty of officiating in it: but the sacerdotal office, which he received from God, and to which he was anointed, he could not alienate; and therefore we may observe, that after his deprivation, and even when Zadok was in possession of his place, he is nevertheless still mentioned under the style and title of the priest; ch. 1 Kings 4:4. The truth is, there is a great deal of difference between depriving a man of the dignity and of the exercise of his function in such a determinate place, and taking from him an authority which was given him by God, and the profits and emoluments of which were the gifts of the crown or the nation. The former of these Solomon could not do; and the latter, it is probable, he was the rather incited to do, out of regard to the prophesy of Samuel, wherein he foretold Eli, from whom Abiathar was descended, that the Lord would translate the priesthood from his to another family; as he now did in the person of Zadok, who was of the house of Eleazar, as Eli was of that of Ithamar; so that in this way did the priesthood revert to its ancient channel. See Calmet and Stackhouse.
REFLECTIONS.—1. Abiathar is degraded, though indeed he deserved death, for his treason and opposition to the declared will of that God at whose altar he served: and thus at last was the threatening against the house of Eli fulfilled, and the priesthood translated from his family into the line of Eleazar. Note; (1.) God's word will be fulfilled in its season, though sometimes he endures long. (2.) Rebellion in a priest, who should teach loyalty, is doubly criminal.
2. Joab is executed. Justly expecting that his lot would fall next, he seeks to save his life by flying to the horns of the altar. Thither Benaiah is ordered to follow him, and (because Joab refused to depart thence) to slay him there. Such an exemplary piece of justice, Solomon well concludes would be the removal of the guilt of blood from his own house, which, if unpunished, would cry against the negligent sword of the magistrate; and the removal of so turbulent a spirit as Joab's would conduce also to the peace of the kingdom. Thus fell Joab, according to David's orders, and was buried at his country-seat, which lay in the wilderness. Note; (1.) Nothing can appease the cries of innocent blood, but the blood of the murderer. (2.) Wicked men entail a curse on their posterity. (3.) A negligent magistrate will bear the sin of the blood that he is not careful to avenge. (4.) Though human laws cannot be satisfied with any thing less than blood for blood, yet if the greatest sinner, if even a murderer, fly to the horns of the true altar, to the atoning blood of the bleeding Lamb of God, he shall never be dragged thence.

1 Kings 2:46. Went out, and fell upon him— The reader is desired to recur to the defence of David's charge relating to Joab and Shimei, as given above. It is there asserted, that the charge was different, as it respected each of them. This difference is farther evident from the different manner in which Solomon treated them. If the charge had been the same in respect to Shimei, as it was as to Joab, what should have prevented Solomon from immediately executing Shimei as well as Joab? But this Solomon, in his wisdom, knew that he could not do; for David told him, that he had pardoned Shimei to prevent his execution; because his offence was personal, and David had a right to forgive it. But he had never pardoned Joab, nor in justice could do it, because he was deserving of death for repeated murders, by the laws of God and man. Solomon, therefore, acted wisely and justly in reference to Shimei by sparing him, but honourably confining him, that he might have the proper security for his future good behaviour. Shimei, sensible of the king's kindness, tells him, 1 Kings 2:38. The saying is good, &c. And when, upon breaking his oath, he was sent for by Solomon, the king reproached him with his perjury, in acting contrary to the condition of life which he himself had owned to be just and equitable, and for the wickedness which his heart was privy to, in his conduct to his father David; the mercy which had been shewed him in the pardon of that offence aggravating his fresh crime in violating his oath, and in transgressing the king's command; a crime which shewed that he was of a restless spirit, and incapable of being restrained within due bounds by the most solemn oaths, or any sense of interest, gratitude, or duty whatsoever. Solomon adds, 1 Kings 2:44-45. The Lord shall return thy wickedness, &c. plainly intimating, that Solomon now cut him off, as an act of prudence and justice to a restless implacable enemy to his person and government, and saw it necessary for establishing the throne of David before the Lord. Note; (1.) Perjury is a crime for which the avenging God will visit. (2.) The heart is privy to much more wickedness than ever appeared without. (3.) God knoweth the secrets of the heart, and will call men to account for their secret sins. (4.) The execution of the wicked is the establishment of the king's throne. (5.) When the Lord Jesus Christ shall arise to judgment, he will remember the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against himself, his cause, and people, and their own tongues shall fall on them to their eternal ruin.