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

7And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: 8Yhwh hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; And Yhwh hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. 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. 10And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because Yhwh hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? 11And 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 Yhwh hath bidden him.

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

• 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 3:30So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
• 1 Samuel 26:6Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
• 2 Samuel 3:8Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish–bosheth, and said, Am I a dog’s head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?
• 2 Samuel 9:8And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
• 1 Samuel 24:14After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
• Exodus 22:28Thou shalt not blaspheme God, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
• Acts 23:5Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
• 1 Peter 2:17Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
• Job 31:30Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.
• Jeremiah 40:13Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,

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