2:28 When the news reached Joab (for Joab had supported 1 Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom), he 2 ran to the tent of the Lord and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. 3 2:29 When King Solomon heard 4 that Joab had run to the tent of the Lord and was right there beside the altar, he ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, 5 “Go, strike him down.” 2:30 When Benaiah arrived at the tent of the Lord, he said to him, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But he replied, “No, I will die here!” So Benaiah sent word to the king and reported Joab’s reply. 6 2:31 The king told him, “Do as he said! Strike him down and bury him. Take away from me and from my father’s family 7 the guilt of Joab’s murderous, bloody deeds. 8
1 tn Heb “turned after” (also later in this verse).
2 tn Heb “Joab.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
3 sn Grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. The “horns” of the altar were the horn-shaped projections on the four corners of the altar (see Exod 27:2). By going to the holy place and grabbing hold of the horns of the altar, Joab was seeking asylum from Solomon.
4 tn Heb “and it was related to King Solomon.”
5 tn Heb “so Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying.”
6 tn Heb “saying, “In this way Joab spoke and in this way he answered me.”
7 tn Heb “house.”
8 tn Heb “take away the undeserved bloodshed which Joab spilled from upon me and from upon the house of my father.”