The Meaning of 1 Kings 2:8 Explained

1 Kings 2:8

KJV: And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

YLT: And lo, with thee is Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim, and he reviled me -- a grievous reviling -- in the day of my going to Mahanaim; and he hath come down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swear to him by Jehovah, saying, I do not put thee to death by the sword;

Darby: And behold, there is with thee Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day that I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by Jehovah saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

ASV: And, behold, there is with thee Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I sware to him by Jehovah, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

Discover 1 Kings 2:8

CONTEXT: What is the Context of 1 Kings 2:8?

MEANING: What does 1 Kings 2:8 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in 1 Kings 2:8 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in 1 Kings 2:8?

What is the context of 1 Kings 2:8?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And, behold, [thou hast] with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

What does 1 Kings 2:8 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 2:1-9 - New Responsibilities For The New King

1 Chronicles 28:1-21; 1 Chronicles 29:1-30 should be read as coming between this and the preceding chapter. It was with a ripe knowledge of life that David urged Solomon to keep God's charge, to walk in His ways and do His commandments, as the sure road to prosperity. The guiding-star of David's life- 2 Samuel 7:25 -shone over him in death. God never goes back on a word that he has once spoken. He continues His word-only we must walk before Him in obedience and faith, that it may have free course.

At first sight, we might suppose that the old king cherished bitter feelings against those named in this parting charge; but it should be remembered that he speaks here from a public, rather than a private, standpoint. He knew that these men constituted a grave peril to the peace and stability of the State; and indeed his fears were abundantly justified, for each of them was discovered in acts of treachery, on account of which, and not because of David's words, he suffered death. David held that the claims of gratitude were not less binding than those of justice; hence his warm recommendation of Barzillai. "Show thyself a man" was good advice to a youth called to rule in turbulent times.

1 Kings 2:1-46 - Breaking Three Commandments

From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.

Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 2

¹ David, having given a charge to Solomon
³ of Reverence
⁵ of Joab
⁷ of Barzillai
⁸ of Shimei
¹⁰ Solomon succeeds
¹² Adonijah, moving Bathsheba to ask unto Solomon for Abishag,
¹³ is put to death
²⁶ Abiathar, having his life given him, is deprived of the priesthood
²⁸ Joab fleeing to the horns of the altar, is there slain
³⁵ Benaiah is put in Joab's room, and Zadfok in Abiathar's
³⁶ Shimei, confined to Jerusalem, by occasion of going to Gath, is put to death

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 2:8 mean?

And see [you have] with you Shimei the son of Gera in a Benjamite from Bahurim and he cursed me with a curse malicious in the day when I went to Mahanaim But he came down to meet me at the Jordan and I swore to him by Yahweh saying not I will put you to death with the sword

וְהִנֵּ֣ה עִ֠מְּךָ שִֽׁמְעִ֨י בֶן־ גֵּרָ֥א בֶן־ הַיְמִינִי֮ מִבַּחֻרִים֒ וְה֤וּא קִֽלְלַ֙נִי֙ קְלָלָ֣ה נִמְרֶ֔צֶת בְּי֖וֹם לֶכְתִּ֣י מַחֲנָ֑יִם וְהֽוּא־ יָרַ֤ד לִקְרָאתִי֙ הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וָאֶשָּׁ֨בַֽע ל֤וֹ בַֽיהוָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אִם־ אֲמִֽיתְךָ֖ בֶּחָֽרֶב

וְהִנֵּ֣ה	And see
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection Root: הִנֵּה Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
עִ֠מְּךָ	[you have] with you
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular Root: עִם Sense: with.
שִֽׁמְעִ֨י	Shimei
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: שִׁמְעִי Sense: a Benjamite, son of Gera of the house of Saul in the time of David.
בֶן־	the son
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct Root: בֵּן Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
גֵּרָ֥א	of Gera
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: גֵּרָא Sense: a son of Benjamin.
הַיְמִינִי֮	a Benjamite
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: בֶּן־יְמִינִי Sense: one of the tribe of Benjamin.
מִבַּחֻרִים֒	from Bahurim
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: בְּחוּרִים Sense: a town in Benjamin between Jerusalem and Jericho beyond the Mount of Olives on the way to Jericho.
וְה֤וּא	and he
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular Root: הוּא Sense: he, she, it.
קִֽלְלַ֙נִי֙	cursed me
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular Root: קָלַל Sense: to be slight, be swift, be trifling, be of little account, be light.
קְלָלָ֣ה	with a curse
Parse: Noun, feminine singular Root: קְלָלָה Sense: curse, vilification, execration.
נִמְרֶ֔צֶת	malicious
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine singular Root: מָרַץ Sense: to be or make sick.
בְּי֖וֹם	in the day
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct Root: יׄום Sense: day, time, year.
לֶכְתִּ֣י	when I went
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, first person common singular Root: הָלַךְ Sense: to go, walk, come.
מַחֲנָ֑יִם	to Mahanaim
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular Root: מַחֲנַיִם Sense: a place east of the Jordan, named from Jacob’s encounter with angels.
וְהֽוּא־	But he
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular Root: הוּא Sense: he, she, it.
יָרַ֤ד	came down
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular Root: יָרַד Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
לִקְרָאתִי֙	to meet me
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, first person common singular Root: קָרָא Sense: to encounter, befall, meet.
הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן	at the Jordan
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular Root: יַרְדֵּן Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).
וָאֶשָּׁ֨בַֽע	and I swore
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular Root: שָׁבַע Sense: to swear, adjure.
ל֤וֹ	to him
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
בַֽיהוָה֙	by Yahweh
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: יהוה Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לֵאמֹ֔ר	saying
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct Root: אָמַר Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲמִֽיתְךָ֖	I will put you to death
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular, second person masculine singular Root: מוּת Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בֶּחָֽרֶב	with the sword
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular Root: חֶרֶב Sense: sword, knife.

What are the major concepts related to 1 Kings 2:8?

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Similar Scriptures for 1 Kings 2:8

		2 Samuel 16:5-8 [4]
		2 Samuel 19:16-23 [2]
		Jeremiah 4:2 [2]
		1 Kings 2:36-46 [2]