2Sa 20:10-13 | JFB | STEP | 10. smote him ... in the fifth rib-- the seat of the liver and bowels, where wounds are mortal. struck him not again-- that is, despatched him at the first blow.

‏ 2 Samuel 20:10-13

10. smote him ... in the fifth rib--the seat of the liver and bowels, where wounds are mortal.

struck him not again--that is, despatched him at the first blow.

11-13. He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab--It is a striking proof of Joab's unrivalled influence over the army, that with this villainous murder perpetrated before their eyes they unanimously followed him as their leader in pursuit of Sheba. A soldier conjoined his name with David's, and such a magic spell was in the word "Joab," that all the people "went on"--Amasa's men as well as the rest. The conjunction of these two names is very significant. It shows that the one could not afford to do without the other--neither Joab to rebel against David, nor David to get rid of Joab, though hating him.

2Sa 20:14, 15. Joab Pursues Sheba unto Abel.