2 Samuel 16:11

2 Samuel 16:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And David said to Abishai and all his servants, “See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the Lord has ordered him.

Context of 2 Samuel 16:11

9Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and remove his head!” 10The king replied, “Sons of Zeruiah, do we agree on anything? He curses me this way because the Lord told him, ‘Curse David! ’ Therefore, who can say, ‘Why did you do that? ’” Then David said to Abishai and all his servants, “Look, my own son, my own flesh and blood, intends to take my life — how much more now this Benjaminite! Leave him alone and let him curse me; the Lord has told him to. 12Perhaps the Lord will see my affliction and restore goodness to me instead of Shimei’s curses today.” 13So David and his men proceeded along the road as Shimei was going along the ridge of the hill opposite him. As Shimei went, he cursed David, threw stones at him, and kicked up dust.

2 Samuel 16:11 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֤ד אֶל־אֲבִישַׁי֙ וְאֶל־כָּל־עֲבָדָ֔יו הִנֵּ֥ה בְנִ֛י אֲשֶׁר־יָצָ֥א מִמֵּעַ֖י מְבַקֵּ֣שׁ אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֑י וְאַ֨ף כִּֽי־עַתָּ֜ה בֶּן־הַיְמִינִ֗י הַנִּ֤חוּ לוֹ֙ וִֽיקַלֵּ֔ל כִּ֥י אָֽמַר־ל֖וֹ יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to Abishaiאֲבִישַׁי'ăbîyshay 'abshay · AbishaiH52
• and to all his servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• Behold, my sonבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• which came forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: produceH3318
• of my bowelsמֵעֶהmê‛eh · bellyH4578
• seekethבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• my lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• Benjamiteבֶּן־יְמִינִיben-yemîynîy ben-ha-yemînîy ben-'îysh yemîynîy · BenjaminiteH1145
• let him aloneיָנַחyânach · to restH3240
• and let him curseקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
• for the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 16:11

• 2 Samuel 12:11“This is what the Lord says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you from your own family: I will take your wives and give them to another before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them in broad daylight.
• 2 Samuel 7:2the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Look, I am living in a cedar house while the ark of God sits inside tent curtains.”
• Genesis 15:4Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”
• 2 Samuel 17:1Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out in pursuit of David tonight.
• 2 Kings 19:37One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. Then his son Esar-haddon became king in his place.
• 2 Chronicles 32:21and the Lord sent an angel who annihilated every valiant warrior, leader, and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria returned in disgrace to his land. He went to the temple of his god, and there some of his own children struck him down with the sword.
• Matthew 10:21“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
• Isaiah 10:5Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger — the staff in their hands is my wrath.
• Ezekiel 14:9“‘But if the prophet is deceived and speaks a message, it was I, the Lord, who deceived that prophet. I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.
• Ezekiel 20:25I also gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances they could not live by.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 16:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Let 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…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-14Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-12How much more: David understood why someone who supported Saul might hate him.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-125-12. when king David came to Bahurim--a city of Benjamin (2Sa 3:16; 19:16). It is, however, only the confines of the district that are here meant. Shimei, ... a man of the family of Saul--The misfortune of his family, and the occupation by David of what they considered their rightful possessions, afforded a natural, if not a justifiable cause for this ebullition of rude insults and violence. He upbraided David as an ambitious usurper, and charged him, as…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 16:11

• Clemency
• David
• Forgiveness
• Meekness
• Prayer
• Resignation
• Shimei
• Zeruiah

In the dictionaries

• David
• Shimei
• Bible, the
• Horse
• Israel, History of
• Samuel, Books of
• Solomon

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings