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Writer’s Diary March 2026
By Mark Morgan | ToESWriting
Was Joab good or bad at the end of his life? Obviously, only God knows the answer to many aspects of this question, but one important question we may be able to shine some light on is: did Joab know that God had said Solomon was to be king when he supported Adonijah? Note that this is not asking whether he knew that David had chosen Solomon, but whether he knew that God had done so.
There is no categoric statement either way about this. Second Samuel, which describes all the events between Solomon’s birth and his coronation makes no mention of Solomon’s being chosen or announced as the future king. 1 Kings only mentions an earlier commitment to make Solomon king on the day he is made king.
However, some passages may lead us towards a conclusion.
1 Chronicles 22:6-10 Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. 7 David said to Solomon, My son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. 8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth. 9 Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10 He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.
David makes this comment while instructing Solomon to build a temple for God. We don’t know exactly when it was made, but it is followed immediately by instructions to the leaders to help Solomon and the statement that when David was old he made Solomon king. As such, it seems likely to have been around the time of Solomon’s coronation, particularly since it describes the vast fortune of materials David had collected. There is no record of when God’s original statement(s) was/were made, either. Assuming that all of this direction from God occurred at the same time (which it may not have), David knew a son “Solomon” would be king before the son he called Solomon was born. However, if this did all occur at one time, how David would have known which of his sons to call Solomon? And, of course, this raises the question of why God would also send a message that resulted in Solomon being named Jedidiah (2 Samuel 12:25)! On first reading, this would seem to be God giving a different name from David’s chosen name for the child – a name that implied he was to be king.
Solomon, as a name, seems to be derived from shalom meaning peace, which fits well with the prophecies made about him being a man of peace. What did his family call him as he grew up? Solomon or Jedidiah or something else? Could it be that it was not until a later time that God acknowledged him as the “Solomon” whose birth he had predicted? It appears that by the time of Adonijah’s attempt to take the kingship, Solomon was the name by which prince Solomon was known, as is shown in the following passage.
1 Kings 1:9-10 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother.
Inviting all of the king’s sons except Solomon suggests also that Adonijah knew Solomon was different from the rest of the king’s sons and saw a reason to keep him away from his own planned coronation. The most likely explanation of this is that he knew David intended to make Solomon king.
1 Kings 1:11-13 Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it? 12 Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go in at once to King David, and say to him, Did you not, my lord the king,swear to your servant, saying, Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? Why then is Adonijah king?
(See also 1 Kings 1:17-19 where Bathsheba follows Nathan’s advice and also mentions that Solomon was not invited to the party. In 1 Kings 1:26, Nathan confirms once more that Solomon was not invited although all of David’s other sons were.)
Clearly both Bathsheba and Nathan knew about Solomon becoming king and both mention David having made an oath about it. David then confirms that he had made such an oath.
1 Kings 1:28-30 Then King David answered, Call Bathsheba to me. So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29 And the king swore, saying, As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, 30 as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place, even so will I do this day.
From these passages it is clear that Nathan, Bathsheba and Adonijah all knew that David intended Solomon to be king. Adonijah seems to have avoiding inviting people who would support Solomon’s claim to the kingship. Joab was invited.
It is very unlikely that Joab would not have known David’s intention.
However, this doesn’t answer the main question which is, did Joab know that Solomon was to be king at God’s command? Joab was no stranger to going against David’s will when he believed it necessary. At times he was indisputably correct. However, going against God’s commands is quite different.
Did Joab know that Solomon was God’s choice of king? Why is God’s choice not mentioned earlier (eg. in 2 Samuel) or the timing spelled out clearly? Was Solomon known as Solomon from the time of his birth, or is it recorded that way because that is how he was known when the history recorded in Samuel and Chronicles was written? Was he called Jedidiah as a child?
Based on the information we have and on the balance of probabilities, I think Joab is more likely than not to have known that God had chosen Solomon. However, I can’t be sure of this because of the lack of information regarding the timing of various events and no statements of how publicly known the information was.
If God’s choice of David’s successor was clearly known before the birth of Solomon, why doesn’t any of it seem to be mentioned before the day of his coronation?
I have continued to work on separating the events of David’s life into those that occurred at home and those when he was at war. Some details can’t be categorised in that way since they refer to longer periods of time (eg. 3 years of famine, 3 years of Absalom in Gerah, etc.). Those I have put together with the “home” events. However, it is taking a long time and I don’t think there is any point in including the table until it is complete. God willing, when I finish, I’ll include it in the diary. After that, the next task is put it in chronological order, which will not be easy.
By the way, one more passage that talks about God’s choice of Solomon is:
1 Chronicles 29:1 David the king said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great; for the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God.
To present this simply, we have the following sections of summary/statistics in 1/2 Samuel and 1 Kings:
1 Samuel 18:13-16 David’s success and Saul’s promotion of him.
1 Samuel 18:29-30 Saul’s fear of David because of David’s success.
1 Samuel 22:1-2 David goes to Adullam’s Cave and 400 men join him.
1 Samuel 27:1-12 David flees to Achish in Gath and spends 16 months there.
1 Samuel 28:3 Samuel had died (already reported in 1 Samuel 25:1) Saul had sent all wizards and spiritist out of Israel. Not told when.
2 Samuel 2:8-11 Abner appoints Ish-bosheth king of Israel; David becomes king of Judah in Hebron.
2 Samuel 3:1-5 Long war between Saul’s house and David. David won. Sons born to him in Hebron.
2 Samuel 5:4 David became king at 30; ruled Judah for 7 1/2 years in Hebron and all Israel for 33 years in Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 5:11-16 Hiram sends cedar for David’s house, David realises God’s blessings, David takes more concubines and wives and has more children in Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 8:1-18 could be a mix of summary and chronological reporting as it goes through a list of the nations David defeated and then lists the important leaders in his kingdom.
2 Samuel 13:37-39 David’s daily longing for Absalom while he stayed in Geshur for 3 years.
2 Samuel 15:1-6 Absalom’s method of seducing the nation over ? years.
2 Samuel 20:23-26 Senior positions in the kingdom after Absalom’s rebellion.
2 Samuel 21:1 Three years of famine because of Saul killing the Gibeonites.
2 Samuel 21:15-22 Four wars with the Philistines in which David and his men killed four giants. These events may be those summarised even more briefly in 2 Samuel 8:1 and 1 Chronicles 18:1.
2 Samuel 22:1-51 The text of Psalm 18 in which David wrote of God’s protection from various enemies.
2 Samuel 23:1-7 The last words of David.
2 Samuel 23:8-21 David’s mighty men with some anecdotes.
1 Kings 1:1-4 David’s old age and need for a nurse.
1 Kings 2:10-12 David’s death and length of his reign. Solomon ruled.
A quick scan of the list above shows that summary sections are used throughout, but more common towards the end of David’s reign in 2 Samuel.
In structure, the books of Samuel present many self-contained episodes or themes that collect a few episodes together. Summary information is presented as necessary to introduce or explain the events which are normally recounted in chronological order. However, being in order within an episode or theme does not guarantee that they are in chronological order overall. Some themes – particularly the developing problem of Absalom – were spread over many years and probably overlap in time with other reported episodes.
There would be many other ways to categorise these themes and episodes, but the list below seems satisfactory to me.
1 Samuel 16 recounts the episode of David’s anointing, but continues to describe David’s appointment as musical therapist for king Saul even though it is leaving the chronological sequence to do so. Why? I can’t be sure, but it seems most likely that the linking idea is found in 1 Samuel 16:13-14. Verse 13 tells us that from the time of David’s anointing, the spirit of God came upon him, while verse 14 describes the spirit of God leaving Saul and being replaced by an evil (damaging) spirit from God. The rest of the chapter shows how the newly anointed, God-assisted king was willing and able to help the old king whom God had abandoned.
1 Samuel 17 reports the killing of Goliath, but even here there are some parts of the story that are not in order. Verse 54 tells us that David took Goliath’s head to Jerusalem, yet it seems clear that he did not do that immediately after killing him. Although we have already been told about the death of Goliath and the defeat of the Philistines, verses 55-58 tell us that when Saul saw David go out against Goliath, he asked Abner who his father was and Abner admitted ignorance. Saul ordered Abner to find out, and when David returned from killing Goliath, Abner took him to tell Saul his family background. This little aside follows its own timeline, quite separately from the rest of the chapter.
1 Samuel 18:1-4 is another little snippet telling us of the instantaneous recognition by David and Jonathan of each other as kindred spirits. It’s not highlighted here, but tells us straight away that Saul won’t be able to rely on Jonathan to help him against David. Saul doesn’t recognise this at once.
1 Samuel 18:5-13 describes David’s new work for Saul as he is introduced to soldiering. We have no indication of its duration, but it probably covers more than one fighting season, incorporating the events of 1 Samuel 16:15-23 which was probably during autumn/winter when David was chosen to help Saul manage his mental anguish. Over time, David’s therapy lost its efficacy and by the end of this episode, David has been banished from Saul’s household. However, he has been promoted to being an important leader in the army. It is probably during this time that he got to know Abner.
1 Samuel 18:14-21:15 shows a theme of Saul’s increasing fear of David as it descends into irrational hatred. The theme can be broken down into several smaller episodes, but the events all seem to be in chronological order and leave Saul more isolated than ever.
(a) 1 Samuel 18:14-30 Saul tries to use his daughters to entangle David, but it doesn’t work. Afraid of David. Hates David and feels increasingly isolated.
(b) 1 Samuel 19:1-21:15 Saul’s increasing fixation against David. He tells his oldest son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David, but David is saved by the actions of Jonathan and his youngest daughter, Michal. Section ends with David fleeing to Achish, king of Gath, a choice that almost proved to be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
1 Samuel 22:1-27:12 is an even longer theme with various self-contained episodes. It describes David’s attempts to shepherd his men and keep them safe from the danger of Saul within the confines of Judah. By this time, it seems that everyone knew David had been chosen by God, but that most did not want to accept him as king and many did their best to help Saul kill him. The events all seem to be in chronological order except for the small summaries that provide the context for smaller episodes.
(a) 1 Samuel 22:1-22 David escapes to Adullam’s Cave and discontented or persecuted people gather to him. He takes his parents to Moab. Saul finds that the priests of Nob helped David and orders their execution. Abiathar escapes to David and brings ephod (23:6) – a means of finding direction from God which was probably used in many subsequent episodes.
(b) 1 Samuel 23:1-18 Philistines are attacking Keilah and God tells David to attack them which he does. Saul hears he is in Keilah and comes to catch him, but David is warned and leaves, so Saul gives up and goes home. Jonathan goes and finds David in the woods and supports him. They make a covenant and Jonathan goes home.
(c) 1 Samuel 23:19-28 Ziphites report to Saul that David is staying nearby and Saul comes to catch him. About to do so when Saul is told that the Philistines have attacked and has to go to fight them.
(d) 1 Samuel 23:29-24:22 David goes to En-gedi and when Saul returns from fighting the Philistines, he chases him again. David is hiding in a cave when Saul enters. David has the opportunity to kill him, but merely cuts off the skirt of his robe. After Saul leaves, David goes out and calls him from a distance, showing the material he had cut. Saul repents and goes home. David and his men go to the stronghold.
(e) 1 Samuel 25:1-44 Samuel dies. David goes to wilderness of Paran and provides protection for Nabal’s flocks. When Nabal is shearing, David asks for some food, but Nabal refuses and vilifies David. David sets of planning to kill Nabal and his household, but Abigail, Nabal’s wife, hurries to meet him with gifts of food and convinces him not to. The next day, God strikes Nabal and ten days later he dies. David takes Abigail as his wife as well as Ahinoam. Saul, meanwhile, had given David’s wife Michal to another man. Did she object?
(f) 1 Samuel 26:1-25 Ziphites report to Saul again that David is staying nearby and Saul comes to catch him. David, Ahimelech and Abishai crept into Saul’s camp and took away Saul’s spear and jug. Went to top of mountain and called Abner, challenging him for not protecting his king. David shows spear and jug, Saul repents for chasing David and goes home.
1 Samuel 27:1-12 Despite God’s obvious protection, David eventually despairs of survival in Judah and spends last 16 months of Saul’s reign in Gath and Ziklag. King Achish provides him protection and gives David a city, hopes to keep him as a servant for life, but David deceives him from start to end.
1 Samuel 28:1-31:13 Theme: Defeat and death of Saul and his sons. Episodes:
(a) 1 Samuel 28:1-2 Achish’ plan to have David fight for the Philistines.
(b) 1 Samuel 28:3-25 Saul’s abandonment of God in visiting a witch to get information from Samuel who had died. He got only bad news.
(c) 1 Samuel 29:1-11 Philistine leaders send David away from the upcoming conflict.
(d) 1 Samuel 30:1-31 David and his men return to Ziklag and are kept busy for about a week, dealing with Amalekites who had attacked Ziklag. He then sends gifts from the spoil to those who have helped him earlier.
(e) 1 Samuel 31:1-13 Philistines defeat Israel and kill Saul’s sons. Saul commits suicide. Philistines displayed Saul’s body at Beth Shan until men of Jabesh Gilead come and take it away for burial.
I hope to get onto 2 Samuel tomorrow.
2 Samuel 1:1-27 David hears report of Saul’s and Jonathan’s death from an Amalekite whom he executes after he claimed to have killed Saul on request. David’s lamentation over Saul and Jonathan. 2 Samuel 2:1- David enquires whether he should go somewhere in Judah and God tells him to go to Hebron where goes with his two wives and is made king. Hears that men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul, et al. and sent a message of thanks. 2 Samuel 2:8-32 Abner had made Ish-bosheth king over Israel in Mahanaim. David king over Judah in Hebron. Abner crosses to Gibeon and Joab goes to meet him. Battle starts with 12 ridiculous deaths each, then and Joab wins the following battle, losing only another 7 men, plus Asahel, Joab’s brother, killed by Abner. 2 Samuel 3:1-5 Long war between Saul’s house and David’s. David grew stronger; Saul’s house, weaker. 6 sons born to David in Hebron by 6 wives. 2 Samuel 3:6-39 Ish-bosheth accused Abner of having sex with Rizpah, Saul’s concubine. Abner threatened to change sides and help David. Goes to David and promises to bring the nation across to him. David says only if he gets his wife Michal, and sends demand to Ish-bosheth. Abner arranges it as well as talking to elders of Israel and Benjamin to convince them to go over to David. Abner goes to Hebron to meet David and leaves in peace. Joab returns from a successful raid and sends a message to recall Abner, then kills him with Abishai’s help. David very upset and calls down God’s judgement on the evildoer. The people are pleased with David’s response. No further progress with unification for more than 5 years. 2 Samuel 4:4 tells how Mephibosheth was 5-years-old when Jonathan was killed and was made lame in an accident when the news was received. I can’t see why this detail is reported here. 2 Samuel 4:1-3, 5-12 (excluding 4:4) Assassination of Ish-bosheth and execution of his killers. 2 Samuel 5:1-16 David anointed king over Israel. Conquers Jerusalem and moves there. David grows greater and greater. David takes more wives and concubines and has more children. 2 Samuel 5:17-25 Return to Writer’s Diary Table of Contents
Tuesday, 17 March 2026
Division of 2 Samuel into themes and episodes