מדרש אויף מלכים א 2:5

(Numb. 35:11:) WHERE A KILLER MAY FLEE WHO HAS TAKEN A LIFE BY MISTAKE, and not on purpose. If someone goes and kills on purpose, then says: It was by mistake that I killed, and flees to <one of the> cities of refuge, the Holy One says: Even if he comes in and flees to my altar, kill him, according to what is stated (in Exod. 21:14): BUT WHEN SOMEONE PLOTS AGAINST <HIS COMPANION AND KILLS HIM TREACHEROUSLY>, YOU SHALL TAKE HIM AWAY <EVEN> FROM MY ALTAR <FOR EXECUTION>. Who was this person who fled to the altar and was killed? This was Joab, of whom it is stated (in I Kings 2:28): WHEN THE NEWS CAME TO JOAB,…. <JOAB FLED UNTO THE TENT OF THE LORD> AND SEIZED THE HORNS OF THE ALTAR. You find that Joab was a great sage and the head of the Sanhedrin,³³Gk.: Synehedrion. as stated (in II Sam. 23:8): ONE WHO SITS IN THE SEAT OF WISDOM.³⁴These words are commonly understood as the proper name, JOSHEB-BASSHEBETH, A TAHCHEMONITE, but this and other citations of the verse in rabbinic literature tend to understand the verse as translated here. See above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 4:12, and the note there; also below, Tanh. (Buber), Deut. 1:3. Cf. MQ 26b, for an interpretation that identifies this sage with David himself. But did he not know what is written in the Torah (in Exod. 21:14): <BUT WHEN SOMEONE PLOTS AGAINST HIS COMPANION AND KILLS HIM TREACHEROUSLY>, YOU SHALL TAKE HIM AWAY <EVEN> FROM MY ALTAR FOR EXECUTION, [when he went and seized the horns of the altar]?³⁵yMakk. 2:7 [6] (31d); Sanh. 48b; see Makk. 12b. It is simply that [Joab] had said: Those killed by a court of law are not buried in the graves of their ancestors but by themselves. It is better to die here, so that I may be buried with my ancestors. (I Kings 2:30–31:) THEN BENAIAH BROUGHT BACK WORD UNTO THE KING, SAYING: THUS HAS JOAB SPOKEN AND THUS DID HE ANSWER ME. SO THE KING SAID TO HIM: DO AS HE HAS SPOKEN, STRIKE HIM DOWN AND BURY HIM. Why was he killed? Because his (Solomon's) father, David, had ordered him <to do> so (in I Kings 2:5–6): MOREOVER, YOU ALSO KNOW WHAT JOAB BEN ZERUIAH DID TO ME…. <SO ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR WISDOM, AND DO NOT LET HIS GRAY HAIR GO DOWN TO SHEOL IN PEACE.> What did he do to him? You find that, when David wrote to Joab (in II Sam. 11:15): SET URIAH IN THE FRONT LINE WHERE THE FIGHTING IS THE FIERCEST, he did so, and he was killed. All the army leaders assembled against Joab, as stated of him (in II Sam. 23:39): URIAH THE HITTITE, <was one of> ALL <those> {THIRTY-SIX} [THIRTY-SEVEN} <leaders>. He showed them the document. It is therefore stated (in I Kings 2:5): [YOU KNOW] WHAT [JOAB BEN ZERUIAH] DID TO ME AND WHAT HE DID TO THE TWO COMMANDERS OF ISRAEL's FORCES, TO ABNER BEN NER <AND TO AMASA BEN JETHER> [….] They had been of the opinion that David had ordered him to kill him because Abner was Saul's cousin, and for that reason David arose and cursed Joab, when he said (in II Sam. 3:29): MAY THE HOUSE OF JOAB NEVER LACK <ONE WITH A DISCHARGE, A LEPER, ONE WHO GRASPS THE CRUTCH,³⁶Modern translations commonly understand these words to mean, A MALE WHO HANDLES THE SPINDLE, but the midrash understands them in the sense given here. ONE WHO FALLS BY THE SWORD, AND ONE LACKING BREAD>. Then all Israel was appeased,³⁷Rt.: PYS. Cf. Gk.: peisai (“to have persuaded”). when they knew that there was no <authorization> from David. So David ordered his son, Solomon, to kill him, because Joab was the son of David's sister, and he wanted him to approach the world to come.³⁸If he received punishment is this world, his deed would no longer bar him from doing so. When Solomon desired to kill him, Joab said to Benaiah: Go and tell Solomon: Do not sentence me with two judgments. If you are killing me, take off from me the curses with which your father, David, cursed me; and if not, leave me with his curses. Immediately (in I Kings 2:31): SO [THE KING] SAID TO HIM: DO AS HE HAS SPOKEN. [STRIKE HIM DOWN AND BURY HIM.] R. Judah has said: All curses with which David cursed Joab were all fulfilled in David's seed. [(II Sam. 3:29:) MAY THE HOUSE OF JOAB NEVER LACK ONE WITH A DISCHARGE, A LEPER, ONE WHO GRASPS THE CRUTCH, ONE WHO FALLS BY THE SWORD, AND ONE LACKING BREAD.]³⁹yQid. 1:7 (61a); cf. above, Gen. 7:7; ‘Arakh. 16a. ONE WITH A DISCHARGE <was fulfilled in> Rehoboam ben Solomon (according to I Kings 12:18 = II Chron. 10:18): THEN KING REHOBOAM SUCCEEDED IN MOUNTING HIS CHARIOT (merkavah) <AND FLED TO JERUSALEM>. It also says concerning ONE WITH A DISCHARGE (in Lev. 15:9): AND ANY SADDLE (merkav) ON WHICH THE ONE WITH A DISCHARGE RIDES <SHALL BE UNCLEAN>. (II Sam 3:29, cont.:) A LEPER <was fulfilled in> Uzziah, of whom it is stated (in II Kings 15:5): AND HE WAS A LEPER UNTIL THE DAY OF HIS DEATH. (II Sam 3:29, cont.:) ONE WHO GRASPS THE CRUTCH <was fulfilled in> Asa, of whom it is written (in I Kings 15:23): HOWEVER IN HIS OLD AGE HE BECAME DISEASED IN HIS FEET, where gout⁴⁰Gk.: podagra; Lat.: podagra. had seized him. (II Sam 3:29, cont.:) ONE WHO FALLS BY THE SWORD <was fulfilled in> Josiah, of whom it is written (in II Chron. 35:23): THEN THE ARCHERS SHOT KING JOSIAH. Moreover, Rav Judah has said: Rav said: they thrust three hundred iron lances⁴¹Gk.: longchai. into him, until they had perforated him like a sieve. (II Sam 3:29, cont.:) AND ONE LACKING BREAD <was fulfilled in> Jehoiachin, of whom it is stated (in II Kings 25:30 = Jer. 52:34): AND FOR HIS FOOD ALLOWANCE A REGULAR FOOD ALLOWANCE WAS GIVEN TO HIM FROM THE KING, from the table of Evil-merodach. You also find that as long as Jehoiada lived, Joash did the will of his creator, as stated (in II Kings 12:3 [2] // II Chron. 24:2): AND JEHOASH DID WHAT WAS RIGHT IN THE EYES OF THE LORD ALL HIS DAYS AS THE PRIEST JEHOIADA INSTRUCTED HIM. (II Chron. 24:17:) NOW AFTER THE DEATH OF JEHOIADA, THE PRINCES OF JUDAH CAME {UNTO HIM} AND BOWED LOW TO THE KING. THEN THE KING HEARKENED UNTO THEM, in that he took it upon himself to make an idol. Therefore (According to vs. 24): <THE ARMY OF ARAM CAME WITH A FEW MEN….> SO THEY INFLICTED JUDGMENTS ON JOASH. Now for what was Abner punished. It was because he had made the blood of the young men an amusement (rt.: SHQ), as stated (in II Sam. 2:14): THEN ABNER SAID UNTO JOAB: PLEASE LET THE YOUNG MEN ARISE AND PLAY (rt.: SHQ) BEFORE US. SO JOAB SAID: LET THEM ARISE.⁴²The result of their “playing” was that they all killed each other. See above, Gen. 6:5; Exod. 1:24; Numb. 6:8. There are also those who say it was because he put his name before the name of David, as stated (in II Sam. 3:12): THEN ABNER SENT MESSENGERS UNTO DAVID WHERE HE WAS, SAYING: TO WHOM DOES THE LAND BELONG? But the sages say: It was because he did not [wait] for Saul to be reconciled with David. Moreover, he had the power to protest <the massacre> at Nob, the city of priests, and did not protest.

(Numb. 35:11:) “Where a killer may flee who has taken a life by mistake.” “By mistake,” and not on purpose. If someone goes and kills on purpose, then says, “It was by mistake that I killed,” and flees to [one of the] cities of refuge, the Holy One, blessed be He, says, “Even if he comes in and flees to My altar, kill him, according to what is stated (in Exod. 21:14), ‘[But when someone plots against his companion and kills him treacherously], you shall take him away [even] from My altar [for execution].’” Who was this person who fled to the altar and was killed? This was Joab, of whom it is stated (in I Kings 2:28), “When the news came to Joab,… [Joab fled unto the tent of the Lord and seized the horns of the altar].” You find that Joab was a great sage and the head of the Sanhedrin,³³Gk.: Synehedrion. as stated (in II Sam. 23:8), “one who sits in the seat of wisdom.”³⁴These words are commonly understood as the proper name, JOSHEB-BASSHEBETH, A TAHCHEMONITE, but this and other citations of the verse in rabbinic literature tend to understand the verse as translated here. See Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 4:12, and the note there; also below, Tanh. (Buber), Deut. 1:3. Cf. MQ 26b, for an interpretation that identifies this sage with David himself. [So] when he went and seized the horns of the altar, did he not know what is written in the Torah (in Exod. 21:14), “But when someone plots against his companion [and kills him treacherously, you shall take him away (even) from my altar for execution]?”³⁵yMakk. 2:7 [6] (31d); Sanh. 48b; see Makk. 12b. It is simply that [Joab] had said, “Those killed by a court of law are not buried in the graves of their ancestors but by themselves. It is better to die here, so that I may be buried with my ancestors.” (I Kings 2:30–31:) “Then Benaiah brought back word unto the king.... So the king said to him, ‘Do as he has spoken, strike him down and bury him.’” Why was he killed? Because his (Solomon's) father, David, had ordered him [to do] so (in I Kings 2:5), “Moreover, you also know what Joab ben Zeruiah did to me.” What did he do to him? You find that, when David wrote to Joab (in II Sam. 11:15), “Set Uriah in the front line [where the fighting is the fiercest]...,” he did so, and he was killed. All the army leaders assembled against Joab, as [Uriah] was the head of the warriors, as stated of him (in II Sam. 23:39), “Uriah the Hittite, [was one of all] thirty-seven [leaders].” He showed them the document. It is therefore stated (in I Kings 2:5), “What Joab ben Zeruiah] did to me.” (I Kings 2:5, cont.:) “And what he did to the two commanders of Israel's forces, to Abner ben Ner and to Amasa ben Jether, he killed them.” All of Israel had been of the opinion that David had ordered him to kill [Abner] because Abner was Saul's cousin. And for that reason David arose and cursed Joab, when he said (in II Sam. 3:29), “may the house of Joab never lack [one with a discharge, a leper, one who grasps the crutch,³⁶Modern translations commonly understand these words to mean, A MALE WHO HANDLES THE SPINDLE, but the midrash understands them in the sense given here. one who falls by the sword, and one lacking bread].” Then all Israel was appeased,³⁷Rt.: PYS. Cf. Gk.: peisai (“to have persuaded”). when they knew that there was no [authorization] from David. So David ordered his son, Solomon, to kill him, because Joab was the son of David's sister, and he sought to approach him to the world to come.³⁸If he received punishment in this world, his deed would no longer bar him from doing so. When Solomon sought to kill him, Joab said to Benaiah, “Go and tell Solomon, ‘Do not sentence me with two judgments. If you are killing me, take off from me the curses with which your father, David, cursed me; and if not, leave me with his curses.’” Immediately (in I Kings 2:31), “So the king said to him, ‘Do as he has spoken, strike him down and bury him.” R. Judah has said, “All curses with which David cursed Joab were all fulfilled in David's seed.”³⁹yQid. 1:7 (61a); cf. above, Gen. 7:7; ‘Arakh. 16a. One with a discharge [was fulfilled in] Rehoboam ben Solomon (according to I Kings 12:18 = II Chron. 10:18), “then King Rehoboam succeeded in mounting his chariot (merkavah).” It also says concerning one with a discharge (in Lev. 15:9), “And any saddle (merkav) on which the one with a discharge rides [shall be unclean].” A leper [was fulfilled in] Uzziah, of whom it is stated (in II Kings 15:5), “and he was a leper until the day of his death.” One who grasps the crutch [was fulfilled in] Asa, of whom it is written (in I Kings 15:23), “however in his old age he became diseased in his feet,” where (he became like a woman, as) gout⁴⁰Gk.: podagra; Lat.: podagra. had seized him. One who falls by the sword [was fulfilled in] Josiah, of whom it is written (in II Chron. 35:23), “Then the archers shot King Josiah.” Moreover, Rav Judah has said that his whole body was like a sieve. And Rav said, “They thrust iron lances⁴¹Gk.: longchai. into him, until they had perforated him like a sieve.” And one lacking bread [was fulfilled in] Jehoiachin, of whom it is stated (in II Kings 25:30 = Jer. 52:34), “And for his food allowance a regular food allowance was given to him from the king, from the table of Evil-Merodach.” You also find that as long as Jehoiada lived, Joash did the will of his Creator, as stated (in II Kings 12:3 // II Chron. 24:2), “And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days as the priest Jehoiada instructed him.” (II Chron. 24:17:) “Now after the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and bowed low to the king, and the king hearkened unto them,” in that he took it upon himself to make an idol. Therefore (according to vs. 24), “they inflicted judgments on Joash.” Now for what was Abner punished? It was because he had made light and an amusement (rt.: shq), the blood of the young men, as stated (in II Sam. 2:14), “Then Abner said unto Joab, ‘Please let the young men arise and play (rt.: shq) before us.’”⁴²The result of their “playing” was that they all killed each other. And there are also those who say it was because he put his name before the name of David, as stated (in II Sam. 3:12), “Then Abner sent messengers unto David where he was, saying, ‘To whom does the land belong?’” But the sages say, “It was because he did not let Saul be reconciled with David.” And our masters say, “He had the power to protest [the massacre] at Nob, the city of priests, and did not protest.”

“You shall designate cities for you, cities of refuge they shall be for you, and the murderer who smites a person unwittingly shall flee there” (Numbers 35:11).
“You shall designate cities for you” – this is what the verse said: “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore, He instructs sinners on the way” (Psalms 25:8). “Remember Your mercy, Lord, and Your kindnesses, [for they are eternal]” (Psalms 25:6) – David said: Master of the universe, had it not been for Your kindnesses that preceded Adam the first man, he would not have survived, as it is stated: “For on the day that you eat of it you will die” (Genesis 2:17). But You did not do so to him, but rather, You took him out of the Garden of Eden, and he lived nine hundred and thirty years, and then he died. What did You do to him? You banished him from the Garden of Eden, as it is stated: “He banished the man”’ (Genesis 3:24). Why was he banished? It is because he brought death upon the generations. He incurred liability to die immediately, but You had mercy upon him and banished him in the manner of the unwitting murderer, who is exiled from his place to the cities of refuge. That is why it is stated: “Remember Your mercy, Lord, and Your kindnesses [for they are eternal].”
When Moses stood and the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “You shall designate cities for you,” Moses said: ‘Master of the universe, one who unwittingly killed a person in the north or in the south, from where does he know where the cities of refuge are so he could flee there?’ He said to him: ‘“Prepare the way for you” (Deuteronomy 19:3) – direct the way for you, so that they will not be mistaken and the blood redeemer will find him and kill him; “there is no death sentence for him”’ (Deuteronomy 19:6). He said to Him: ‘How?’ He said to him: ‘Position stone markers directing to the cities of refuge so he will know how to go there. On each marker, inscribe on it: Murderer, to the city of refuge,’ as it is stated: “Prepare the way for you.” That is why it is stated: “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore, He instructs sinners on the way” (Psalms 25:8). If for murderers he made a path and a way for them to flee and be saved, for the righteous, all the more so: “He guides the humble with justice, and He teaches the humble His way” (Psalms 25:9).
“And the murderer who smites a person unwittingly shall flee there” – but not intentionally. If one kills intentionally and says: I killed unwittingly, and flees to cities of refuge, the Holy One blessed be He said: Even if he flees and enters upon My altar, kill him, as it is stated: “If a man acts intentionally against his neighbor [to kill him…you shall take him from My altar to die]” (Exodus 21:14). Who was it who fled to the altar and was killed? It was Yoav, as it is stated: “The tidings came to Yoav…[Yoav fled] to the Tent of the Lord [and grasped the corners of the altar]” (I Kings 2:28). And it says: “A Taḥkemonite, head of the officers” (II Samuel 23:8).¹⁷A reference to Yoav, indicating that he was wise, as Taḥkemonite is an expression of wisdom [ḥokhma]. Did he not know that it is written in the Torah: “If a man acts intentionally against his neighbor…” that he went and grasped the corners of the altar? Rather, he said: Those executed by the court are not buried in the graves of their ancestors, but rather by themselves. It is preferable for me that I die here and be buried in the graves of my ancestors. “Benayahu brought back word to the king, saying: So said Yoav.… The king said to him: Do as he said: Strike him down, and bury him, and remove the innocent blood that Yoav shed from upon me and from upon my father’s house” (I Kings 2:30–31).
Why was he killed? It is because David his father commanded him so: “You too know what Yoav son of Tzeruya did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Avner son of Ner and to Amasa son of Yeter; he killed them” (I Kings 2:5). What did he do to him?¹⁸What did Yoav do to David? You find when David wrote to Yoav: “Place Uriya at the front of the fierce battle, and retreat from behind him, and he will be smitten and die” (II Samuel 11:15); he [Yoav] did so and he died. All the heads of the army gathered around Yoav to kill him, as he [Uriya] had been the head of the mighty, as it is written in his regard: “Uriya the Hittite. Thirty-seven in all” (II Samuel 23:39). He showed them the letter. That is why it is written: “What Yoav son of Tzeruya did to me.” “What he did …[ to Avner son of Ner… he killed them]”: All of Israel thought that David had commanded to kill him¹⁹Avner son of Ner. because Avner was the son of Saul’s uncle. That is why it is written: “May there not be eliminated from the house of Yoav one who suffers from discharge [zav] or a leper” (II Samuel 3:29). David stood and cursed Yoav, and all Israel knew that it²⁰The decision to kill Avner. had not been from David, and they reconciled.²¹David and the tribes of Israel reconciled.
He commanded his son Solomon to kill him, as Yoav was the son of David’s sister and he [David] sought to ensure his entry into the World to Come.²²Yoav's death at the hands of Solomon would serve to atone for his sin of killing Avner. When Solomon sought to kill him, Yoav said to Benayahu: ‘Go and say to Solomon: Do not sentence me to two sentences; if you kill me, remove the curses that your father David cursed me from upon me. If not, leave me with the curses.’ Immediately, “the king said to him: Do as he said: Strike him down and bury him” (I Kings 2:30–31).
Rabbi Yehuda said: All the curses that David cursed Yoav were fulfilled in David’s descendants. “Zav” – on Reḥavam son of Solomon, as it is stated: “King Reḥavam hastened to mount the chariot [hamerkava]” (I Kings 12:18), and it is written regarding the zav: “Any saddle [hamerkav] on which the zav will ride will be impure” (Leviticus 15:9). “Leper” – on Uziyahu, as it is stated: “King Uziyahu was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in the isolation house” (II Chronicles 26:21). “Leaners on crutches” (II Samuel 3:29) – on Asa, as it is written: “However, in his old age he ailed in his feet” (I Kings 15:23) – he suffered from gout. “One who falls by the sword” (II Samuel 3:29) – on Josiah, as it is stated: “The archers shot King Josiah” (II Chronicles 35:23). Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: They stabbed him with iron spears until they rendered him like a sieve. “One who lacks food” (II Samuel 3:29) – on Yehoyakhin, as it is stated: “His allotment, a regular allotment, was given to him from the king, each day’s portion on its day, all the days of his life” (II Kings 25:30) – from the table of Evil Merodakh.²³He was dependent on somebody else for his food.
You find that as long as Yehoyada was alive, Yoash performed the will of his Creator, as it is stated: “Yehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, as Yehoyada the priest instructed him” (II Kings 12:3). “After the death of Yehoyada the princes of Judah came and prostrated themselves to the king. Then the king heeded them” (II Chronicles 24:17) – he accepted to render himself a god. Therefore, “they administered punishments to Yoash” (II Chronicles 24:24).
Why was Avner killed? It is because he made the lads’ blood a game, as it is stated: “Avner said to Yoav: Let the lads rise now and play before us” (II Samuel 2:14). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: It is because he had his name precede David’s name, as it is stated: “Avner sent messengers to David from his place [taḥtav],²⁴Obviously he sent it from his place. The word taḥtav is expounded to mean that he placed David’s name beneath [taḥat] his own. saying: Whose is the land?” (II Samuel 3:12). The Sages say: It is because he did not allow Saul to reconcile with David, and because he had the ability to object to Saul regarding Nov, but he did not object.