1 Kings 2:32

32 And the Lord yield on(to) his (own) head his (own) blood, for he killed two just men, and better than himself, and he killed them by (the) sword, while David, my father, knew not, Abner the son of Ner, the prince of the chivalry of Israel, and Amasa, the son of Jether, the prince of the host of Judah (that is, Abner the son of Ner, the leader of Israel's cavalry, or army, and Amasa, the son of Jether, the leader of Judah's army).

1 Kings 2:32 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 2:32

And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head
By way of retaliation, blood for blood:

who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he;
later named; for though they had been in open rebellion against David, yet had submitted, and were reconciled and received into favour; and even their open crimes were not so bad, Solomon judged, as his secret treacherous murders of innocent persons in cool blood; they were men of more honour and integrity than he was, not so cruel and barbarous, though guilty in other respects:

and slew them with the sword, my father not knowing [thereof];
this is observed to remove all suspicion, and which doubtless had been entertained by some, that David had an hand in their death; and that Joab did what he did with his knowledge and consent, and by his advice and order; they having been both concerned in rebellion against him, the one under Ishbosheth, and the other under Absalom:

[to wit], Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and
Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah:
the reason of the two hosts, of which they were captains or generals, being thus distinguished, is, because the tribes of Israel were on the side of Ishbosheth, whose general Abner was, in opposition to Judah, who made David their king; and, on the other hand, they were the men of Judah that were first and chiefly in the rebellion of Absalom, whose general Amasa was; of the murder of these two men by Joab, see ( 2 Samuel 3:27 ) ( 20:10 ) .

1 Kings 2:32 In-Context

30 And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to Joab, The king saith these things, Go thou out. And he said, I shall not go out, but I shall die here. Benaiah told the word to the king (Benaiah told this to the king), and said, Joab spake these things, and answered these things to me.

31 And the king said to Benaiah, Do thou as he hath spoken, and slay thou him, and (then) bury him; and thou shalt remove the innocent blood, that was shed out of Joab, from me, and from the house of my father (and so thou shalt remove the innocent blood that was shed by Joab, from me, and from my father's house).

32 And the Lord yield on(to) his (own) head his (own) blood, for he killed two just men, and better than himself, and he killed them by (the) sword, while David, my father, knew not, Abner the son of Ner, the prince of the chivalry of Israel, and Amasa, the son of Jether, the prince of the host of Judah (that is, Abner the son of Ner, the leader of Israel's cavalry, or army, and Amasa, the son of Jether, the leader of Judah's army).

33 And the blood of them shall turn again into the head of Joab, and into the head of his seed without end; but peace be of the Lord till into without end to David, and to his seed, and to the house, and [the] throne of him. (And their blood shall return onto Joab's head, and onto the head of his descendants forevermore; but let peace, or prosperity, be from the Lord forevermore for David, and for his descendants, and for his house, and his throne.)

34 Therefore Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went up, and assailed Joab, and killed him; and Joab was buried in his house in (the) desert.