1 Kings 2:44

44 And the king said to Shimei, Thou knowest all the evil, of which thine heart is guilty to thee, which evil thou didest to [David] my father; the Lord hath yielded thy malice into thine head. (And the king said to Shimei, Thou knowest all the evil which thy heart is guilty of, which evil thou didest to my father David; and now the Lord shall yield thy malice onto thy own head.)

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 And Solomon sent, and called him, and said to him, Whether I witnessed not to thee by the Lord, and before-said to thee, In whatever day thou shalt go out hither and thither, know thou that thou shalt die; and thou answeredest to me, The word is good, which I heard? (And Solomon sent, and called for him, and said to him, Did I not make thee swear by the Lord? and did I not say to thee, On whatever day that thou shalt go out here and there, know thou that thou shalt die? and didest thou not answer to me, The word, which I heard, is good?)
43 Why therefore keptest thou not the oath of the Lord, and the commandment which I commanded to thee?
44 And the king said to Shimei, Thou knowest all the evil, of which thine heart is guilty to thee, which evil thou didest to [David] my father; the Lord hath yielded thy malice into thine head. (And the king said to Shimei, Thou knowest all the evil which thy heart is guilty of, which evil thou didest to my father David; and now the Lord shall yield thy malice onto thy own head.)
45 And king Solomon shall be blessed; and the throne of David shall be stable before the Lord till into without end.
46 Therefore the king commanded to Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada; and he assailed Shimei, and smote him, and he was dead. Therefore the realm was confirmed into the hands of Solomon; (And so the king commanded to Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada; and he assailed Shimei, and struck him down there, and he died. And so the kingdom was firmly established in Solomon's hands;)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.