God’s Word Translation
2 Samuel 16:11
11David told Abishai and all his servants, “My own son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. Why, then, shouldn’t this Benjaminite do this? Leave him alone. Let him curse, since the Lord has told him to do it.
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
9Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, asked the king, “Why should this dead dog curse you, Your Majesty? Let me go over there and tear off his head.” 10But the king said, “You don’t think like me at all, sons of Zeruiah. Let him curse. If the Lord has told him, ‘Curse David,’ should anyone ask, ‘Why do you do that?’ ” David told Abishai and all his servants, “My own son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. Why, then, shouldn’t this Benjaminite do this? Leave him alone. Let him curse, since the Lord has told him to do it. 12Maybe the Lord will see my misery and turn his curse into a blessing for me today.” 13As David and his men went along the road, Shimei was walking along the hillside parallel to him. Shimei cursed, hurled stones, and threw dirt at David.
Read all of 2 Samuel 162 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 will stir up trouble against you within your own household, and before your own eyes I will take your wives and give them to someone close to you. He will go to bed with your wives in broad daylight.
- 2 Samuel 7:2So the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Look, I’m living in a house made of cedar, while the ark of God remains in the tent.”
- Genesis 15:4Suddenly, the Lord spoke his word to Abram again. He said, “This man will not be your heir. Your own son will be your heir.”
- 2 Samuel 17:1Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose 12,000 men and leave tonight to go after David.
- 2 Kings 19:37While he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, Adrammelech and Sharezer assassinated him and escaped to the land of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon succeeded him as king.
- 2 Chronicles 32:21The Lord sent an angel who exterminated all the soldiers, officials, and commanders in the Assyrian king’s camp. Humiliated, Sennacherib returned to his own country. When he went into the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him with a sword.
- Matthew 10:21“Brother will hand over brother to death; a father will hand over his child. Children will rebel against their parents and kill them.
- Isaiah 10:5“How horrible it will be for Assyria! It is the rod of my anger. My fury is the staff in the Assyrians’ hands.
- Ezekiel 14:9“ ‘If a prophet is tricked into giving a prophecy, it is I, the Lord, who tricked the prophet. I will use my power against you and destroy you from among my people Israel.
- Ezekiel 20:25I also allowed them to follow laws that were no good and rules by which they could not live.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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