2 Samuel 19:18

18 They crossed the river to escort the royal party across and to do whatever the king wanted. As the king was getting ready to cross, Shimei threw himself down in front of him

2 Samuel 19:18 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 19:18

And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's
household
His wives and children, who could not so well ford the river on foot: some will have this to be a bridge of boats, a pontoon; and Abarbinel thinks it might be a company of men, who carried the women and children on their shoulders, one after another:

and to do what he thought good;
to carry over whatever else the king pleased, besides his family:

and Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come
over Jordan;
or just as he was about to come over, when he came to Jordan to take the boat in order to come over; for he went over Jordan to meet him, and therefore would take the first opportunity of coming into his presence, and fall down before him, and make his submission to him.

2 Samuel 19:18 In-Context

16 At the same time the Benjaminite Shimei son of Gera from Bahurim hurried to the Jordan to meet King David.

17 He had with him a thousand men from the tribe of Benjamin. And Ziba, the servant of Saul's family, also came with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, and they arrived at the Jordan before the king.

18 They crossed the river to escort the royal party across and to do whatever the king wanted. As the king was getting ready to cross, Shimei threw himself down in front of him

19 and said, "Your Majesty, please forget the wrong I did that day you left Jerusalem. Don't hold it against me or think about it any more.

20 I know, sir, that I have sinned, and this is why I am the first one from the northern tribes to come and meet Your Majesty today."

Footnotes

• [a]. [Probable text] They crossed; [Hebrew] The crossing crossed.