2 Samuel 18:20
“Joab said to him, “You must not be the bearer of news today, but you must carry news another day. But today you must carry no news, because the king’s son is dead.””
What does 2 Samuel 18:20 mean?
Joab, David's military commander, is stopping a young man from running to tell King David that his son Absalom has been killed in battle. Joab recognizes that being the messenger of such devastating news would put the young man in danger, since grief-stricken kings sometimes punished bearers of bad tidings. He's protecting this man by insisting someone else (eventually a more experienced messenger) deliver the news instead. It's a moment where Joab shows rough kindness, understanding that some burdens shouldn't be placed on the unprepared, and that tragic news requires wisdom about how and when to share it.