1 Kings 2:32
in 1 Kings 2The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to the sword Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehovah will return his blood upon his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, and my father David knew it not, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.
KJV
And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.
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This verse in 1 Kings 2
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
take away the innocent blood
on 1 Kings 2:31-33
Solomon states the legal ground plainly, innocent blood shed by Joab must be removed from David's house rather than left to stain it, the principle Deuteronomy 21:1-9 sets over even an unsolved killing found in the land. Verse 33 balances the two houses against one another, Joab's blood on his own head and his seed forever, David's house given peace forever from the Lord, settling the account verse 5 first opened.
This site's exposition
bring his bloodshed back upon his own head
Albert Barnes reads his bloodshed as the blood Joab shed. Solomon names the two victims as commanders of Israel's army and of Judah's, so Joab had cut down the heads of both halves of the kingdom.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Shalt return his blood - i. e. “his shedding of blood.”
The words behind it
33 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהֵשִׁיב֩ | veheshiv | and he will bring back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| יְהוָ֨ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דָּמ֜וֹ | damo | blood his | H1818 → | 360 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹאשׁ֗וֹ | rosho | head his | H7218 → | 599 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| פָּגַ֣ע | paga' | he fell | H6293 → | 46 times |
| בִּשְׁנֵֽי־ | bishnei- | on two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| אֲ֠נָשִׁים | ʾanashim | men | H582 → | 566 times |
| צַדִּקִ֨ים | tzadikim | righteous | H6662 → | |
| וְטֹבִ֤ים | vetovim | and good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ | mimenu | more than him | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| וַיַּהַרְגֵ֣ם | vaiyahargem | and he killed them | H2026 → | 167 times |
| בַּחֶ֔רֶב | bacherev | with the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וְאָבִ֥י | veavi | and father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| דָוִ֖ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָדָ֑ע | yada' | he knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַבְנֵ֤ר | ʾavner | Abner | H74 → | |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| נֵר֙ | ner | Ner | H5369 → | |
| שַׂר־ | sar- | [the] commander of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| צְבָ֣א | tzeva' | [the] army of | H6635 → | 485 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֲמָשָׂ֥א | ʾamasa' | Amasa | H6021 → | |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יֶ֖תֶר | yeter | Jether | H3500 → | |
| שַׂר־ | sar- | [the] commander of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| צְבָ֥א | tzeva' | [the] army of | H6635 → | 485 times |
| יְהוּדָֽה׃ | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
וְהֵשִׁיב֩and he will bring back
veheshivH7725 →1056 times
יְהוָ֨הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דָּמ֜וֹblood his
damoH1818 →360 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רֹאשׁ֗וֹhead his
roshoH7218 →599 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
פָּגַ֣עhe fell
paga'H6293 →46 times
בִּשְׁנֵֽי־on two
bishnei-H8147 →768 times
אֲ֠נָשִׁיםmen
ʾanashimH582 →566 times
צַדִּקִ֨יםrighteous
tzadikimH6662 →
וְטֹבִ֤יםand good
vetovimH2896 →538 times
מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙more than him
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
וַיַּהַרְגֵ֣םand he killed them
vaiyahargemH2026 →167 times
בַּחֶ֔רֶבwith the sword
bacherevH2719 →413 times
וְאָבִ֥יand father my
veaviH1 →1212 times
דָוִ֖דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יָדָ֑עhe knew
yada'H3045 →945 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אַבְנֵ֤רAbner
ʾavnerH74 →
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
נֵר֙Ner
nerH5369 →
שַׂר־[the] commander of
sar-H8269 →421 times
צְבָ֣א[the] army of
tzeva'H6635 →485 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
עֲמָשָׂ֥אAmasa
ʾamasa'H6021 →
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
יֶ֖תֶרJether
yeterH3500 →
שַׂר־[the] commander of
sar-H8269 →421 times
צְבָ֥א[the] army of
tzeva'H6635 →485 times
יְהוּדָֽה׃Judah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 7:16His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.
it leads to
- Esther 9:25
But when it came before the king, he commanded by letter that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should come back upon his own head, and that he and his…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 37:12–13
The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,
- Psalms 36:12
There the evildoers lie fallen, thrown down and unable to rise.
- 1 Samuel 26:10
David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.
- 1 Samuel 24:12–13
May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you.
- Esther 9:25
Through
2 Chronicles 21:13but you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and have caused Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab prostituted itself. You have…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 21:4
When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened himself by putting to the sword all his brothers along with some of the princes of Israel.
- 2 Chronicles 21:11
Jehoram had also built high places on the hills of Judah; he had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.
- 2 Chronicles 21:4
Through
Judges 9:24in order that the crime against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the leaders of Shechem, who had helped him…
it leads to
- Psalms 7:16
His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.
- Psalms 7:16
About 1 Kings

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
