When David lay on his deathbed, and a demon stration was made in favour of the succession of the eldest surviving son, Adonijah, whose interests had been compromised by the preference of the young Solomon, Joab joined the party of the natural heir. It would be unjust to regard this as a defection from David. It was nothing more or less than a demonstration in favour of the natural heir, which, if not then made, could not be made at all. But an act which would have been justifiable, had the preference of Solomon been a mere caprice of the old king, became criminal as an act of contumacy to the Divine King, the real head of the government, who had called the house of David to the throne, and had the sole right of determining which of its members should reign. When the prompt measures taken under the direc tion of the king rendered this demonstration abor tive (t Kings i. 7), Joab withdrew into private life till some time after the death of David, when the fate of Adonijah, and of Abiathar—whose life was only spared in consequence of his sacerdotal cha racter—warued Joab that he had little mercy to expect from the new king. He fled for refuge to
the altar ; but when Solomon heard this, he sent Benaiah to put him to death ; and, as he refused to come forth, gave orders that he should be slain even at the altar. Thus died one of the most ac complished warriors and unscrupulous men that Israel ever produced. His corpse was removed to his domain in the wilderness of Judah, and buried there, B.C. 1015 (1 Kings ii. 5, 28-34).—J. K.
Two others of the name of Joab are mentioned in the O. T.—viz., the son of Seraiah (1 Chron. iv. 4), who was chief of the valley of Charashim (artificers or craftsmen), so called, according to a tradition preserved by Jerome (Queest. in Parra.), from its being the place whence the builders of the temple were brought ; and the Joab who is named along with Joshua as the ancestor of a family re presented by the children of Pahath-Moab (Ezra ii. 6 ; Neh. vii. II). It is doubtful whether this Joab is the same who is mentioned Ezra viii. 9 and Esd. viii. 35. If not, another Joab must be added to the list.—W. L. A.