2 Samuel 16:8

8 "1The LORD has returned upon you all 2the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are taken in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!"

2 Samuel 16:8 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 16:8

The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of
Saul
Which he would suggest was shed by David, or, however, that he was the cause of its being shed; as if he had stirred up the Philistines to that battle in which Saul and his sons were slain, and had an hand secretly in the deaths of Ishbosheth and Abner, all which were false insinuations; and it may be the seven sons of Saul before this time, though after related, were delivered into the hands of the Gibeonites to be hanged, to which respect may be had:

in whose stead thou hast reigned;
not by right, but by usurpation he suggests:

and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy
son;
in this he seems to contradict himself; for if David had got the kingdom by usurpation, it would rather have, been delivered by the Lord into the hand of one of Saul's family, and not of David's:

and behold, thou [art taken] in thy mischief;
punished for his sins; the mischief he had brought on others was retaliated to him:

because thou [art] a bloody man;
guilty of slaying, as the Targum of shedding innocent blood, and so worthy of death.

2 Samuel 16:8 In-Context

6 He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were at his right hand and at his left.
7 Thus Shimei said when he cursed, "Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and worthless fellow!
8 "The LORD has returned upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are taken in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!"
9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and cut off his head."
10 But the king said, "What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if the LORD has told him, 'Curse David,' then who shall say, 'Why have you done so?' "

Cross References 2

  • 1. 2 Samuel 21:1-9
  • 2. 2 Samuel 1:16; 2 Samuel 3:28, 29; 2 Samuel 4:11, 12
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