1 Kings 2:36

36 Also the king sent, and called (for) Shimei, and said to him, Build to thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell thou there (Build a house for thyself in Jerusalem, and live thou in it), and thou shalt not go out from thence hither and thither;

1 Kings 2:36 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 2:36

And the king sent and called for Shimei
Who had cursed his father; he lived at Bahurim, in the tribe of Benjamin, and from thence he sent for him to him, ( 2 Samuel 16:5 ) ;

and said unto him, build thee an house in Jerusalem and dwell there,
and go not from thence any where;
the orders were to remove from Bahurim to Jerusalem, where he was to provide himself a dwelling house, and there continue, and never go out of the city, at least not further on any side of it than it was to the brook Kidron, which was not more than half a mile from the city. This Solomon ordered, to prevent this man going about in the country sowing and stirring up sedition; and that he might be under his eye and notice, that should he commit any evil, and give him an opportunity of punishing him, he might do it as his father had directed him; and he might judge from the temper of the man, and indeed from the nature of men in general, that what they are forbidden they are the most prone unto, that he would transgress in this case, and give him an occasion against him.

1 Kings 2:36 In-Context

34 Therefore Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went up, and assailed Joab, and killed him; and Joab was buried in his house in (the) desert.
35 And the king ordained Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, upon the host for Joab; and the king put Zadok the priest (in place) for Abiathar. (And the king ordained Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, over the army in place of Joab; and he made Zadok the priest in place of Abiathar.)
36 Also the king sent, and called (for) Shimei, and said to him, Build to thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell thou there (Build a house for thyself in Jerusalem, and live thou in it), and thou shalt not go out from thence hither and thither;
37 for in whatever day thou goest out, and passest [over] the strand of Kidron, know thou thee worthy to be slain; thy blood shall be on thine head. (for in whatever day thou goest out, and passest over the Kidron Stream/and passest over the Kidron Gorge, know thou that thou shalt be killed; thy blood shall be upon thy own head.)
38 And Shimei said to the king, The word of the king is good; as my lord the king spake, so thy servant shall do. And so Shimei dwelled in Jerusalem many days.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.