Melakhim I Chapter 2 | David’s Final Instructions

Before David's death it is important to him to instruct his son. We’ll discuss four points regarding his final instructions and their fulfillment:

A Proper Transition of Power: The idea of leaving a will is very special. In Tanakh, we rarely see kings willingly giving up their thrones, and orderly organized transitions are even rarer. One can only imagine what might have happened if King Sha'ul had stepped down as commanded by God and provided David with a smooth transition instead of engaging in a struggle over the throne.

The Religious Instruction: David's instructions include two parts. The first part is an encouragement to serve God and a warning that God's promise to sustain the throne in David's household depends on the obedience to His commandments. This section appears in a slightly different form than in the parallel chapters of Divrei Hayamim (Divrei Hayamim I 22:12–13; 28:9) and has parallels in the Torah and the Book of Yehoshua. About Avraham, it is said: “Avraham listened to My voice and kept My charge: My commandments, My statutes, and My laws” (Bereishit 26:5). Yehoshua is commanded: “But you must be strong and brave indeed to uphold faithfully all the Torah… so that you may triumph wherever you go” (Yehoshua 1:7–8). In the Shema, we read: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Devarim 6:5). David’s final story emphasizes deep faith in God and reflects one of the main themes of the Book of Shmuel: the king’s power and the nation’s success depend on obedience to God’s command.

Settling Old Debts: The second part of David’s instructions addresses unfinished business. On the one hand, there are those to whom David owes gratitude, such as the sons of Barzilai the Gileadite. On the other hand, there are those to be punished, such as Yoav and Shimi. David’s command to take revenge on Yoav for the murders of Avner and Amasa, and on Shimi for his curses, demonstrates that David’s earlier mercy towards them was not due to forgiveness but rather because he decided it wasn't the right time to act against them. Now, with the generational transition and the kingdom united under Shlomo, it becomes possible to deal with Shimi and replace Yoav as the army commander.

Holding on to the Horns of the Altar: Shlomo’s first actions are not against the two individuals David specifically mentioned but rather against two others: Evyatar, a supporter of Adoniya, and Adoniya himself. Adoniya requests Avishag the Shunamite, and Shlomo interprets this as an act of rebellion. In biblical narratives, claiming the king’s wife is seen as an act of revolt (e.g., the stories of Avner and Ritzpa, and Avshalom and David’s concubines). As a result, Shlomo executes Adoniya. Evyatar the priest, who supported Adoniya, is exiled and replaced by the loyal Tzadok. Yoav hears of these actions and assumes Shlomo is conducting a political purge. Shlomo is dealing with all those who supported Adoniya: "And the news reached Yoav… for Yoav has sided with Adoniya". He flees to the altar and grasps hold of the horns. But what does grasping hold of the horns of the altar signify?

Throughout the Tanakh, there is a clear separation between sacredness and death. The altar must not be constructed with iron tools, for “in wielding a sword upon it, you profane it” (Shemot   20:22). God’s reason for not allowing David to build the Temple is because he “shed too much blood” (Divrei Hayamim I 22:8). The cities of the Levites are also towns of refuge used to protect against blood avengers. Similarly, the altar offers protection to those who seek it. This is why Yoav flees there, just as Adoniya did earlier in chapter 1.

However, there is an exception to this protection. The Torah explicitly states regarding murderers: “But if someone schemes against another and kills him by stealth, you shall take him even from My altar and he shall die” (Shemot 21:14). A person who takes innocent blood cannot cling to the altar and expect protection. The defense of life and holiness sometimes requires removing the offender. Yoav, believing Shlomo is conducting a political purge and seeking revenge for supporting Adoniya, hopes the altar will protect him. But Shlomo faithfully follows David’s instructions and punishes Yoav for shedding innocent blood. David seeks to clean his name of this guilt, as the actions of a king’s subordinates ultimately reflect upon the king himself. It is the king’s responsibility to punish them to clear himself of their sins. Shlomo executes Yoav for the murder of two commanders of Israel’s armies and declares: "and may David and his descendants, and his house and his throne, be forever granted peace from the Lord".