Greater Men and Women of the Bible by James Hastings: 310. Joab and Abner

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Greater Men and Women of the Bible by James Hastings: 310. Joab and Abner

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Joab and Abner

The first mention of Joab is upon the occasion of the engagement at Gibeon between David's men and those of Ishbosheth. Abner, who commanded the latter, was completely beaten; but in the course of his retreat he killed Asahel, who had overtaken him. At sunset Joab, at the request of Abner, recalled his men from the pursuit, and returned to David's headquarters at Hebron. Some time afterwards Abner, having quarrelled with Ishbosheth, offered his allegiance to David. Joab was absent when Saul's general visited Hebron for this purpose, but returned shortly after his departure. Prompted by a desire to avenge the death of his brother Asahel, and perhaps also by a jealous dread that Abner might supplant him in the favour of David, Joab sent messengers to recall him, and then treacherously murdered him.

This cold-blooded deed must be branded with the deepest condemnation; Joab violated what was equivalent to a flag of truce: and though some may remind us of the old law of blood-revenge, and affirm that under the Mosaic institutions, Joab, as the next-of-kin to Asahel, had a perfect right to do as he did, there are two things which go to bar this plea: Asahel was slain in battle, and Hebron was a city of refuge, in which Abner's life ought to have been respected, at least until he had been tried by the elders. Hence this act of Joab was not only cruelly treacherous but also a flagrant violation of the law of God. David was greatly afflicted by it, but instead of ordering Joab's immediate arrest and commanding justice to be done, he only said: “I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the Lord reward the wicked doer according to his wickedness.” David knew his duty quite well. But then Joab was the most powerful and the most necessary man in Israel, and Abner had no friends. David contented himself with pronouncing an eloquent requiem over Abner, leaving his murderer to go free in all his offices and all his honours. Joab was deep enough to understand why his life was spared. He knew that it was fear and not love that had moved David to let him live. It was a diplomatic act of David to spare Joab, but David was playing with a far deeper diplomatist than himself. Joab's impunity speedily shot up into an increased contempt for David, till in the end secret contempt became open insolence, and open insolence open and unavenged rebellion.

In February 1834, Carlyle writes to his brother Alexander, “I will tell you a fault you have to guard against, and is not that the truest friendship that I can show you? Every position of man has its temptation, its evil tendency. Now yours and mine I suspect to be this: a tendency to imperiousness, to indignant self-help, and if nowise theoretical, yet practical, forgetfulness and tyrannical contempt of other men. This is wrong; this is tyranny, I say; and we ought to guard against it. Be merciful; repress much indignation; too much of it will get vent after all. Evil destiny is nothing; let it labour us and impoverish us as it will, if it only do not lame and distort us. Alas! I feel well one cannot wholly help even this; but we ought unweariedly to endeavour.”^{1 [Note: J. A. Froude, Thomas Carlyle, 1785-1835, ii. 412.]}