And one of Joab's men stood by him and said, Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab — Joab's man addresses the assembled forces, making clear that following Joab is equivalent to supporting David. The statement reestablishes Joab's authority after his murder of Amasa. Yet the formulation is suspicious: why must men choose between Joab and David? The implication is that Joab is repositioning himself as indispensable.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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