2 Samuel 16:7

7 And Shimei spake thus, when he cursed the king, Go out, go out, thou man of bloods, that is, the shedder out of much guiltless blood, and man of Belial!

2 Samuel 16:7 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 16:7

And thus said Shimei, when he cursed, come out, come out
Or rather, "go out, go out" F20; that is, out of the nation, where he deserved not to live, as he judged, and out of the kingdom, which he had usurped, as he supposed; and the repeating the words not only denotes his vehement desire to have him gone, but the haste he should make to get out, or he was liable to be overtaken by Absalom and his forces; upbraiding him also with the hurry he was in, and the speedy flight he was making:

thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial;
or wicked man; perhaps referring by these characters in the one to the murder of Uriah, and in the other to his adultery with Bathsheba; and these crimes coming fresh into David's mind hereby, might make him more mild and humble under his reproaches.


FOOTNOTES:

F20 (au au) "egredere, egredere", Pagninus, Montanus

2 Samuel 16:7 In-Context

5 Therefore king David came to Bahurim, and lo! a man of the family of the house of Saul, Shimei by name, [the] son of Gera, went out from thence; he went forth going out, and cursed (and he cursed David as he went forth).
6 And he sent stones against David, and against all the servants of king David; and all the people, and all the fighting men went at the right side and at the left side of the king.
7 And Shimei spake thus, when he cursed the king, Go out, go out, thou man of bloods, that is, the shedder out of much guiltless blood, and man of Belial!
8 The Lord hath yielded to thee all the blood of the house of Saul, for thou hast ravished the realm from him (for thou hast stolen the kingdom from him); and the Lord hath given the realm into the hand of Absalom, thy son; and lo! thine evils oppress thee, for thou art a man of bloods.
9 And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said to the king, Why curseth this dog, that shall die, my lord the king? I shall go, and I shall gird off his head. (And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said to the king, Why let this dead dog curse my lord the king? I shall go, and I shall cut off his head!)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.