1 Kings 2:28

2:28 When the news reached Joab (for Joab had supported ¹  Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom), he ²  ran to the tent of the Lord and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. ³ 

1 Kings 2:31

2:31 The king told him, “Do as he said! Strike him down and bury him. Take away from me and from my father’s family ⁴  the guilt of Joab’s murderous, bloody deeds. ⁵ 

[2:28]  ¹ tn Heb “turned after” (also later in this verse).

[2:28]  ² tn Heb “Joab.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[2:28]  ³ sn Grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. The “horns” of the altar were the horn-shaped projections on the four corners of the altar (see Exod 27:2). By going to the holy place and grabbing hold of the horns of the altar, Joab was seeking asylum from Solomon.

[2:31]  ⁴ tn Heb “house.”

[2:31]  ⁵ tn Heb “take away the undeserved bloodshed which Joab spilled from upon me and from upon the house of my father.”