Sanhedrin 49a

סנהדרין מ״ט ע״א

Learn Sanhedrin 49a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Sanhedrin 49a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The trial of יואב before שלמה, and אגדות about יואב, אבנר and עמשא that close פרק נגמר הדין.

Overview

The amud opens by closing the earlier topic with a short saying: better to be cursed than to curse. Then שלמה puts יואב on trial. יואב defends killing אבנר by saying אבנר should have stopped the רודף עשאל by wounding a limb, and he proves that אבנר could aim precisely. On the killing of עמשא, שלמה rejects יואב's claim that עמשא was a מורד במלכות. עמשא learned from the word רק that a king's order does not override Torah learning. שלמה then turns the charge around: יואב himself rebelled by following אדוניה, and he held back from following אבשלום only because דוד was still strong. רבי אבא בר כהנא disagrees, picturing דוד and יואב as partners who needed each other. The גמרא then explains פסוקים about how יואב judged and killed אבנר, why אבנר and עמשא were better and more righteous than יואב, and how generous and clean יואב's home was. The amud ends with the הדרן closing פרק נגמר הדין.

Opening lines

The steps (37)

1. ConclusionBetter to be cursed than to curse
2. Questionיואב is brought to trial and asked about אבנר
3. Responseיואב says he was עשאל's blood avenger
4. ChallengeBut עשאל was a pursuer
5. Resolutionאבנר could have stopped him by wounding a limb
6. Rejectionאבנר could not aim at a limb
7. ProofProof that אבנר had precise aim
8. QuestionLeave אבנר aside: why did you kill עמשא?
9. Responseעמשא rebelled against the king
10. Rejectionעמשא limited the king's power through a דרשה
11. ProofTorah learning comes before the king's order
12. Challengeשלמה says יואב himself was the rebel
13. QuestionWhat does 'he did not follow אבשלום' teach?
14. Responseיואב wanted to follow אבשלום but held back
15. QuestionWhy did יואב hold back?
16. Responseדוד was still strong
17. ResponseAnother reason: דוד's fortune was still strong
18. Proofדוד's 400 loyal young fighters
19. Statementדוד and יואב needed each other
20. ProofThe פסוק shows the partnership
21. QuestionWhat does בור הסירה mean?
22. ResponseA pit and a thorn caused אבנר's death
23. Statementיואב judged אבנר like a סנהדרין
24. Questionיואב asks: why did you kill עשאל?
25. Responseאבנר: עשאל was a רודף
26. ChallengeYou could have stopped him by hurting a limb
27. Resolutionאבנר: I couldn't aim that well
28. ChallengeYou hit the fifth rib, yet couldn't hit a limb?
29. Statementיואב took אבנר aside by trickery
30. StatementThe חומש is the fifth rib
31. StatementWhy אבנר and עמשא were better and more righteous than יואב
32. Statementעמשא did not suspect יואב
33. QuestionWas יואב's house really a wilderness?
34. Responseיואב's house was open to everyone
35. Responseיואב's house was clean of sin
36. Statementיואב fed the poor even with treats
37. ConclusionHadran — Closing פרק נגמר הדין