But Amasa took no heed to the sword that [was] in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth [rib], and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
Ver. 10. So he smote him therewith in the fifth rib.] Was not David in some sort guilty of this murder of Amasa, by not having all this while punished Joab for the like butchery acted upon Abner? Hemingius telleth of a felon who was found guilty of murdering seven men: and while the judge was considering what punishment heavy enough to inflict upon him, a certain advocate stepped forth, and offered to prove that the judge himself was guilty of the six last of those murders, because he had not punished ths felon for the first.