1 Kings 2:1-10

David's Charge to Solomon

1 As David's ¹time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying,

2 "²I am going the way of all the earth. ³Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.

3 "Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, ⁴according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that ⁵you may succeed in all that you do and wherever * * you turn,

4 so that ⁶the LORD may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, '⁷If your sons are careful of their way, ⁸to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, ⁹you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'

5 "Now you also know what Joab the ¹⁰son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to ¹¹Abner the son of Ner, and to ¹²Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt about his waist, and on his sandals on his feet.

6 "¹³So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace.

7 "But ¹⁴show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and ¹⁵let them be among those who eat at your table; ¹⁶for they assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother.

8 "Behold, ¹⁷there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a violent curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when ¹⁸he came down * to me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.'

9 "Now therefore, do not let him go unpunished, ¹⁹for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to Sheol with blood."

Death of David

10 Then ²⁰David slept with his fathers and was buried in ²¹the city of David.

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1 Kings 2:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KING 2

This chapter gives an account of the charge David gave to his son Solomon, a little before his death, to walk in the ways of the Lord, 1Ki 2:1-4; and of some instructions delivered to him concerning some particular persons he should either show favour to, or execute justice on, 1Ki 2:5-9; and the next account in it is concerning his death and burial, and the years of his reign, 1Ki 2:10,11; after which it relates an address of Bathsheba to Solomon in favour of Adonijah, which was refused, and the issue of it was his death, 1Ki 2:12-25; and the deposition of Abiathar from the priesthood, 1Ki 2:26,27; and the putting of Joab to death for his treason and murders, 1Ki 2:28-34; in whose post Benaiah was put, as Zadok was in the place of Abiathar, 1Ki 2:35; and lastly the confinement of Shimei in Jerusalem, who had cursed David, 1Ki 2:36-38; who upon transgressing the orders given him was put to death, 1Ki 2:39-46.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 21

1. Genesis 47:29; Deuteronomy 31:14
2. Joshua 23:14
3. Deuteronomy 31:7, 23; Joshua 1:6, 7
4. Deuteronomy 17:18-20
5. 1 Chronicles 22:12, 13
6. 2 Samuel 7:25
7. Psalms 132:12
8. 2 Kings 20:3
9. 2 Samuel 7:12, 13; 1 Kings 8:25; 1 Kings 9:5
10. 2 Samuel 2:13, 18
11. 2 Samuel 3:27; 1 Kings 2:32
12. 2 Samuel 20:10
13. 1 Kings 2:9
14. 2 Samuel 19:31-38
15. 2 Samuel 9:7, 10
16. 2 Samuel 17:27-29
17. 2 Samuel 16:5-8
18. 2 Samuel 19:18-23
19. 1 Kings 2:6
20. Acts 2:29; Acts 13:36
21. 2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 3:1

Footnotes 11

[a]. Lit "days"
[b]. Lit "become a man"
[c]. Or "faithfulness"
[d]. Lit "there shall not be cast off to you a man from before Me"
[e]. Lit "made"
[f]. Lit "that was about"
[g]. Lit "that were on"
[h]. I.e. the nether world
[i]. Lit "came near to"
[j]. Or "grievous"
[k]. I.e. the nether world