1 Kings 2:44

44 Then the king told Shimei, "Deep in your heart you know all the evil that you did to my father David; God will now avenge that evil on you.

1 Kings 2:44 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 2:44

The king said moreover to Shimei
Not as another reason for his putting him to death, but to remind him of his former sins, and to observe to him the providence of God in suffering him to fall into others, that justice might take place upon him for them also:

thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that
thou didst to David my father;
which conscience must bear witness to, and accuse him of, not only of the words and actions themselves uttered and done by him, but of the malice and wickedness from whence they sprung:

therefore the Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head;
the punishment of it; which though not directly inflicted for that, yet in providence was brought about as a just retaliation for it.

1 Kings 2:44 In-Context

42 Solomon then called for Shimei and said, "Didn't I make you promise me under God, and give you a good warning besides, that you would not leave this area? That if you left you would have decreed your own death sentence? And didn't you say, 'Oh, thank you - I'll do exactly as you say'?

43 So why didn't you keep your sacred promise and do what I ordered?"

44 Then the king told Shimei, "Deep in your heart you know all the evil that you did to my father David; God will now avenge that evil on you.

45 But King Solomon will be blessed and the rule of David will be a sure thing under God forever."

46 The king then gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he went out and struck Shimei dead. The kingdom was now securely in Solomon's grasp.