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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - 1 Kings 2:36 - 2:46
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The Punishment of Shimei
v. 36. And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, without specific reference to his crime, of which he was very well aware, Build thee an house in Jerusalem and dwell there, for Solomon desired to keep him under surveillance, and go not forth thence any whither. He could move about freely within the city, but was not permitted to leave it.
v. 37. For it shall be that on the day thou goest out and passest over the brook Kidron, especially with the purpose of returning to his home at Bahurim, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die, he was plainly told that the king could not trust him out of his sight; thy blood shall be upon thine own head, he would have no one but himself to blame in case the death-sentence would have to be carried out upon him.
v. 38. And Shimei said unto the king, in accepting the inevitable and probably counting himself lucky for escaping at all, The saying is good; as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.
v. 39. And it came to pass at the end of three years that two of the servants of Shimei, his slaves, ran away unto Achish, son of Maachah, king of Gath, in the Philistine country. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.
v. 40. And Shimei arose, deliberately ignoring his promise to the king, to whom he should have appealed concerning the return of his slaves, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath, to Achish, to seek his servants. And Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath, he was successful in his quest.
v. 41. And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and was come again, that he had broken his parole.
v. 42. And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the Lord, taking a solemn oath from him, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out and walkest abroad anywhither that thou shalt surely die? And thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good.
v. 43. Why, then, hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, that made in His name, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? He had forfeited his life by breaking his oath.
v. 44. The king said moreover to Shimei, reminding him of his former wickedness, which he had, to all appearances, not yet laid aside, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, which his heart knew and continually thought over, that thou didst to David, my father; therefore the Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head, he now had to suffer the consequences of his crime;
v. 45. and King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever. The Lord had turned Shimei's curse upon David into a blessing upon his whole house, as the king had prayed, 2Sa_16:12.
v. 46. So the king commanded Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, which went out and fell upon him that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon; this affair gave him further prestige. Through the proper administration of right and justice the power and prestige of every government is established.