New King James Version
1 Kings 2:9
9Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood.”
1 Kings 2:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.
- New International Version (NIV)But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol."
- New Living Translation (NLT)But that oath does not make him innocent. You are a wise man, and you will know how to arrange a bloody death for him.”
Context of 1 Kings 2:9
7“But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother. 8“And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood.” 10So David rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David. 11The period that David reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years.
Read all of 1 Kings 21 Kings 2:9 word by word
וְעַתָּה֙ אַל־תְּנַקֵּ֔הוּ כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ חָכָ֖ם אָ֑תָּה וְיָֽדַעְתָּ֙ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לּ֔וֹ וְהוֹרַדְתָּ֧ אֶת־שֵׂיבָת֛וֹ בְּדָ֖ם שְׁאֽוֹל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Now therefore hold him not guiltlessנָקָהnâqâh · to clearH5352
- a wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
- manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- and knowestיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- what thou oughtest to doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- unto him; but his hoar headשֵׂיבָהώêybâh · hoary headH7872
- bring thou downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- to the graveשְׁאוֹלshe'ôl she'ôl · hell: SheolH7585
- with bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
Cross-references for 1 Kings 2:9
- Judges 5:30‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil: To every man a girl or two; For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments, Plunder of garments embroidered and dyed, Two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?’
- 1 Samuel 2:3“Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.
- Psalms 1:5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
- Psalms 9:18For the needy shall not always be forgotten; The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.
- Psalms 38:1O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!
- Psalms 75:5Do not lift up your horn on high; Do not speak with a stiff neck.’ ”
- Proverbs 5:16Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets?
- Proverbs 24:12If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?
- Exodus 20:7“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
- Exodus 22:28“You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
- Job 9:28I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent.
- 1 Kings 3:12behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.
- 1 Kings 2:6Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace.
- Genesis 42:38But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”
- Genesis 44:31it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
- Numbers 32:23But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 2:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Hold him not guiltless - Do not consider him as an innocent man, though I have sworn to him that I would not put him to death by the sword; yet as thou art a wise man, and knowest how to treat such persons, treat him as he deserves; only as I have sworn to him, and he is an aged man, let him not die a violent death; bring not down his hoary head to the grave with blood. So Solomon understood David, and so I think David should be understood; for the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Hold him not guiltless - i. e. “Do not treat him as an innocent man. Punish him as in thy wisdom thou deemest best. Not capitally at once; but so that he may be likely to give thee in course of time a just occasion to slay him.” So, at least, Solomon seems to have understood the charge. (See 1 Kings 2:36-46.)Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-11Verses 5-11 These dying counsels concerning Joab and Shimei, did not come from personal anger, but for the security of Solomon's throne, which was the murders he had committed, but would readily repeat them to carry any purpose; though long reprieved, he shall be reckoned with at last. Time does not wear out the guilt of any sin, particularly of murder. Concerning Shimei, Hold him not guiltless; do not think him any true friend to thee, or thy government…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-9Barzillai strongly supported David during his conflict with Absalom, while Shimei openly opposed David (2 Samuel 16:5–13; 19:6–23).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. for thou art a wise man--Solomon had given early indications of wisdom before his miraculous endowment with the heavenly gift (see 1Ki 3:11), and his own sagacity would dictate the course that should be followed in any new offense that Shimei might commit.Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 2:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Kings 2
- 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
- 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries