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2 Samuel 16

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And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

2

And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.

3

And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.

4

Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

5

And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.

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And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.

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And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:

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The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.

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Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.

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And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?

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And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him.

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

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And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

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And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

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And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

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And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king.

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And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?

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And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.

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And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.

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Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.

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And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.

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So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

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And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

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2 Samuel 16

Ziba's deception of David through his calculated presentation of supplies and his slanderous accusations against Mephibosheth, coupled with Shimei's cursing of David as David flees Jerusalem, introduces the theme of betrayal and the way in which the collapse of political authority creates an environment in which those previously dependent on the king's favor feel free to express resentment. Ziba's encounter with David presents supplies yet simultaneously accuses Mephibosheth of harboring ambitions to reclaim the throne. David's quick judgment grants all of Mephibosheth's property to Ziba, representing a failure of discernment and a demonstration of David's vulnerability. The chapter records the journey to Bahurim, where Shimei, a man of the house of Saul, emerges from the roadside and curses David, throwing stones and dirt while crying 'Out! Out! You man of blood, you worthless fellow!' David's response to Shimei's curses, mediated through Abishai's desire to kill Shimei, reveals a profound theological shift in David's understanding: he suggests that perhaps YHWH has directed Shimei to curse him and that David should accept the curse as a form of divine chastisement. This theological submission represents a deepening of David's moral recognition that the sword of divine judgment is the instrument through which YHWH works. The chapter concludes with the arrival of Absalom's entourage to Jerusalem and the counsel of Ahithophel, who recommends that Absalom consolidate his power by lying with the concubines left behind in David's palace. The theological language employed suggests that David's loss of political power is being interpreted as a form of divine judgment.

2 Samuel 16:18

And Hushai said to Absalom, No, for whom the LORD has chosen, and whom all these people have chosen, and all the men of Israel—his I will be, and with him I will remain — Hushai's answer is theologically subtle. He claims that he will serve whomever the LORD and the people of Israel have chosen. Since the people have chosen Absalom, Hushai will serve him. This answer suggests that loyalty follows the voice of the LORD and the people, not personal preference. It is a clever dodge that allows Hushai to justify his shift of allegiance.

2 Samuel 16:19

Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so I will serve you — Hushai's logic is filial: just as he served David, he will serve David's son Absalom. This argument treats the succession as natural and inevitable, suggesting that Hushai's loyalty is to the dynasty rather than to any individual king. His willingness to serve the son as he served the father presents a face of continuity and stability.

2 Samuel 16:20

Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give us your counsel — What shall we do? — Absalom asks Ahithophel for counsel on the immediate political situation. His request signals that Ahithophel remains his chief advisor, despite Hushai's arrival. The question

2 Samuel 16:21

And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened — Ahithophel counsels a radical violation: Absalom should lie with David's concubines publicly. This act will accomplish multiple purposes: it will demonstrate Absalom's power over David's women, it will mark a point of no return (reconciliation becomes impossible), and it will signal to all Israel that Absalom is the new king. The counsel is brilliant and brutal.

2 Samuel 16:22

So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel — The narrative notes that the tent is pitched

2 Samuel 16:23

Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one inquired of the word of God — so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed both by David and by Absalom — The narrator observes that Ahithophel's counsel was regarded as the word of God (*ke'asher* *yish'al* *et* *devar* *Elohim*—as if one inquired of God's word). His wisdom was so valued that both David and Absalom relied upon it. Yet Ahithophel's counsel, though humanly wise, will be overturned by the LORD's purposes. His counsel to violate the concubines proves momentarily brilliant but ultimately self-defeating.

2 Samuel 16:13

So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones and flung dust at him — Shimei continues to curse and throw stones and dust as David's party moves along the road. The persistence of Shimei's opposition is marked: he will not stop, cannot be deterred. Yet David continues on, enduring the abuse without retaliation. The scene becomes ritualistic: David's suffering acceptance and Shimei's relentless cursing form a kind of dark liturgy.

2 Samuel 16:4

Then the king said to Ziba, Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours — And Ziba said, I pay homage — let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king — David, in gratitude and perhaps belief in Ziba's accusation, grants him all Mephibosheth's property. This decision, made in haste during crisis, will prove unjust. Ziba's prostration and oath of allegiance complete the manipulation. David's judgment, normally sound, fails him when he is emotionally displaced and materially grateful.

2 Samuel 16:5

When King David came to Bahurim, behold, a man of the family of the house of Saul came out whose name was Shimei the son of Gera — and he came out cursing as he came — Shimei, of Saul's house, appears at Bahurim cursing David. His emergence from hiding suggests that he has been waiting for this moment: the vulnerable king fleeing the capital gives Shimei the opportunity to voice the grievances of Saul's line. His cursing (*mekalel*—to curse, to dishonor) is an act of rebellion against the LORD's anointed.

2 Samuel 16:14

And the king and all the people who were with him arrived at their destination exhausted, and there he refreshed himself — The arrival at their destination marks a pause in the flight. David and his followers are weary (*ayef*—exhausted, faint), and they rest and refresh themselves. The moment of physical rest allows for emotional and spiritual renewal. David has endured Shimei's cursing and accepted it as divine will; now he prepares for the next phase of his exile.

2 Samuel 16:15

Now Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him — Absalom enters Jerusalem as king, with Ahithophel as his counselor. The usurpation is complete; the rebel son has seized the capital. Yet the narrative notes the presence of

2 Samuel 16:16

And when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to him, Long live the king! Long live the king! — Hushai's greeting (*yechi* *hamelech*—long live the king!) performs loyalty to Absalom. His double exclamation emphasizes the performance: he must convince Absalom of his allegiance. Hushai's willingness to address Absalom as king, despite his earlier commitment to David, shows the complexity of his spy role. He must appear entirely converted to Absalom's cause.

2 Samuel 16:17

And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend? — Absalom questions Hushai's shift of allegiance, suspecting that Hushai's presence is deceptive. His question—

2 Samuel 16:1

When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of donkeys saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine — Ziba appears with provisions at the critical moment of David's flight. His gifts—bread, raisins, summer fruits, wine—sustain the king's retinue materially. Yet Ziba's timing and generosity conceal a scheme: he seeks to gain advantage over his master Mephibosheth during this moment of upheaval. The provisions are genuine, but the motive is self-serving.

2 Samuel 16:2

And the king said to Ziba, Why have you brought these? Ziba said, The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those who faint in the wilderness to drink — Ziba explains his gifts with apparent loyalty. His mention of

2 Samuel 16:3

And the king said, And where is your master's son? Ziba said to the king, Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, 'Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father' — Ziba accuses Mephibosheth of staying in Jerusalem to profit from the rebellion, claiming that Mephibosheth expects the house of Israel to restore Saul's dynasty. This accusation is calculated slander (*rakhil*—gossip, false report). Ziba seeks to poison David's regard for Mephibosheth at a moment when David is vulnerable and grateful.

2 Samuel 16:6

And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David — and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right and on his left — Shimei's cursing escalates to violence: he throws stones (*saqal*—to stone, the punishment for severe transgression). The mention of David's right and left with soldiers emphasizes David's military power: he could easily have Shimei killed, yet he refrains. The contrast between Shimei's weakness and David's strength makes David's forbearance more striking.

2 Samuel 16:7

And Shimei said as he cursed, Begone, begone, you man of blood, you worthless fellow — Shimei's curse invokes the charge of *ish* *damim* (man of blood): David's hands are stained with bloodshed. The accusation references David's military victories and his ordering of Uriah's death. Shimei presents himself as a voice of moral judgment, speaking for those whom David has harmed. His words, though vicious, touch on truths that David carries.

2 Samuel 16:8

The LORD has returned upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead you have reigned — and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom — behold, you are taken in your own evil, for you are a man of blood — Shimei claims that the LORD has brought this judgment upon David: the blood of Saul's house is being repaid, and Absalom's rebellion is divine punishment. His interpretation of events as God's judgment is theologically sophisticated, even if motivated by clan loyalty. Shimei frames Absalom's rebellion as the LORD's instrument of retribution.

2 Samuel 16:9

Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head — Abishai offers to kill Shimei, calling him a *kelev* *met* (dead dog)—a term of utter contempt. His willingness to murder in defense of the king's honor is immediate and fierce. Abishai cannot tolerate the cursing of David; his loyalty is absolute and protective. Yet David must now choose between military protection and spiritual acceptance.

2 Samuel 16:10

But the king said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD has bidden him to curse David, who then can say, 'Why have you done so?' — David's response invokes *sheol* (what have I to do with you?)—a distance and separation. He reframes Shimei's cursing as possibly commanded by the LORD (*ki* *Adonai* *tzivahu*—if the LORD has bidden him). This interpretation suggests that David sees in Shimei a kind of prophet, an instrument of divine rebuke. David's theology has shifted from military confidence to acceptance of judgment.

2 Samuel 16:11

And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came from my own body, seeks my life — how much more now may this Benjaminite! Let him alone and let him curse — for the LORD has bidden him — David extends grace to Shimei based on deeper logic: if his own son (Absalom) seeks to kill him, should he not accept cursing from a stranger? His reference to Absalom as coming

2 Samuel 16:12

It may be that the LORD will look upon my affliction and that the LORD will repay me with good for this cursing of me today — David's words express a faith that transcends the present moment. He trusts that the LORD sees (*yir'eh* *Adonai*) his affliction and will repay him. The balance—the LORD will repay him