2 Samuel 19:20

2 Samuel 19:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.
• New International Version (NIV)For I your servant know that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first from the tribes of Joseph to come down and meet my lord the king.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king."
• New King James Version (NKJV)For I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Therefore here I am, the first to come today of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.”

Context of 2 Samuel 19:20

18They crossed the river where the water was not deep. They were ready to help the king and his people come across. They were ready to do whatever the king wanted. When Shimei had gone across the Jordan River, he bent down low to the ground in front of the king. 19He said to the king, ‘Please forgive me for my sin. Do not punish me. I insulted you, my lord, on the day when you left Jerusalem. Please forget about what I did. I am your servant. I know that I did a bad thing. So I have come to meet you today. From all the descendants of Joseph, I am the first person to come to meet you here, my lord the king.’ 21Then Abishai, Zeruiah's son, said, ‘We should kill Shimei. He cursed you, the Lord's chosen king, so he deserves to die.’ 22David replied, ‘No! You sons of Zeruiah should not tell me what to do! Have you become my enemy? You should realize that today I have become king over all Israel. So we should not punish anyone with death.’

2 Samuel 19:20 word by word

כִּ֚י יָדַ֣ע עַבְדְּךָ֔ כִּ֖י אֲנִ֣י חָטָ֑אתִי וְהִנֵּֽה־בָ֣אתִי הַיּ֗וֹם רִאשׁוֹן֙ לְכָל־בֵּ֣ית יוֹסֵ֔ף לָרֶ֕דֶת לִקְרַ֖את אֲדֹנִ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• doth knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• that I have sinnedחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
• therefore, behold, I am comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• the firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223
• this dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• of all the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• of Josephיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
• to go downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• to meetקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
• my lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 19:20

• Psalms 78:34When God killed some of them, the other people turned to God. They were sorry and they prayed to him.
• Jeremiah 22:23You live safely in beautiful houses that are made from Lebanon's cedar wood. But when I punish you, you will cry out with pain. You will feel pain like a woman who is having a baby.’
• Hosea 5:15Then I will return to my place. I will leave them to receive their full punishment. When they have suffered enough, they will turn back to me. They will want to serve me again.’
• 2 Samuel 19:9People in all the Israelite tribes were quarrelling with each other. They were saying, ‘King David saved us from the power of the Philistines and all our other enemies. But now Absalom has chased him out of our land.
• 2 Samuel 16:5King David and his people arrived near Bahurim town. Gera's son Shimei came out to meet David. He was a relative of Saul. Shimei cursed David in a loud voice as he came towards him.
• Genesis 48:14Jacob then put out his right hand. But he put it on Ephraim's head, even though Ephraim was the younger son. Jacob crossed his arms so that he put his left hand on Manasseh's head. Manasseh was Joseph's firstborn son.
• 1 Kings 12:20All the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned from Egypt. So they asked him to come to a meeting of the people. They decided to make him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah still served David's descendant as their king.
• Hosea 4:15You people of Israel are not faithful to the Lord. But do not let the people of Judah become guilty of the same sins. Do not travel to Gilgal to worship! Do not go to Beth Aven! Do not say, ‘I promise this is true, as surely as the Lord lives’.
• Hosea 5:3I know what the people of Ephraim are like. The Israelites cannot hide their sins from me. You are no better than prostitutes! You can no longer serve me as my people.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 19:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20For thy servant doth know that I have sinned - This was all he could do; his subsequent conduct alone could prove his sincerity. On such an avowal as this David could not but grant him his life.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20This is the first time that the “house of Joseph,” or “Joseph,” stands for all the ten tribes of which Ephraim was the head and leader. While Saul of Benjamin was king, or while Mahanaim was the capital of his son‘s kingdom, it was not natural so to name them, nor does it seem so at first sight in the mouth of Shimei the Benjamite. But it is very possible that he used the phrase for the purpose of exculpating himself and his own tribe from having taken…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-23Verses 16-23 Those who now slight and abuse the Son of David, would be glad to make their peace when he shall come in his glory; but it will be too late. Shimei lost no time. His abuse had been personal, and with the usual right feeling of good men, David could more easily forgive it.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20your servant knows that I have sinned: Shimei might have truly repented, or he might have been trying to save his life. David's concern for Absalom's safety showed he was not the ruthless throne-stealer Shimei thought. Absalom did not replace David (2 Samuel 16:8), as Shimei claimed. all the house of Joseph: Just as Jacob's name could represent all Israel (for example, Numbers 24:19; Isaiah 10:20), Joseph's name could represent all the northern tribes…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-2316-23. Shemei ... a thousand men of Benjamin with him--This display of [Shemei's] followers was to show what force he could raise against or in support of the king. Expressing the deepest regret for his former outrageous conduct, he was pardoned on the spot; and although the son of Zeruiah urged the expediency of making this chief a public example, his officiousness was repulsed by David with magnanimity, and with the greater confidence that he felt…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 19:20

• Amnesty
• Clemency
• David
• Treason

In the dictionaries

• Conduct
• Cost
• Lord
• Benjamin
• Bible, the
• David
• Israel, History of
• Jeroboam
• Samuel, Books of
• Shimei

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 19

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings