1 Kings 2:2-12

2 "My time to die has come. Be confident and determined,

3 and do what the Lord your God orders you to do. Obey all his laws and commands, as written in the Law of Moses, so that wherever you go you may prosper in everything you do.

4 If you obey him, the Lord will keep the promise he made when he told me that my descendants would rule Israel as long as they were careful to obey his commands faithfully with all their heart and soul.

5 "There is something else. You remember what Joab did to me by killing the two commanders of Israel's armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. You remember how he murdered them in time of peace as revenge for deaths they had caused in time of war. He killed innocent men, and now I bear the responsibility for what he did, and I suffer the consequences. ¹

6 You know what to do; you must not let him die a natural death.

7 "But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai from Gilead and take care of them, because they were kind to me when I was fleeing from your brother Absalom. ²

8 "There is also Shimei son of Gera, from the town of Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me bitterly the day I went to Mahanaim, but when he met me at the Jordan River, I gave him my solemn promise in the name of the Lord that I would not have him killed. ³

9 But you must not let him go unpunished. You know what to do, and you must see to it that he is put to death."

10 David died and was buried in David's City.

11 He had been king of Israel for forty years, ruling seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. ⁴

12 Solomon succeeded his father David as king, and his royal power was firmly established. ⁵

1 Kings 2:2-12 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.

Cross References

• 1. 2.5 a 2 Samuel 3.27; b 2 Samuel 20.10.
• 2. 2.7 2 Samuel 17.27-29.
• 3. 2.8 2 Samuel 16.5-13; 19.16-23.
• 4. 2.11 2 S 5.4, 5;1 Chronicles 3.4.
• 5. 2.121 Chronicles 29.23.

Footnotes

• [a]. [Some ancient translations] innocent men; [Hebrew] men in battle.
• [b]. [Some ancient translations] I bear . . . and I suffer; [Hebrew] he bears . . . and he suffers.