1 Kings 2:9

_NOW THEREFORE HOLD HIM NOT GUILTLESS: FOR THOU ART A WISE MAN, AND KNOWEST WHAT THOU OUGHTEST TO DO UNTO HIM; BUT HIS HOAR HEAD BRING THOU DOWN TO THE GRAVE WITH BLOOD._ Now therefore hold him not guiltless. He has the turbulent spirit of sedition, and may be of treason; do not regard him as an innocent, harmless person. FOR THOU ART A WISE MAN, AND KNOWEST WHAT THOU OUGHTEST TO DO. I would have you to act toward him according to your discretion. BUT HIS HOAR HEAD BRING THOU DOWN TO THE GRAVE WITH BLOOD. This latter clause seems to revoke the former part of the counsel, and instead of the discretionary power with which David had at first invested his son and successor, to lay him under an obligation to put Shimei to death. But there is no real discrepancy between the two parts of the sentence, when its grammatical construction is properly, attended to. 'It is not uncommon in Hebrew,...

5-11 These dying counsels concerning Joab and Shimei, did not come from personal anger, but for the security of Solomon's throne, which was the murders he had committed, but would readily repeat them to carry any purpose; though long reprieved, he shall be reckoned with at last. Time does not wear out the guilt of any sin, particularly of murder. Concerning Shimei, Hold him not guiltless; do not think him any true friend to thee, or thy government, or fit to be trusted; he has no less malice now than he had then. David's dying sentiments are recorded, as delivered under the influence of the Holy Ghost, 2 Samuel 23:1. The Lord discovered to him the offices and the salvation of that glorious personage, the Messiah, whose coming he then foretold, and from whom he derived all his comforts and expectations. That passage gives a decided proof that David died under the influence of the Holy Gh...

Verse 1 Kings 2:9. _HOLD HIM NOT GUILTLESS_] Do not consider him as an innocent man, though I have sworn to him that I would not put him to death by the sword; yet as thou art a wise man, and knowest how to treat such persons, treat him as he deserves; only as I have sworn to him, and he is an aged man, let him not die a violent death; bring _not_ down his hoary head to the grave with blood. So Solomon understood David, and so I think David should be understood; for the negative particle לא _lo_, in the former clause, _hold him NOT guiltless_, should be repeated in this latter clause, though not expressed, _his hoary head bring thou NOT down_; instances of which frequently occur in the Hebrew Bible. See Dr. _Kennicott's_ note at the end of this chapter. 1 Kings 2:46....

HOLD HIM NOT GUILTLESS - i. e. “Do not treat him as an innocent man. Punish him as in thy wisdom thou deemest best. Not capitally at once; but so that he may be likely to give thee in course of time a just occasion to slay him.” So, at least, Solomon seems to have understood the charge. (See 1 Kings 2:36.)...

EXPOSITION THE LAST WORDS AND DEATH OF DAVID.—The death of David, and of course the charge which preceded it, did not follow immediately (as the casual reader might be tempted to suppose) on the events related in 1 Kings 1:1. We find from 1 Chronicles 23-29:23, that the aged king recovered sufficient strength to leave his sick room, to gather round him the princes of Israel (1 Chronicles 23:9), to make a number of fresh arrangements respecting the priests and Levites and the services of the sanctuary, and even to "stand up upon his feet" (1 Chronicles 28:2) and address a la

NOW THEREFORE HOLD HIM NOT GUILTLESS,.... Do not look upon him as an innocent person; and if he commits an offence against thee, as he has against me, do not acquit him as I have done: FOR THOU [ART] A WISE MAN; so it seems he was before the appearance of the Lord to him at Gibeon, even before his father's death he had given some proofs of it to David himself: AND KNOWEST WHAT THOU OUGHTEST TO DO UNTO HIM; to watch and observe him, and, if found offending, to punish him according to the rules of justice, and the laws of the land: BUT HIS HOARY HEAD BRING THOU DOWN TO THE GRAVE WITH BLOOD; spare him not on account of his age, but put him to death whensoever he shall be found guilty, let him not die a natural death....

3. DAVID'S CHARGE TO SOLOMON AND DAVID'S END CHAPTER 2:1-11 _ 1. David's charge (1 Kings 2:1)_ 2. David's end (1 Kings 2:10) We call attention again to 1 Chronicles 28 and 29 where we find the record of the great assembly of all the princes of Israel and David's great address to them. He then made known to all Israel that the LORD had chosen Solomon to occupy the throne. He speaks there of the covenant promise, that his son should build the house of the LORD and His courts. He exhorted the people to keep the commandments and then spoke in tenderest words to young Solomon. “And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind .

DEATH OF DAVID; SOLOMON ESTABLISHED ON HIS THRONE. The main source of this chapter is the same as that of 1, but interspersed are Deuteronomic additions (1 Kings 2:3 f., 1 Kings 2:10; 1 Kings 2:27). The authenticity of David's advice to Solomon has been disputed, especially the reasons given for procuring Joab's execution. Judged by any standard it places his character in an unamiable light. Solomon was advised to find a pretext for putting Joab and Shimei to death, and perfidy is inculcated as wisdom (1 Kings 2:6; 1 Kings 2:9). Without attempting to justify its mo

FOR. Note the parenthesis as indicated. Figure of speech _Epitrechon_. BUT. neither, as in Psalms 38:1, the second negative being omitted, as is frequently the case. Literally "and [not]". See Psalms 9:18 (Revised Version nor); 1Ki 38:1 (neither); 1Ki 75:5.Proverbs 24:12; Proverbs 25:27; Isaiah 38:18. The Ellipsis must be supplied here, as it is in the above passages. The Hebrew _Vav_ (?) is _disjunctive_ (as well as conjunctive), and is frequently translated "or" (see note on...

_hold him not guiltless_ i.e. Be sure not to let him go unpunished. Find out some good reason for vengeance to be taken on him. We are not to wonder at these injunctions of David, which were not unnatural, both for the satisfaction of his own feelings and for providing for the security of Solomon's throne. Joab was a dangerous man to be left alive, and Shimei, with Oriental fickleness, would curse Solomon as readily as he had cursed David, should a reverse of fortune come upon him. Nor are we to look for New Testament virtues in even the best men of the older covenant. The Christian thinks it nobler to forgive, following the lessons of his master, but what David saw of Christ was in the less clear vision of faith, and neither he nor his people are to be expected to rise in any great degree towards the nobility of Christian forgiveness. Yet David was very generous toward Saul. He seems to...