How does Joab's response reflect his understanding of David's wishes for Absalom? Setting the Moment “Joab said to the man who had reported this to him, ‘What! You saw him? Why did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt!’ ” (2 Samuel 18:11) David’s Explicit Order • 2 Samuel 18:5 — “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” • Every soldier, including Joab, heard the king’s command. • The instruction carried the full weight of royal authority. Joab’s Calculated Offer • Immediate reward: ten shekels and a warrior’s belt—substantial pay for a single blow. • Assumes the king’s directive can be overridden for the kingdom’s good. • Signals urgency: Joab believes Absalom must die now, before the rebellion rekindles. What Joab’s Words Reveal • He understood David’s compassion, yet judged it dangerous. • He expected David’s eventual acceptance of Absalom’s death once the threat was gone. • He trusted his own battlefield instincts over the king’s feelings. • He was willing to absorb any fallout himself, shielding the common soldier from blame. Pragmatism over Obedience • Joab often chose expedience above explicit command (cf. 2 Samuel 3:26-27 with Abner; 2 Samuel 20:8-10 with Amasa). • To Joab, preserving the throne justified violating the king’s sentimental request. • The unnamed soldier’s refusal in 18:12-13 underscores Joab’s deliberate disobedience: “Even if a thousand shekels were weighed out… I would not raise my hand against the son of the king.” Patterns Confirmed Later • 2 Samuel 18:14 — Joab personally kills Absalom, ensuring no one else takes the blame. • 2 Samuel 19:5-7 — He rebukes David for mourning, proving he anticipated David’s conflicted grief. • 1 Kings 2:5-6 — David later recalls Joab’s bloodguilt, confirming Joab’s repeated overreach. Lessons from Joab’s Response • Knowing a command and honoring it are two different matters. • Human logic—however strategic—never nullifies the word of the rightful king. • Obedience protects conscience; pragmatism courts judgment (compare John 14:15; James 4:17). • The episode foreshadows Christ’s perfect obedience where David’s commander failed, securing a kingdom not by killing the rebel but by dying for rebels (Romans 5:8). |
    |