1 Kings 2:4-14

4 That the Lord confirm his words, which the Lord spake of me, and said, If thy sons keep my ways, and go before me in truth, in all their heart, and in all their soul, a man shall not be taken away of thee from the throne of Israel. (So that the Lord shall establish his words, which the Lord spoke about me, saying, If thy sons follow my ways, and go before me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul, a man of thee shall not be taken away from the throne of Israel.)
5 Also thou knowest what things Joab, the son of Zeruiah, did to me; (and) what things he did to [the] two princes of the host of Israel, to Abner, the son of Ner, and to Amasa, the son of Jether, which he killed, and shedded the blood of battle in peace; and putted the blood of battle in his girdle, that was about his loins, and in his shoe(s), that was in his feet (and put the blood of battle upon his girdle, that was about his loins, and in his shoes, that were upon his feet).
6 Therefore thou shalt do by thy wisdom, and thou shalt not lead forth his hoariness peaceably to hells, either (the) sepulchre. (And so do thou by thy wisdom, and do not let his hoar hairs go down peacefully to Sheol, or into the grave, or into the tomb.)
7 But also thou shalt yield grace to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead, and they shall be eating in thy board (and they shall eat at thy table); for they met me, when I fled from the face of Absalom, thy brother.
8 Also thou hast with thee Shimei, the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin, of Bahurim, the which Shimei cursed me by the worst cursing, when I went to the defensible places; but for-thy he came down to me into my meeting, when I passed (the) Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, and said, I shall not slay thee with sword, (Also thou hast with thee Shimei, the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin, of Bahurim, the which Shimei cursed me by the worst cursing, when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me when I crossed over the Jordan River, and I swore to him by the Lord, and said, I shall not kill thee with the sword,)
9 do not thou suffer him to be unpunished; forsooth thou art a wise man, and thou shalt know what thou shalt do to him, and thou shalt lead forth his hoar hairs with blood to hells. (but now do not thou allow him to go unpunished; thou art a wise man, and thou knowest what thou shalt do to him, and that is, thou shalt lead forth his hoar hairs in blood down to Sheol, or into the grave!)
10 And (then) David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
11 And the days, in which David reigned upon Israel, be forty years; in Hebron he reigned seven years, and in Jerusalem three and thirty years.
12 Forsooth Solomon sat upon the throne of David, his father, and his realm was made steadfast greatly (and his reign was firmly established).
13 And Adonijah, the son of Haggith, entered to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon; and she said to him, Whether thine entering is peaceable? And he answered, It is peaceable (and she said to him, Cometh thou here in peace? And he answered, I have come in peace).
14 And he added, A word of me is to thee (And he added, I have a word to say to thee). And she said, Speak thou.

1 Kings 2:4-14 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.