2 Samuel 16:9

2 Samuel 16:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)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."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!”

Context of 2 Samuel 16:9

7Shimei said, ‘Go away! Get out of here! You are a murderer, a wicked man! 8The Lord has punished you because of all the people that you killed from Saul's family. You made yourself king, instead of Saul. But now the Lord has given the kingdom to your son, Absalom. All this trouble has come to you because you are a murderer!’ Then Zeruiah's son, Abishai, said to the king, ‘This man is only a useless dog! He must not curse you, my lord the king. I should go and cut off his head!’ 10The king said, ‘No! You sons of Zeruiah should not tell me what to do! Perhaps he is cursing me because the Lord has said to him, “Curse David.” Then we cannot say that he is wrong to curse me.’ 11Then David said to Abishai and to all his officers, ‘My own son is trying to kill me. Now this man from Benjamin's tribe wants to do the same thing. The Lord has told him to do this, so do not stop him cursing me.

2 Samuel 16:9 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲבִישַׁ֤י בֶּן־צְרוּיָה֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ לָ֣מָּה יְקַלֵּ֞ל הַכֶּ֤לֶב הַמֵּת֙ הַזֶּ֔ה אֶת־אֲדֹנִ֖י הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּ֖א וְאָסִ֥ירָה אֶת־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Abishaiאֲבִישַׁי'ăbîyshay 'abshay · AbishaiH52
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Zeruiahצְרוּיָהtserûyâh · ZeruiahH6870
• unto the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• Why should this deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• dogכֶּ֫לֶבkeleb · dogH3611
• curseקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
• my lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• let me go overעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• I pray thee, and take offסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: removeH5493
• his headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 16:9

• 2 Samuel 3:30That is how Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner. They killed him because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
• 1 Samuel 26:6David spoke to two of his men. One of them was Ahimelech, a Hittite man. The other man was Abishai, who was Joab's brother (Zeruiah was their mother). David asked them, ‘Which one of you will go down into Saul's camp with me?’ Abishai said, ‘I will come with you.’
• 2 Samuel 3:8Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth had said to him. Abner said, ‘Do you think that I am a useless dog that belongs to Judah? I have always been faithful to your father Saul and to his family and his friends. I have not deceived you to put you under David's power. But now you say that I am guilty of a sin with this woman.
• 2 Samuel 9:8Mephibosheth bent his body low. He said, ‘I am your servant, no better than a dead dog. I do not deserve that you should be so kind to me.’
• 1 Samuel 24:14You are Israel's king. So why are you chasing after someone like me? I am less important than a dead dog or a little fly!
• Exodus 22:28Never insult God. Never curse anyone who is a leader of your people.
• Acts 23:5Paul replied, ‘My brothers, I did not know that this man is the most important priest. Our Jewish law says, “Do not say bad things against the man who rules your people.” So I should not have said anything bad against him.’
• 1 Peter 2:17Respect all people. Love the believers as you would love your family. Obey God as your master. Respect the king.
• Job 31:30I have not cursed my enemies, to ask God to kill them. That would have caused a sin to come from my mouth!
• Jeremiah 40:13Kareah's son Johanan came to Mizpah to see Gedaliah. He came with the other army officers who had been hiding in the country.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 16:9

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9This dead dog - See the marginal reference and 2 Samuel 9:8 note. Go over - The ravine, possibly with a stream of water 2 Samuel 17:20, which lay between them and Shimei.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. 9Abishai was David’s nephew (1 Chronicles 2:13–16) and likely part of his personal guard. He thought no one should speak to the king disrespectfully and survive (compare 2 Samuel 19:21). David was more cautious in making judgments (compare 1 Kings 2:8–9).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 16:9

• Abishai
• Clemency
• Dog (Sodomite?)
• Forgiveness
• Meekness
• Shimei
• Zeruiah

In the dictionaries

• Dog
• Shimei
• Abishai
• Bible, the
• David
• Dead
• 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