2 Samuël 16:10

10 Maar de koning zeide: Wat heb ik met u te doen, gij zonen van Zeruja? Ja, laat hem vloeken; want de HEERE toch heeft tot hem gezegd: Vloek David; wie zou dan zeggen: Waarom hebt gij alzo gedaan?

2 Samuël 16:10 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 16:10

And the king said, what have I to do with you, ye sons of
Zeruiah?
&c.] It seems as if Joab, the brother of Abishai, joined with him in this request to have leave to take off the head of Shimei; and though David had to do with them as his relations, his sister's sons, and as they were generals in his army; yet in this case he would have nothing to do with them, would not take their advice, nor suffer them to take revenge on this man for his cursing him: or "what [is it] to me, [or] to you" ^F21? what signifies his cursing? it will neither hurt me nor you:

so let him curse;
go on cursing after this manner; do not restrain him from it, or attempt to stop his mouth: or, "for he will curse" ^F23; so is the textual reading; you will not be able to restrain him, for the following reason:

because the Lord hath said unto him, curse David;
not by way of command, or a precept of his; for to curse the ruler of the people is contrary to the word and law of God, ( Exodus 22:28 ) , nor by any operation of his spirit moving and exciting him to it; for the operations of the Spirit are to holiness, and not to sin; but by the secret providence of God ordering, directing, and overruling all circumstances relative to this affair. Shimei had conceived enmity and hatred to David; God left him to the power of this corruption in his breast, opened a way in Providence, and gave him an opportunity of exercising it on him: it was not a bare permission of God that Shimei should curse David; but it was his will, and he ordered it so in Providence, that he should do it; which action was attended with the predetermined concourse of divine Providence, so far as it was an action; though, as a sinful action, it was of Shimei, sprung from his own heart, instigated by Satan; but as a correction and chastisement of David, it was by the will, order, and appointment of God, and as such David considered it, and quietly submitted to it:

who shall then say, wherefore hast thou done so?
for though Shimei might justly be blamed, and reproved for it, yet the thing itself was not to be hindered or restrained, it being according to the will and providence of God, to answer some good end with respect to David.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 (Mklw yl hm) "quid mihi et vobis", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus.
F23 (yk) "quia", Moatanus.

2 Samuël 16:10 In-Context

8 De HEERE heeft op u doen wederkomen al het bloed van Sauls huis, in wiens plaats gij geregeerd hebt; nu heeft de HEERE het koninkrijk gegeven in de hand van Absalom, uw zoon; zie nu, gij zijt in uw ongeluk, omdat gij een man des bloeds zijt.

9 Toen zeide Abisai, de zoon van Zeruja, tot den koning: Waarom zou deze dode hond mijn heer den koning vloeken? Laat mij toch overgaan en zijn kop wegnemen.

10 Maar de koning zeide: Wat heb ik met u te doen, gij zonen van Zeruja? Ja, laat hem vloeken; want de HEERE toch heeft tot hem gezegd: Vloek David; wie zou dan zeggen: Waarom hebt gij alzo gedaan?

11 Voorts zeide David tot Abisai en tot al zijn knechten: Ziet, mijn zoon, die van mijn lijf is voortgekomen, zoekt mijn ziel; hoeveel te meer dan nu deze zoon van Jemini? Laat hem geworden, dat hij vloeke, want de HEERE heeft het hem gezegd.

12 Misschien zal de HEERE mijn ellende aanzien; en de HEERE zal mij goed vergelden voor zijn vloek, te dezen dage.