1 Kings 2:29
ESV
And when it was told King Solomon, "Joab has fled to the tent of the Lord, and behold, he is beside the altar," Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, "Go, strike him down."
NIV
King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, "Go, strike him down!"
NASB
And it was reported to King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord, and was beside the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, 'Go, execute him.'
CSB
It was reported to King Solomon: "Joab has fled to the Lord’s tabernacle and is now beside the altar." Then Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada and told him, "Go and strike him down!"
NLT
When this was reported to King Solomon, he sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him.
KJV
And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.
NKJV
And King Solomon was told, “Joab has fled to the tabernacle of the Lord; there he is, by the altar.” Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down.”
What does 1 Kings 2:29 mean?
Before David died, he told Solomon that Israel's military commander, Joab, was guilty of murder. It was up to Solomon to bring justice.After Saul died, David became king of Judah, and Abner, Saul's general, made Ish-bosheth king over the northern tribes (2 Samuel 2:8–10). During a skirmish between the two sides, Abner killed Joab's brother Asahel. The kill was clean, and Abner had even warned the young man to stop chasing him. But Joab took it personally (2 Samuel 2:18–23). A few years later, Joab murdered Abner after Abner had promised to make David king over the northern tribes (2 Samuel 3:20–30).
Many years later, David's son Absalom rebelled and tried to take the nation from David. When Absalom's army, under Amasa, and David's army, under Joab, met, Joab found Absalom hanging from a tree and killed him against David's direct orders (2 Samuel 18:5, 14–15). To punish Joab and reunite the nation, David fired Joab and replaced him with Amasa (2 Samuel 19:12–13). Joab took it personally. While Amasa marched his army to put down another rebellion, Joab intercepted him and killed him (2 Samuel 20:10–13).
Though he failed in fulfilling his own responsibility, these murders are why David knew Joab should be executed. But that's not the reason Solomon kills Joab now. Adonijah, Solomon's brother, tried to take the throne before Solomon could (1 Kings 1). Then, he conspired to take it after David was gone and Solomon was king (1 Kings 2:13–17). Solomon executed Adonijah and placed the priest who supported him under house arrest (1 Kings 2:25–27). But Joab supported him, too. Solomon can't let a military commander live who doesn't support him as king.
Joab knows it's coming. Seeking a pardon, he runs to the tabernacle and grabs hold of the altar, the place where God grants mercy.
