2 Samuel 19:11-21

11 And King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, "Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, `Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house, seeing the speech of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house?

12 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh. Why then are ye the last to bring back the king?'

13 And say ye to Amasa, `Art thou not of my bone and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in place of Joab.'"

14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word unto the king: "Return thou, and all thy servants."

15 So the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over the Jordan.

16 And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, who was of Bahurim, hastened and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David.

17 And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over the Jordan before the king.

18 And there went over a ferryboat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was coming over the Jordan,

19 and said unto the king, "Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart;

20 for thy servant doth know that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I have come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king."

21 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?"

2 Samuel 19:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 19

David indulging to too much grief for the death of his son, is rebuked by Joab, and threatened with a revolt of the people from him, if he did not change his conduct, which be accordingly did, 2Sa 19:1-8; upon which the men of Israel were the first that moved for the bringing him back to Jerusalem, and the men of Judah were solicited to join with them in it, which was effected, 2Sa 19:9-15; and at Jordan, Shimei, that had cursed him, met him, and asked his pardon, and was forgiven, 2Sa 19:16-23; and when come to Jerusalem, Mephibosheth excused so well his not going out with him, that he had half his land restored to him, which had been given to his servant, 2Sa 19:24-30; and Barzillai, who had very liberally supplied the king, was allowed to return to his own city, and Chimham his son was taken to court, 2Sa 19:31-40; and a contention arose between the men of Israel and of Judah about the restoration of the king, which issued in an insurrection, as the next chapter shows, 2Sa 19:41-43.