2 Samuel 19:21
in 2 Samuel 19But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed Jehovah’s anointed?
KJV
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?
⋯
This verse in 2 Samuel 19
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Expressing the deepest regret for his former outrageous conduct, he was pardoned on the spot; and although the son of Zeruiah urged the expediency of making this chief a public example, his officiousness was repulsed by David with magnanimity, and with the greater confidence that he felt himself now re-established in the kingdom (see on 1Ki 2:8).
This site's exposition
cursed the Lord’s anointed
on 2 Samuel 19:21-23
Abishai's demand invokes the same title David used to spare Saul twice, the Lord's anointed, but turns it toward vengeance rather than restraint, and it is not the first time a son of Zeruiah has pushed David further than he wanted to go. David's answer, what have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, matches his words at 16:10 almost exactly, and he swears the oath himself rather than let Abishai's logic decide it. Henry reads David's mercy that day as flowing from his own experience of God's mercy in restoring the kingdom his own sin had nearly cost him.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): "Shall not Shimei be put to death as a traitor? Let him, of all men, be made an example." This motion was made by Abishai, who would have ventured his life to have been the death of Shimei when he was cursing, ch. xvi. David did not think fit to have it done then, because his judicial power was cut short; but, now that it was restored, why should not the law have its course?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said,....
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֨עַן | vaiyaan | and he answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| אֲבִישַׁ֤י | ʾavishai | Abishai | H52 → | 25 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| צְרוּיָה֙ | tzeruyah | Zeruiah | H6870 → | 26 times |
| וַיֹּ֔אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הֲתַ֣חַת | hatachat | ¿ in place of | H8478 → | 505 times |
| זֹ֔את | zot | this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יוּמַ֖ת | yumat | will he be put to death | H4191 → | 839 times |
| שִׁמְעִ֑י | shimi | Shimei | H8096 → | 43 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| קִלֵּ֖ל | kilel | he cursed | H7043 → | 82 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מְשִׁ֥יחַ | meshiach | [the] [one] anointed of | H4899 → | 39 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ ס | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַיַּ֨עַןand he answered
vaiyaanH6030 →331 times
אֲבִישַׁ֤יAbishai
ʾavishaiH52 →25 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
צְרוּיָה֙Zeruiah
tzeruyahH6870 →26 times
וַיֹּ֔אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הֲתַ֣חַת¿ in place of
hatachatH8478 →505 times
זֹ֔אתthis
zotH2063 →603 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יוּמַ֖תwill he be put to death
yumatH4191 →839 times
שִׁמְעִ֑יShimei
shimiH8096 →43 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
קִלֵּ֖לhe cursed
kilelH7043 →82 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מְשִׁ֥יחַ[the] [one] anointed of
meshiachH4899 →39 times
יְהוָֽה׃ סYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
1 Samuel 26:9But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?”
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 1:14
So David asked him, “Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 105:15
“Do not touch My anointed ones! Do no harm to My prophets!”
- 2 Samuel 1:14
Through
Exodus 22:28You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 10:20
Do not curse the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich even in your bedroom, for a bird of the air may carry your words, and a winged creature may report your…
- Acts 23:5
“Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”
- Jude 1:8
Yet in the same way these dreamers defile their bodies, reject authority, and slander glorious beings.
- Exodus 21:17
Anyone who curses his father or mother must surely be put to death.
- Exodus 22:8–9
If the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges to determine whether he has taken his neighbor’s property.
- Ecclesiastes 10:20
Through
2 Samuel 16:5As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the family of the house of Saul was just coming out. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and as he approached, he kept yelling out…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 3:16
Her husband followed her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go back.” So he returned home.
- 2 Samuel 3:16
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on 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.