2 Samuel 18:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Joab said to the man who told him, "What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt."

NIV: Joab said to the man who had told him this, "What! You saw him? Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt."

NASB: Then Joab said to the man who had informed him, 'So behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And it would have been my duty to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt.'

CSB: "You just saw him!" Joab exclaimed. "Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten silver pieces and a belt!"

NLT: What?' Joab demanded. 'You saw him there and didn’t kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a hero’s belt!'

KJV: And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.

NKJV: So Joab said to the man who told him, “You just saw him! And why did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt.”

That morning, Absalom, David's traitorous son, had planned to lead a great army, kill his father, and bring David's servants back to Jerusalem to serve him. Instead, Absalom's head was tangled in the branches of a tree and he is caught dangling. One of David's soldiers finds him there and leaves him. Instead of killing the king's son, he tells Joab (2 Samuel 18:9–10). This submits to David's clear command that Absalom was to be spared (2 Samuel 18:5).

Joab is furious. He feels responsible for the greater good, not the king's feelings. This is the traitor who wants David the king dead. If Absalom dies, the battle ends, lives are saved, and David returns to Jerusalem. Joab says the soldier should have killed Absalom on the spot and ended this civil war, and that the man would have been well rewarded. Yet Joab's in a unique position. He's not only David's military commander, but also David's nephew. The king won't touch him. The general seems to have forgotten his place. He has previously ignored David's wishes and lived (2 Samuel 3:24–29).

The soldier understands his own situation. His loyalties to the king include strict obedience to the king's commands. David said to treat Absalom gently, and the soldier will do so (2 Samuel 18:12). If he'd killed Absalom, David would find out and execute him (2 Samuel 18:13). One hundred years' pay in silver and a warrior's belt won't do him much good if he's dead. And he can't count on Joab to have his back.

Joab will soon cut off the conversation in frustration and see to it that Absalom is slaughtered (2 Samuel 18:14).

Second Samuel 18:9–18 records the loss of David's third son, and the completion of God's curse. As God promised, the sons of David's house have brought violence and evil (2 Samuel 12:10–12). Absalom and his army are fighting against David, but David has told his men to be kind to his son. Joab, David's long-time general, disagrees. He finds Absalom in a vulnerable situation and kills him. David's mourning over Absalom will earn him a scolding from Joab (2 Samuel 19:1–8).

In 2 Samuel 18, the rebellion ends. Absalom has built a following and revolted against David (2 Samuel 15; 17). His army is no match for David's seasoned warriors or the dangerous terrain on which the battle is fought. Absalom is pursued and killed despite David's order that he be spared. When David hears of this, he falls into grief. Joab tells David to stop disrespecting his people's sacrifice (2 Samuel 19:1–8). David leads his people back to Jerusalem and starts to repair the broken kingdom (2 Samuel 19:9–43).

Second Samuel 18 marks the fulfillment of God's curses against David. The violence and betrayal God promised David (2 Samuel 12:10–12) because of his sin against Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 11) culminate in Absalom's attempt to kill his father and take the throne (2 Samuel 15—17). David's generals make quick work of Absalom's army. Joab kills Absalom against David's direct order. David will attempt to repair the fractured kingdom, starting with forgiving his enemies (2 Samuel 19:9–43). The rift never fully heals, however, and the nation splits permanently after Solomon dies (2 Chronicles 10).

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.