The Meaning of 2 Samuel 16:12 Explained

2 Samuel 16:12

KJV: It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.

YLT: it may be Jehovah doth look on mine affliction, and Jehovah hath turned back to me good for his reviling this day.'

Darby: It may be that Jehovah will look on mine affliction, and that Jehovah will requite me good for my being cursed this day.

ASV: It may be that Jehovah will look on the wrong done unto me, and that Jehovah will requite me good for his cursing of me this day.

What is the context of 2 Samuel 16:12?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

It may be that the LORD  will look  on mine affliction,  and that the LORD  will requite  me good  for his cursing  this day. 

What does 2 Samuel 16:12 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 16:1-12 - A Day That Revealed Character
There may have been some truth in Ziba's statement, but we should balance it with 2 Samuel 19:24. Shimei vented the spleen of the house of Saul. He probably referred to the recent execution of the sons of Rizpah, and perhaps suggested that David had been guilty of all the disaster that had befallen Saul's house from the day of Gilboa. When men curse us, whether we deserve it or not, let us look past them to the permissive will of God. "Let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him!"
When, through the treachery of Judas, the bitter cup came to the lips of our Lord, he said, "It is the cup that my Father hath given me to drink." Pain and sorrow, treachery and hard speeches, may be devised against us by the malignity of an Ahithophel, a Shimei, or a Judas; but by the time these have passed, through the permissive will of God, we may receive them as the strokes of His chastening rod, that we may partake of His holiness. We are not the sport of chance or human caprice. God deals with us as with sons. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 16

1  Ziba, by presents and false suggestions, obtains his master's inheritance
5  At Bahurim, Shimei curses David
9  David with patience abstains, and restrains others, from revenge
15  Hushai insinuates himself into Absalom's counsel
20  Ahithophel's counsel

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 16:12 mean?

It may be that will look Yahweh - on my affliction that will repay me with good for his cursing day this
אוּלַ֛י יִרְאֶ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה [בעוני] (בְּעֵינִ֑י) וְהֵשִׁ֨יב לִי֙ טוֹבָ֔ה תַּ֥חַת קִלְלָת֖וֹ הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה

אוּלַ֛י  It  may  be  that 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אוּלַי  
Sense: perhaps, peradventure.
יִרְאֶ֥ה  will  look 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
[בעוני]  - 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct, first person common singular
(בְּעֵינִ֑י)  on  my  affliction 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
וְהֵשִׁ֨יב  that  will  repay 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לִי֙  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
טוֹבָ֔ה  with  good 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
קִלְלָת֖וֹ  his  cursing 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קְלָלָה  
Sense: curse, vilification, execration.
הַיּ֥וֹם  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַזֶּֽה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.