Verse 4 ends with David quoting the words of God. In order to show clearly that in verse 5 David again speaks his own words of advice to Solomon, some translations begin this verse by saying “David continued” (Bible en français courant; similarly Parole de Vie).
Moreover you know also …: You know in Revised Standard Version does not reflect the use of the emphatic pronoun in Hebrew. Compare Chouraqui: “And you also, you know….” Anchor Bible attempts to show the emphasis by using italic font: “Furthermore, you know….” New American Bible attempts to do so with “You yourself….” A number of versions follow Revised Standard Version by adding the word Moreover or “Further” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) in an effort to convey the significance of this transition. Good News Translation does so by including the sentence “There is something else” (similarly New Living Translation). Yet this version also fails to reflect the emphatic pronoun.
What Joab … did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel …: Since Joab has been identified in chapter 1 as the son of Zeruiah (see the comments on 1 Kgs 1.7), Good News Translation omits the name of his mother Zeruiah here. For Joab’s killing of Abner, see 2 Sam 3.27; and for his killing of Amasa, see 2 Sam 20.10. In David’s first years as king, when he ruled over the tribe of Judah only, Joab was the commander of David’s army troops. Abner had commanded the northern troops that remained loyal to Saul’s family. Amasa had commanded troops loyal to Absalom, and later he was appointed commander by David (2 Sam 20.4).
Here the father of Amasa is named Jether, but in 2 Sam 17.25 his name is “Ithra.” Since the same person is intended here as in 2 Samuel, some translations use the same form in both cases (Good News Translation, New International Version, New Century Version).
The words what Joab … did to me and how he dealt with the two commanders … refer to the same thing. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “You know the evil that Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me. He killed the two commanders….” Some Hebrew manuscripts and some ancient versions have the common Hebrew conjunction between these two clauses. But even if the conjunction is accepted as original, it should be translated “indeed” rather than “and.”
The last part of this verse contains several textual difficulties following the words whom he murdered. There are two different forms of the text as follows:
(1) The Masoretic Text says “and he put bloods of war in peace, and he put the bloods of war on his girdle which [is] about his loins and on his sandals which [are] on his feet.”
Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text, which is followed by New International Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and Revised English Bible. The plural noun “bloods” signifies blood shed violently. That Joab “put bloods of war in peace” means that he broke the time of peace by killing people (or, shedding blood) as in times of war. Revised English Bible says “breaking the peace by bloody acts of war.” Contemporary English Version translates “He killed them as if they were his enemies in a war, but he did it when there was no war.” New Living Translation similarly says “He pretended that it was an act of war, but it was done in a time of peace.”
That he put such blood on his belt and his sandals may mean that Joab was so close to both Abner and Amasa when he killed them, that their blood spilled onto him. The editors of Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament suggest that the words “he put the bloods of war on his girdle which [is] about his loins and on his sandals which [are] on his feet” should be understood rather literally. New Revised Standard Version says “putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist, and on the sandals on his feet.” Compare also International Children’s Bible: “And their blood got on his belt and sandals.” It is possible, however, to understand these words to mean “Now he bears the responsibility for what he has done” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente; similarly Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie). Traduction œcuménique de la Bible translates these words literally and then explains in a footnote that this is “a figurative way of saying that Joab is responsible for this double murder.”
(2) Part of the Septuagint tradition says “and he avenged the blood of war in peace. And he put innocent blood on my life and on the girdle of my loins and on my sandals that are on my feet.”
Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation and numerous other translations follow this reading instead of the Masoretic Text (so New American Bible, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). Notice that the Septuagint says that he “avenged” the blood rather than “shed” the blood. And the Septuagint says that the innocent blood was put on David’s belt and sandals, rather than on Joab’s. The meaning of this reading is that since David was the king and head of the army, he was responsible for these two murders, even though Joab was the one who did the killing.
Translators are urged to follow the Masoretic Text here. However, if the Septuagint is followed, a literal translation such as in Revised Standard Version will probably not be very meaningful. Good News Translation is a better model for this reading.
The words girdle and sandals may be problematic for some translators. In place of the girdle, most modern versions speak of a “belt” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version). In some languages this will be rendered “sash” since it refers to something tied around the waist. Instead of sandals it may be necessary in some languages to use a more general term such as “footwear.” The details of the articles of clothing here are less important than the essential point of responsibility for the deaths of Abner and Amasa.
Loins translates a Hebrew noun that refers to the area of the body which unites the upper and lower parts of the body. Translations of this noun include loins (the hip-area; New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “waist” (New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New International Version, Revised English Bible), “thighs,” and “body.”
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .