Why did Joab kill Amasa? (2 Samuel 20:10)
2 Samuel 20:9-10 says, 9 Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri.
2 Samuel 20:1 - 26
ESV - 1 Now there happened to be there a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said, "We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel! 2 So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
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Asked August 27 2022
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Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
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Tim Maas
Supporter
Joab was fiercely loyal to his uncle David, but he was also very ambitious, causing him to be suspicious of anyone (such as Amasa) who gave Joab reason to view him as a potential rival for David's favor, as shown by Joab's previous involvement in the murder of Abner (2 Samuel 3) and the death of Absalom (2 Samuel 18). (This was aside from the fact -- as noted in the passage cited in the question -- that Amasa, by being slow to mobilize the army to put down the rebellion of Sheba, might have caused Joab to suspect that Amasa was conspiring with Sheba.)
Tracy Warren
Supporter
Gibeon is six miles north and slightly west of Jerusalem, well inside of Benjamin territory. Was Amasa on a force march from Jerusalem to catch up to Abishai, or did their paths cross there at Gibeon as he was returning to Jerusalem with the forces he had gathered? If the latter, then he may have disobeyed the king by going outside of the land of Judah to gather men, thus delaying his return. Joab was a ruthless warrior and leader of men, who even when doing acts that seemed self-serving he could make a case that it was for the best for the kingdom, even when he disobeyed the king. Abner rebelled against God when he tried to place Ish-bosheth on the throne even though he knew that David was anointed by God to be king. Then he tried to play king-maker a second time, promising to put David on the throne. Thus David would be beholden to Abner rather than God. Nor would it have been good for the kingdom to allow Absalom to continue living as he would have likely caused another rebellion. As for Amasa, Joab, besides being jealous, may have seen Amasa as an ineffectual leader being delayed in returning to Jerusalem. A poor general would be a danger to the kingdom. As cousins, he knew Amasa well but we can only examine the scriptures and postulate as to motive. I hope to give another area of thought to ponder. Cheers.
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