מלכים א ב׳:כ״ח-ל״ח

והשמועה באה עד יואב. שמועת מצות דוד שצוה להורגו, וידע ששלמה שונאו:

And the report reached Yoav. The report of Dovid’s charge, that he had commanded to kill him, and he knew that Shlomo hated him.¹⁷That is why Yoav feared for his life. Alternatively, he heard of Adoniyahu’s death and of Evyosor’s banishment.—Radak

כי יואב נטה אחרי אדוניה ואחרי אבשלום לא נטה. סוף דבר, אבל בקש לנטות, אלא נתיירא שעדיין לחלוחית של דוד קיימת:

For Yoav had sided with Adoniyah, but he had not sided with Avsholom. At the end of the matter; however, he did seek to turn after him, but he was fearful that trace of Dovid[’s might] was still present.

ויאמר לא. שתים לא אקבל עלי, קללות שקללני דוד אביך במיתת אבנר (שמואל ב ג כט): יחולו על ראש יואב יקבלם שלמה עליו, ואחר כך אצא:

And he said, “No.” Two [punishments] I will not accept upon myself. The curses that your father Dovid cursed me at the death of Avner, as it is stated, “They shall fall upon the head of Yo’av.”¹⁸II Shmuel 3:29. let Shlomo accept them upon himself, and afterward I will go.

עשה כאשר דבר. אני מקבלם עלי, לכך נדבקו כל אלה בזרע דוד, עוזיה היה מצורע, אסא מחזיק בפלך, יהויקים נפל בחרב, וחסר לחם צדקיהו:

Do as he said. I accept them [i.e., the curses] upon myself. Therefore, all these became attached to Dovid’s offspring. Uziyah became [a] leper,¹⁹II Divrei Hayomim 26:19. Assa leaned on a staff,²⁰See II Shmuel 3:29 and I Melochim 15:23. Yehoyakim died by the sword,²¹See Yirmiyahu 22:19. and Tzidkiyahu lacked bread.²²See II Melochim 25:30.

בביתו במדבר. שהיה ביתו הפקר כמדבר, לעניים:

In his own house in the wilderness. For his home was unrestricted as a wilderness, to [help] the needy.²³See Rashi in Maseches Sanhedrin 49a. Alternatively, Yoav had a house in the wilderness where his shepherds stayed when they were out with the sheep, or Yoav house was free of stolen property just like the wilderness.—Radak.

ולא תצא משם. כדי שיהא מצוי לו, ולמצוא לו חטא מות:

You must never go out from there. In order that he be accessible to him and that he might find him guilty of a capital sin.