Discovery Box1 Kings 2:5 
Context2:5 “You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me – how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. 1 During peacetime he struck them down like he would in battle; 2 when he shed their blood as if in battle, he stained his own belt and the sandals on his feet. 3
1 Kings 8:1
Context8:1 4 Then Solomon convened in Jerusalem 5 Israel’s elders, all the leaders of the Israelite tribes and families, so they could witness the transferal of the ark of the Lord’s covenant from the city of David (that is, Zion). 6
1 Kings 20:31
Context20:31 His advisers 7 said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the Israelite dynasty are kind. 8 Allow us to put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads 9 and surrender 10 to the king of Israel. Maybe he will spare our lives.”
1 tn Heb “what he did to the two commanders…and he killed them.”
2 tn Heb “he shed the blood of battle in peace.”
3 tn Heb “and he shed the blood of battle when he killed which is on his waist and on his sandal[s] which are on his feet.” That is, he covered himself with guilt and his guilt was obvious to all who saw him.
4 tc The Old Greek translation includes the following words at the beginning of ch. 8: “It so happened that when Solomon finished building the Lord’s temple and his own house, after twenty years.”
5 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
6 tn Heb “Then Solomon convened the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of the fathers belonging to the sons of Israel to King Solomon [in] Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the
7 tn Or “servants.”
8 tn Or “merciful.” The word used here often means “devoted” or “loyal.” Perhaps the idea is that the Israelite kings are willing to make treaties with other kings.
9 sn Sackcloth was worn as a sign of sorrow and repentance. The precise significance of the ropes on the head is uncertain, but it probably was a sign of submission. These actions were comparable to raising a white flag on the battlefield or throwing in the towel in a boxing match.
10 tn Heb “go out.”
