2 Samuel 16:11

_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._ Let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him. The Orientals make use of bold figures, much less common among us, though not altogether unknown. They speak of the mediate cause without saying that it is the mediate cause, and use the very expression which denotes the immediate cause. We should regard Shimei as an instrument in the hands of Providence. In the East they go a far greater length. There God has done and commanded all that men do contrary to His commandments. Shimei breaks forth into imprecations against David; and forthwith David regards God as having ordered Shimei to curse him....

5-14 David bore Shimei's curses much better than Ziba's flatteries; by these he was brought to pass a wrong judgment on another, by those to pass a right judgment on himself: the world's smiles are more dangerous than its frowns. Once and again David spared Saul's life, while Saul sought his. But innocence is no defence against malice and falsehood; nor are we to think it strange, if we are charged with that which we have been most careful to keep ourselves from. It is well for us, that men are not to be our judges, but He whose judgment is according to truth. See how patient David was under this abuse. Let this remind us of Christ, who prayed for those who reviled and crucified him. A humble spirit will turn reproaches into reproofs, and get good from them, instead of being provoked by them. David the hand of God in it, and comforts himself that God would bring good out of his afflictio...

Verse 2 Samuel 16:11. _LET HIM CURSE; FOR THE LORD HATH BIDDEN HIM._] No soul of man can suppose that ever God bade one man to curse another, much less that he commanded such a wretch as Shimei to curse such a man as David; but this is a peculiarity of the Hebrew language, which does not always distinguish between _permission_ and _commandment_. Often the Scripture attributes to God what he only _permits_ to be done; or what in the course of his providence he does not _hinder_. David, however, considers all this as being permitted of God for his chastisement and humiliation. I cannot withhold from my readers a very elegant poetic paraphrase of this passage, from the pen of the Rev. _Charles Wesley_, one of the first of Christian poets: - "Pure from the blood of _Saul_ in vain,...

EXPOSITION 2 SAMUEL 16:1 ZIBA THE SERVANT OF MEPHIBOSHETH. It is the misfortune of troubled times like those in which David found himself, that unscrupulous men use them for selfish purposes. For those in danger have no time for careful examination, nor are their minds sufficiently calm for impartial judgment, but they act on first impressions, and catch at every straw. Ziba's present would naturally raise everybody's spirits, and be taken as a good omen; for it showed that David had adherents in unlikely quarters, when thus a servant of the house of Saul of his own accord brought so timely an offering. The asses saddled for riding contradict the idea that Ziba met David by chance as he was bringing the produce of the farm for the use of Mephibosheth's household. More probably the asses had been saddled for Mephibosheth's own use, and

AND DAVID SAID TO ABISHAI, AND ALL HIS SERVANTS,.... In order to make them easy, and reconcile them to this usage of him: BEHOLD, MY SON, WHICH CAME FORTH OF MY BOWELS, SEEKETH MY LIFE; meaning Absalom: HOW MUCH MORE NOW [MAY THIS] BENJAMITE [DO IT]? who was not only of the same tribe that Saul was, but of the same family, and so bore an ill will to David because of his succession in the throne: LET HIM ALONE, AND LET HIM CURSE; do nothing to restrain him, not even by words, and much less by any violent actions, and still less by taking away his life: FOR THE LORD HATH BIDDEN HIM; in the sense explained in 2 Samuel 16:10....

6. THE SORROWS AND TESTINGS OF THE KING CHAPTER 16 _ 1. Lying Ziba (2 Samuel 16:1)_ 2. Shimei curses and stones David (2 Samuel 16:5) 3. Absalom enters Jerusalem (2 Samuel 16:15) 4. Ahitophel's wicked counsel (2 Samuel 16:20) Ziba in great craftiness meets the exiled king with provisions and acts as the false accuser of Mephibosheth. And David hastily puts all that belongs to Mephibosheth into his hands. Strange that David could believe in the falsehood of Ziba. How could one who was a helpless cripple aspire to possess a kingdom? Mephibosheth had been deceived ...

Soon after passing the summit of the Mt. of Olives David is met by Ziba, the servant of Meri-baal (2 Samuel 4:4), with a present of two asses laden with provisions. Ziba, representing that Meri-baal has turned traitor, obtains a grant of his property. 2 SAMUEL 16:5. At Bahurim, somewhere on the way to the Jordan, Shimei, a kinsman of Saul, follows David, uttering curses and throwing stones. David refuses to retaliate, feeling that his sufferings may move Yahweh to pity him. 2 SAMUEL 16:14. It is probable that the name of some place has dropped out. 1 Samuel 16:15 to...

BEHOLD. Figure of speech _Asterismos._ App-6. LIFE. soul. Hebrew. _nephesh._ App-13. HOW MUCH. ? Figure of speech _Erotesis._ App-6....

David cursed by Shimei 5. _Bahurim_ See note on ch. 2 Samuel 3:16. _Shimei_ See ch. 2 Samuel 19:16-23; 1 Kings 2:8-9. His connexion with the clan of Saul accounts for the virulence of his hatred....

DISCOURSE: 321 DAVID’S PATIENCE AND FORBEARANCE 2 Samuel 16:5. 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. 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. And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: 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. 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 tak