2 Samuel 16:11 BSB — MannaFest

2 Samuel 16:11

Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son, my own flesh and blood, seeks my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone and let him curse me, for the LORD has told him so.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more may this Benjamite now do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for Jehovah hath bidden him.

KJV

And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him.

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Commentary

4 voices

Ambrose of Milan

On the Duties of the Clergy 1.48.236-38 (397)

We can show, too, that holy David was like Paul in this same class of virtue. When … Shimei cursed him and charged him with heavy offenses, at the first he was silent and humbled himself, and was silent even about his good deeds, that is, his knowledge of good works. Then he even asked to be cursed; for when he was cursed he hoped to gain divine pity.But see how he stored up humility and justice and prudence so as to merit grace from the Lord!

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

As it was Shimei's sin, it was not from God, but from the devil and his own wicked heart, nor did God's hand in it excuse or extenuate it, much less justify it, any more than it did the sin of those who put Christ to death, Acts ii. But, as it was David's affliction, it was from the Lord, one of the evils which he raised up against him.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

Let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him - No soul of man can suppose that ever God bade one man to curse another, much less that he commanded such a wretch as Shimei to curse such a man as David; but this is a peculiarity of the Hebrew language, which does not always distinguish between permission and commandment. Often the Scripture attributes to God what he only permits to be done; or what in the course of his providence he does not hinder. David, however, considers all this as being permitted of God for his chastisement and humiliation.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

27 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר	vai.Yo.mer	and he said	H559 →
דָּוִ֤ד	da.Vid	David	H1732 →
אֶל־	'el-	to	H413 →
אֲבִישַׁי֙	'a.vi.Shai	Abishai	H52 →
וְאֶל־	ve.'el-	and to	H413 →
כָּל־	kol-	all	H3605 →
עֲבָדָ֔יו	'a.va.Dav	servants his	H5650 →
הִנֵּ֥ה	hi.Neh	here!	H2009 →
בְנִ֛י	ve.Ni	son my	H1121 →
אֲשֶׁר־	'a.Sher-	who	H834 →
יָצָ֥א	ya.Tza'	he went out	H3318 →
מִמֵּעַ֖י	mi.me.'Ai	from inward parts my	H4578 →
מְבַקֵּ֣שׁ	me.va.Kesh	[is] seeking	H1245 →
אֶת־	'et-	<obj.>	H853 →
נַפְשִׁ֑י	naf.Shi	life my	H5315 →
וְאַ֨ף	ve.'Af	and indeed?	H637 →
כִּֽי־	ki-	for	H3588 →
עַתָּ֜ה	'a.Tah	now	H6258 →
בֶּן־	ben-	[the] Ben-	H1145 →
הַיְמִינִ֗י	hay.mi.Ni	<the> jaminite	H1145 →
הַנִּ֤חוּ	ha.Ni.chu	leave alone	H5117 →
לוֹ֙	lo	<to> <the> him
וִֽיקַלֵּ֔ל	vi.ka.Lel	so he may curse	H7043 →
כִּ֥י	ki	for	H3588 →
אָֽמַר־	'a.mar-	he has spoken	H559 →
ל֖וֹ	lo	to <the> him
יְהוָֽה׃	Yah.weh	Yahweh	H3068 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Matthew 10:21
Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.
leads to
- Luke 21:16–17
  You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death.
- Micah 7:5–6
  Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.
- Mark 13:12–13
  Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.
- Matthew 24:10
  At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another,
- Luke 12:51–53
  Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division.
Through
Ezekiel 20:25
I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live.
leads to
- Psalms 81:12
  So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.
Through
Genesis 15:4
Then the word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”
leads to
- Genesis 17:16
  And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her.”
- 2 Samuel 7:12
  And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.

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About 2 Samuel

David Mourns the Death of Absalom — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

2 Samuel: the study guide →Read chapter 16 →The featured study →

PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.

Continue: 2 Samuel 16 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About 2 Samuel

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About 2 Samuel