The Sanctuary of the Altar

When Shlomo’s (Solomon’s) right-hand man Benayahu comes after Adoniyah and Yoav, both of them grab the horns of the altar. But the sanctuary offered by the altar was to allow a chance for the accused to get a fair trial. Adoniyah and Yoav seem to see it as some sort of “Home Base,” where no one can ever get them. Much like the army thought that the Ark was a magic want that guaranteed victory earlier in Shmuel (The Book of Samuel.) In both cases, it was a lethal mistake.

The Buck Stops with the King

After Yoav’s (Joab) execution, Shlomo (Solomon) refers to Avner and Amasa, both of whom Yoav assassinated against David’s orders, ”And their blood shall return upon the head of Yoav… but upon David… there shall be peace forever from the Lord.” Even though David specifically ordered Yoav not to kill Avner and Amasa, the fact that Yoav did so while under David’s authority meant that David was culpable. I.e., for a king, “The buck stops here.”

Women in Tanach

For those who mistakenly believe that women are somehow not central to Tanach (Bible): David’s first act upon abdicating the throne to his son Shlomo (Solomon) was to turn and prostrate himself top Shlomo. King Shlomo, sitting on the throne when his mother Bat Sheva (Bathsheeba) walks in, then prostrates himself to HER. It seems that she was a sort of joint-ruler, as most of Shlomo’s problems and failures didn’t begin until after her death. There are midrashim (Talmudic stories) of her spanking him for misbehavior throughout his adult life.

David as an Old Man

At the beginning of Sefer Melachim (The Book of Kings,) we see David as an old man who can’t even keep himself warm. His son Adoniyah counts on his father’s decrepitude to usurp David’s chosen successor Shlomo (Solomon.) Suddenly David rises up, puts Shlomo on his mule, anoints him, and issues him decrees for unfinished business. It’s possible that David’s apparent frailty was actually a ruse to tempt potential conspirators to act prematurely, and it succeeds. This also provides Shlomo the pretext to eliminate Yoav (Joab,) something David had always wanted to do.

Who Really Killed Goliath?

In chapter 21 in the Book of Samuel, we read, “…and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath the Gittite.”  Um... didn’t we read earlier that David slew Goliath?  One possibility: David was a royal name he took up upon assuming the monarchy, and Elchanan was his name previously (we see no references to David by name prior to his beginning on his royal track.)  Another possibility is that the giant David killed in his youth was not Goliath.  Once the back-and-forth between David and the giant ensues in Samuel I 1:17, the giant is always referred to merely as, “the Phillsitine,” or, “the uncircumcised one.”

Why David Didn't Go to War with Ammon

In Sefer Shmuel (The Book of Samuel) 21:17, David is almost killed in battle, so the people ask him to stay behind in Jerusalem next time while they go out and fight, lest “The Light of Israel,” i.e. David, is extinguished.  This is further evidence that the events in chapter 21 occurred at the beginning of David’s reign, as this would explain why, back in chapter 10, David did not go out to war against the Ammonites with the rest of the army.

If Michal Was Barren, How Did She Have Sons?

Chapter 21 of the Sefer Shmuel (the Book of Samuel) refers to the five sons of Michal being hanged by the Givonim (Gibeonites.)  This is a problem in and of itself as earlier we learned that Michal was childless as a punishment for her indignity at David’s dancing before the Ark of the Covenant.  Interpreters explain that there were five children of Merav, Michal’s sister, who Michal had raised as if they were her own.

The True Location of Chapter 21 in the Book of Samuel

Chapter 21 of the Book of Samuel seems very nonsequitor, so I will try to reconcile it with its context over the next several posts.  First off, the chapter starts off with a famine due to what Shaul had done to the Givonim (Gibeonites,) the resident alien Canaanite workers in the Temple who, as non-citizens, had no legal recourse.  Why wait until after David had dealt with his sin with Bat Sheva and all of the wars and revolts to deal with this seemingly trivial matter?  Rather, it seems reasonable that this happened immediately after David assumed power.  This is evinced by the fact the Givonim demand seven of the sons of Shaul, whom David delivers to them.  Earlier in the Book of Samuel, we see David asking if Shaul had surviving sons, so that would clearly have to have happened after the incident with the Givonim.

The Story fo David: Sin and Consequences

All of the chapters from David’s assuming power until his putting down Sheva Ben Bichri’s revolt, which constitutes most of what is written about David, seem to have been David’s sin with Bat Sheva and how he dealt with his punishment.  After that point, the text seems to rewind and give a summary of the other relevant events in David’s kingship in a single chapter (21.)  It seems that the most important thing the Prophets wanted us to know about David was how he dealt with his sin.

Torah is More Interesting Than Liberalism

As an aside, if we had spent half the time in religious school learning about Yoav’s Machiavelian political maneuvers and up-close-and-personal assassinations of his opponents that we spent studying the Holocaust and social justice, I would never have dropped out.  I mean, what would a thirteen year old boy rather watch, endless movies of bodies piled up at Auschwitz, or The Godfather.

Yoav's Fierce Loyalty to David and Himself

Sheva Ben Bichri declared another rebellion, Amasa (David’s new chief of staff and Yoav’s replacement) joins in. David dispatches Yoav’s hot-headed brother Avishai to deal with the revolt.  Immediately we see that it is Yoav who arranges to assassinate Amasa, who happens to be his cousin, pretending to be interested in joining the revolt, and leaning over to kiss Amasa until suddenly grabbing hold of his beard and plunging a sword into him. Yoav continues to lead the charge and gets Sheva Ben Bichri.  Very typical of Yoav, fiercely loyal to his king even if he could have rightly felt mistreated.  He was able to think for himself to  go beyond or even violate what he perceives as poorly devised orders but only in cases where those violations coincide with his own self-interest.

The Long Kiss Goodnight

As David crosses the Jordan, he offers his loyal ally Barzilai a position in his court.  Barzilai rejects, saying, “I am eighty years old… I can’t tell good from bad, or taste what I eat and drink.”  I.e., I’m getting older and losing my head, so I won’t be much good to you.  David kisses him and sends him off.  In Tanach (Bible,) a kiss is always the final time two people see one another, as with Ruth and Naomi in the Book of Ruth, and Amasa later in Sefer Shmuel, and many other examples.

Upon his return to the Land of Israel, David promotes Amasa, the rebellious Avshalom’s chief of staff, as his own chief of staff, replacing Yoav (Joab.)  He pardons Shimei son of Gera, who had verbally abused him as he fled Jerusalem, and pardons Mephiboshet, who had also been accused of treason, and restores half his estate.  This is much like his generous treatment of the survivors Shaul’s regime.  Making war against David is much like making war against the United States.  Losing is the best thing that could ever happen to you.

He Who is Kind to the Cruel will Become Cruel to the Kind

As David publicly weeps for his son Avshalom, turning his victory into a day of mourning,  Yoav (Joab) comes to admonish him. “By loving those that hate you, and hating those that love you… you have declared that you regard neither princes nor servants… if Absalom had lived and we all had died today, then it would have been proper in your eyes.”  This is reminiscent of the Talmudic dictum, “He who is kind to the cruel will eventually become cruel to the kind.”

Eli and David, Sitting by the Gate

Awaiting news from the battlefront, David, “Sat between two gates,” until a runner arrives, which hearkens back to the very beginning of the Book of Samuel (Sefer Shmuel) when Eli the Cohen Gadol (high priest) stands on the city gates and awaits news of the battle with the Phillistines.  Both Eli and David hope for good news only to learn that their sons have died.

David Reasserts Himself

When Israel went to war with Ammon, David stayed behind, seeming to lose heart as a monarch.  After his affair with Bat Sheva, he did not even go out to the city gates to judge cases, as the courthouse in ancient Israeli cities was always in the gate.  He seemins to wonder, “How could I judge when I have sinned so terribly.” It gave his son Avshalom the political operating space to begin planning his rebellion, which started at Jerusalem’s city gate. As the Israeli army marches out to do battle with the renegade Avshalom, David first wants to go with them, and then stands by the city gate and watches them pass.  This seems to indicate David is reasserting his military and judicial leadership.

Crossing the Jordan Then and Now (Then)

It is interesting that when David leaves Israel after being deposed, he crosses the Jordan at Machanaim, the same place Jacob wrestled with the angel all night upon his return to the land.  When he eventually returns, he crosses the Jordan at Gilgal, where the nation, led by Yehoshua (Joshua), first crossed over the Jordan into the Land of Israel after 40 years in the desert.  My personal take: these places seem to be transit points into and out of Israel.  When David left, he was a deposed individual, as was the returning Jacob (both at Machanaim.)  Then David returned, he came across with the nation, as did Yehoshua (both at Gilgal.)

The Punishment for the Bat Sheva Affair

Following his affair with Bat Sheva, and his conspiracy to have Bat Sheva’s husband killed but made to look like an accident, the punishment meted out to him was measure for measure.  As he had committed sexual impropriety, not only was his daughter Tamar raped, but all of his concubines were violated by his son.  Much like Bat Sheva was first seen on the roof of her building, so too these violations occurred on the roof of the palace.  Just as David conspired to kill Uriah, so his son Avshalom conspired to kill him.  Just as Uriah died, so three of his sons died.

Yoav (Joab) the Cryptic Character

Yoav (Joab) is, to me, the most interesting character I have read about in Tanach (Bible) yet.  You have your Avraham (Abraham), Moshe (Moses,) and David types, who, while they made mistakes, were clearly good.  Then you have your and Korach and Avimelech types, who were clearly bad.  But with Yoav (Joab,) while he has the wily intelligence and penetrating insight into human character helps him manipulate others to do his will, his own motivations are mysterious.  Did he assassinate Avner, and later Avshalom, against the orders of the king, out of personal vengeance or out of a sense of protecting the king from his own weakness?  He is fiercely loyal to David, but often directly violates his orders.  Most of his actions could be taken as either good or bad, depending on his motivations, which remain a mystery to us.  David, for his part, always curses Yoav, but states that the curse should be carried out by God, implying he himself is unsure of Yoav’s motives.

The Ark of the Covenant is not a Toy

When David flees Avshalom’s rebellion, Zadok the Cohen tries to bring the ark of the covenant.  David turns to him and tells him to bring it back to Jerusalem, saying, “If I find favor in the eyes of God, then he will bring me back [to Jerusalem.]”   This contrasts significantly with earlier in Sefer Shmuel (the Book of Samuel,) when Israel brought the ark with them into battle thinking it guaranteed victory.  David understands that the ark is not a secret weapon, but a sign of the covenant, and if you’re violating your end of the covenant, the ark isn’t going to help you.