264 EDWARD J. BRIDGE critical of him (2 Sam 3,24-25; 19,5-7) 24. As with Mephibosheth in 9,8 and Ruth (Ruth 2,13), Joab does not express obligation. This is also in keeping with 2 Samuel in which he normally takes an inde- pendent view of things from his king, even though his position automatically implies loyalty to David 25. Therefore, this unusual- for-Joab obeisance and deference in 2 Sam 14,22 is designed to increase David’s “face”, needed after his coercion of David through the Tekoite woman to recall Absalom from exile 26. A similar use of conventional deference as self-abasement to express thanks occurs in Ziba’s response to David in 2 Sam 16,4b, after David has given him Mephibosheth’s assets (v. 4a) : “ I do obeisance; let me find favour in your sight, my lord the king ”. Ziba has claimed that Mephibosheth is entertaining treason during Absalom’s rebellion (v. 3 ; cf. 19,26-27). Since Ziba’s state- ment uses only conventional language, it can be argued that he does not use self-abasement. However, as for Joab, it functions as a statement of thanks 27. Like Joab, Ziba does not express obligation to David. That is, conventional deference and obeisance carries a reduction in “face” and highlights David’s “face” as a generous person. If there is obligation, the narrative shows it is incumbent on David. David, by accepting Ziba’s gift of food (16,2) — not narrated — has indebted himself to Ziba, as studies on gift-giving would predict. The Hebrew Bible elsewhere acknowledges ob- ligations inherent in accepting gifts (e.g. Prov 18,16 and 21,14), Joab’s message to David in 2 Sam 11,19-21 can also be interpreted as 24 being critical of David. See K. BODNER, “Is Joab a Reader-Response Critic?”, JSOT 27 (2002) 19-35. It is frequently asserted that David used murder and intrigue to gain the 25 throne, with Joab playing a large role. See e.g. B. HALPERN, David’s Secret D e m o n s . M e s s i a h , Murderer, Traitor, King (Grand Rapids, MI 2001); J. VANDERKAM, “Davidic Complicity in the Deaths of Abner and Eshbaal”, JBL 99 (1980) 521-539; N.P. LEMCHE, “David’s Rise”, JSOT 10 (1978) 2-25; and M.J. STEUSSY, David. Biblical Portraits of Power (Columbia, SC 1999). The MT contains a Qere reading of Èdb[ for wdb[ at the end of v. 22. 26 However, wdb[ works well in the context by placing Joab’s thanks fully into third-person speech, which dissociates David from the face loss he has faced by being manipulated. Cf. FIRTH, Samuel, 459: “Ziba is awarded the estate, which he flatter- 27 ingly accepts”.