1 Kings 2:8
in 1 Kings 2Keep an eye on Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim who is with you. He called down bitter curses against me on the day I went to Mahanaim, but when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD: ‘I will never put you to the sword.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And, behold, there is with thee Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I sware to him by Jehovah, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.
KJV
And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.
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This verse in 1 Kings 2
Commentary
5 notes on this verseHe has no less malice than he had then, though he has more sense to conceal it. He is still a debtor to the public justice for what he did then; and, though I promised him that I would not put him to death, I never promised that my successor should not.
This site's exposition
Shimei the son of Gera
on 1 Kings 2:8-9
Shimei “called down bitter curses” against David at Bahurim in 2 Samuel 16:5-13 and was sworn safety at the Jordan in 2 Samuel 19:16-23. David keeps his own oath and tells Solomon the account is still open. The words “you are a wise man” leave the method to Solomon.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And behold thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
thou hast with thee Shimei--Though David promised him a pardon, which being enforced by the presence of a thousand followers, could not have been well refused, he warned his son against Shimei as a turbulent and dangerous character. It must not be supposed that in these dying instructions David was evincing a fierce, vindictive spirit.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Thou hast with thee Shimei - See on 2Sa 16:5 (note), etc., and the notes on 2Sa 19:18-23 (note).
The words behind it
26 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהִנֵּ֣ה | vehineh | and here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| עִ֠מְּךָ | ʾimekha | [is] with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| שִֽׁמְעִ֨י | shimi | Shimei | H8096 → | 43 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| גֵּרָ֥א | gera' | Gera | H1617 → | |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] Ben- | H1145 → | |
| הַיְמִינִי֮ | haymini | <the> jaminite | H1145 → | |
| מִבַּחֻרִים֒ | mibachurim | from Bahurim | H980 → | |
| וְה֤וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| קִֽלְלַ֙נִי֙ | kilani | he cursed me | H7043 → | 82 times |
| קְלָלָ֣ה | kelalah | a curse | H7045 → | |
| נִמְרֶ֔צֶת | nimretzet | grievous | H4834 → | |
| בְּי֖וֹם | beyom | on [the] day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| לֶכְתִּ֣י | lekhti | went I | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| מַחֲנָ֑יִם | machanayim | Mahanaim | H4266 → | |
| וְהֽוּא־ | vehu'- | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| יָרַ֤ד | yarad | he came down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| לִקְרָאתִי֙ | likrati | to meet me | H7122 → | 139 times |
| הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן | haiyarden | the Jordan | H3383 → | 182 times |
| וָאֶשָּׁ֨בַֽע | vaeshava' | and I swore | H7650 → | 186 times |
| ל֤וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| בַֽיהוָה֙ | bayahweh | by Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אֲמִֽיתְךָ֖ | ʾamitekha | I will put to death you | H4191 → | 839 times |
| בֶּחָֽרֶב׃ | becharev | by the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
וְהִנֵּ֣הand here!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
עִ֠מְּךָ[is] with you
ʾimekhaH5973 →1050 times
שִֽׁמְעִ֨יShimei
shimiH8096 →43 times
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
גֵּרָ֥אGera
gera'H1617 →
בֶן־[the] Ben-
ven-H1145 →
הַיְמִינִי֮<the> jaminite
hayminiH1145 →
מִבַּחֻרִים֒from Bahurim
mibachurimH980 →
וְה֤וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
קִֽלְלַ֙נִי֙he cursed me
kilaniH7043 →82 times
קְלָלָ֣הa curse
kelalahH7045 →
נִמְרֶ֔צֶתgrievous
nimretzetH4834 →
בְּי֖וֹםon [the] day
beyomH3117 →2304 times
לֶכְתִּ֣יwent I
lekhtiH1980 →1546 times
מַחֲנָ֑יִםMahanaim
machanayimH4266 →
וְהֽוּא־and he
vehu'-H1931 →1879 times
יָרַ֤דhe came down
yaradH3381 →381 times
לִקְרָאתִי֙to meet me
likratiH7122 →139 times
הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ןthe Jordan
haiyardenH3383 →182 times
וָאֶשָּׁ֨בַֽעand I swore
vaeshava'H7650 →186 times
ל֤וֹto him
lo
בַֽיהוָה֙by Yahweh
bayahwehH3068 →6520 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
אֲמִֽיתְךָ֖I will put to death you
ʾamitekhaH4191 →839 times
בֶּחָֽרֶב׃by the sword
becharevH2719 →413 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 4:2and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 65:16
Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth, and whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the former troubles…
- Genesis 22:18
And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
- Jeremiah 9:24
But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,”…
- 2 Corinthians 10:17
Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:31
Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
- Isaiah 65:16
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.