May their blood be on Joab and his descendants forever, and may the Lord grant peace forever to David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne.”
Parallel translations
- WEB So their blood will return on the head of Joab, and on the head of his offspring forever. But for David, for his offspring, for his house, and for his throne, there will be peace forever from Yahweh.”
- 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.
- BSB Their 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.”
- NKJV Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his descendants forever. But upon David and his descendants, upon his house and his throne, there shall be peace forever from the Lord.”
- NASB So their blood shall return on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever; but for David and his descendants, and his house and his throne, may there be peace from the Lord forever.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Joab's bloodguilt rests on him and his descendants, while David's house receives lasting peace from Yahweh. The contrast sets the guilty against the covenant blessing on David's line.
Overview
Solomon pronounces enduring consequence on Joab's offspring but everlasting peace upon David's throne, grounded in the LORD's covenant. The promise of peace 'forever from Yahweh' reaches beyond Solomon to the greater Son of David, the Prince of Peace whose reign has no end. Judgment on sin and blessing on the covenant line stand side by side.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Matt 27:25All the people answered, “May his blood be on us, and on our children!”
- 1 Kgs 2:32Yahweh will return his blood on his own head, because he fell on two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, and my father David didn’t know it: Abner the son of Ner, captain of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the army of Judah.
- Isa 9:6–7For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- Prov 25:5Take away the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
- Ps 109:6–15Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand.
- Ps 132:12If your children will keep my covenant, my testimony that I will teach them, their children also will sit on your throne forever more.”
- Ps 89:36–37His offspring will endure forever, his throne like the sun before me.
- 2 Kgs 5:27Therefore the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your offspring forever.” He went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow.
- Ps 89:29I will also make his offspring endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
- Isa 11:1–9A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit.
- Luke 2:14“Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”
- 2 Sam 3:28–29Afterward, when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are guiltless before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
- Ps 101:8Morning by morning, I will destroy all the wicked of the land; to cut off all the workers of iniquity from Yahweh’s city.
- Luke 1:31–33Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and give birth to a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’
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Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 2:33 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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