1 Kings 2:33
in 1 Kings 2Their blood will come back upon the heads of Joab and his descendants forever; but for David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, there shall be peace from the LORD forever.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So shall their blood return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but unto David, and unto his seed, and unto his house, and unto his throne, shall there be peace for ever from Jehovah.
KJV
Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the Lord.
⋯
This verse in 1 Kings 2
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Their blood shall . . . return upon the head of Joab, &c.--A reference is here made to the curse publicly and solemnly pronounced by King David (2Sa 3:28, 29).
This 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
Joab and his descendants forever
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown trace the words to the curse David spoke over Joab's house at 2 Samuel 3:28 and 29. Albert Barnes notes that the history never mentions Joab's descendants again. Matthew Henry applies Proverbs 25, where removing the wicked from before the king establishes his throne.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
"Now that justice is done, and the cry of blood is satisfied, the government will prosper." Thus righteousness and peace kiss each other. Now that such a turbulent man as Joab is removed there shall be peace. Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness, Prov. xxv.
Woe to the head that lies under the guilt of blood! Vengeance for murder was long in coming upon Joab; but, when it did come, it remained the longer, being here entailed upon the head of his seed for ever (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Upon the head of his seed - Compare the margin reference. Nothing further is heard of Joab’s descendants in the history.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשָׁ֤בוּ | veshavu | and they will return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| דְמֵיהֶם֙ | demeihem | blood<s> their | H1818 → | 360 times |
| בְּרֹ֣אשׁ | berosh | on [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| יוֹאָ֔ב | yoav | Joab | H3097 → | 144 times |
| וּבְרֹ֥אשׁ | uverosh | and on [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| זַרְע֖וֹ | zaro | offspring his | H2233 → | 229 times |
| לְעֹלָ֑ם | leolam | for ever | H5769 → | 438 times |
| וּלְדָוִ֡ד | uledavid | and to David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וּ֠לְזַרְעוֹ | ulezaro | and to offspring his | H2233 → | 229 times |
| וּלְבֵית֨וֹ | uleveito | and to house his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וּלְכִסְא֜וֹ | ulekhiso | and to throne his | H3678 → | 135 times |
| יִהְיֶ֥ה | yihyeh | it will belong | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| שָׁל֛וֹם | shalom | peace | H7965 → | 236 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| עוֹלָ֖ם | olam | perpetuity | H5769 → | 438 times |
| מֵעִ֥ם | meim | from with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְשָׁ֤בוּand they will return
veshavuH7725 →1056 times
דְמֵיהֶם֙blood<s> their
demeihemH1818 →360 times
בְּרֹ֣אשׁon [the] head of
beroshH7218 →599 times
יוֹאָ֔בJoab
yoavH3097 →144 times
וּבְרֹ֥אשׁand on [the] head of
uveroshH7218 →599 times
זַרְע֖וֹoffspring his
zaroH2233 →229 times
לְעֹלָ֑םfor ever
leolamH5769 →438 times
וּלְדָוִ֡דand to David
uledavidH1732 →999 times
וּ֠לְזַרְעוֹand to offspring his
ulezaroH2233 →229 times
וּלְבֵית֨וֹand to house his
uleveitoH1004 →2046 times
וּלְכִסְא֜וֹand to throne his
ulekhisoH3678 →135 times
יִהְיֶ֥הit will belong
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
שָׁל֛וֹםpeace
shalomH7965 →236 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
עוֹלָ֖םperpetuity
olamH5769 →438 times
מֵעִ֥םfrom with
meimH5973 →1050 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
Matthew 27:25All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
it leads to
- Joshua 2:19
If anyone goes out the door of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone with…
- Acts 5:28
“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.”
- Acts 7:52
Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—
- Deuteronomy 19:10
Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:15–16
who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men,
- Joshua 2:19
Through
Psalms 89:29I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.
it leads to
- Psalms 89:4
‘I will establish your offspring forever and build up your throne for all generations.’” Selah
- Deuteronomy 11:21
so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to give your fathers.
- Psalms 89:36
his offspring shall endure forever, and his throne before Me like the sun,
- Psalms 89:4
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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.