The Meaning of 1 Kings 2:33 Explained

1 Kings 2:33

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.

YLT: yea, turned back hath their blood on the head of Joab, and on the head of his seed to the age; and for David, and for his seed, and for his house, and for his throne, there is peace unto the age, from Jehovah.'

Darby: And their blood shall be requited 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 Jehovah.

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 Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Kings 2:33 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 2:26-35 - Paying Penalty For Bloody Deeds
The removal of Abiathar from the office of high priest and the execution of Joab quenched the last faint hopes of the house of Saul. In the case of Abiathar, note the remarkable fulfillment of the divine prediction, 1 Samuel 2:31-35. God does not fail to keep His word, whether of threatening or of promise.
Joab fled to the altar. Men who, throughout their life, have disregarded or despised religion will often turn to it in their extremity. Those who blaspheme when the seas are smooth, will be the first to cry for mercy when the storm-winds lash the waters into foam.
Joab's attempt to find mercy through the altar was futile; but no sinner ever flees to the Cross in vain. If he fulfills the conditions of repentance and faith, the sword of the avenger cannot touch him there. If we confess and forsake our sins, and humbly trust in the mercy of the Redeemer, no weapon that is formed against us can prosper, and every tongue that rises in judgment is condemned. "This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord," Isaiah 54:17.
1 Kings 2:1-46 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 2

1  David, having given a charge to Solomon
3  of Reverence
5  of Joab
7  of Barzillai
8  of Shimei
10  Solomon succeeds
12  Adonijah, moving Bathsheba to ask unto Solomon for Abishag,
13  is put to death
26  Abiathar, having his life given him, is deprived of the priesthood
28  Joab fleeing to the horns of the altar, is there slain
35  Benaiah is put in Joab's room, and Zadfok in Abiathar's
36  Shimei, confined to Jerusalem, by occasion of going to Gath, is put to death

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 2:33 mean?

Therefore shall return their blood upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his descendants forever but upon David and his descendants and upon his house and his throne there shall be peace for ever from Yahweh
וְשָׁ֤בוּ דְמֵיהֶם֙ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ יוֹאָ֔ב וּבְרֹ֥אשׁ זַרְע֖וֹ לְעֹלָ֑ם וּלְדָוִ֡ד וּ֠לְזַרְעוֹ וּלְבֵית֨וֹ וּלְכִסְא֜וֹ יִהְיֶ֥ה שָׁל֛וֹם עַד־ עוֹלָ֖ם מֵעִ֥ם יְהוָֽה

וְשָׁ֤בוּ  Therefore  shall  return 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
דְמֵיהֶם֙  their  blood 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
בְּרֹ֣אשׁ  upon  the  head 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
יוֹאָ֔ב  of  Joab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָב  
Sense: son of David’s sister Zeruiah and general of David’s army.
וּבְרֹ֥אשׁ  and  upon  the  head 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
זַרְע֖וֹ  of  his  descendants 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
לְעֹלָ֑ם  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
וּלְדָוִ֡ד  but  upon  David 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וּ֠לְזַרְעוֹ  and  his  descendants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
וּלְבֵית֨וֹ  and  upon  his  house 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וּלְכִסְא֜וֹ  and  his  throne 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כִּסֵּא 
Sense: seat (of honour), throne, seat, stool.
יִהְיֶ֥ה  there  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
שָׁל֛וֹם  peace 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
עוֹלָ֖ם  ever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.