Was David afraid of Joab?

[tonychanyt]

David confessed in 2 Samuel 3:

39 "today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!"

Was David afraid of the sons of Zeruiah?

No, I don't think so. It was a moment of feeling weakness, David lamented his current situation of being weak. There is no mention of fear. In fact, just a bit earlier, David ordered Joab:

31 Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and walk in mourning in front of Abner.”

Joab killed Abner and David ordered Joab to mourn for Abner.

Then David started his mourning/lamentation:

33 The king sang this lament for Abner:
“Should Abner have died as the lawless die? ...
38Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? 39 And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!”

Verse 39 should be read as part of the lamentation/catharsis process and not as David's showing fear before Joab.