1 Kings 2:37

1Ki 2:37 For it shall be, [that] on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head.

Ver. 37. And passest over the brook Kidron.] The black brook, the town ditch: this was between Jerusalem and Bahurim, Shimei’s inheritance. He might do much hurt among his Benjamites; and is therefore kept from them. We must also set bounds to our affections, and threaten them if extravagant.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 2:37. In the day thou passest over the brook Kidron, &c. — Which Solomon mentions, because it was in the way to Bahurim, where Shimei’s former and settled habitation was, as appears by comparing 2Sa 15:23, with 1Ki 16:5. But Solomon’s meaning was, and so, no doubt, was understood by Shimei, that if he went out of Jerusalem any way, to a greater distance than Kidron was from thence, he should die for it; for when he went to Gath, after his servants, he went not over Kidron, but the direct contrary way, that city lying westward of Jerusalem, as Kidron did eastward. Thy blood shall be upon thine own head — The blame and guilt of thy blood shall lie upon thyself only. In other words, his death should be owing to himself only, as the condition of his holding his life was known to him and accepted by him, as appears from the next verse.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 37. Thy blood shall be upon thine own head.] Thou knowest what to expect; if thou disobey my orders thou shalt certainly be slain, and then thou shalt be considered as a self-murderer; thou alone shalt be answerable for thy own death. Solomon knew that Shimei was a seditious man, and he chose to keep him under his own eye; for such a man at large, in favourable circumstances, might do much evil. His bitter revilings of David were a sufficient proof.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

37. passest over the brook Kidron] This brook, being between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, on that side of Jerusalem where Shimei would go if he wanted to return to Bahurim. Solomon takes the distance in this direction as a measure of bounds within which he must keep himself on every side. For in going afterwards to Gath he of course did not cross the brook Kidron.

thou shalt know] The Hebrew often uses a future for an imperative. Here it is better to render ‘Know for certain’ &c. It is so rendered in 1Ki_2:42.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Shimei said unto the king, the saying is good,.... It was an act of goodness in the king, and what was good, grateful, and acceptable to him; for being sent for by him, and knowing how he had used his father, and hearing of several traitors being put to death, he expected this would have been his case; and wherefore, instead of being put to death, was only obliged to leave his habitation in the country, and come and live at Jerusalem, a pleasant and delightful city, and the metropolis of the nation, it was very agreeable to him:

as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do; and he not only promised, but swore to it, which Solomon obliged him to, Kg1 2:42;

and Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days; he accordingly built or purchased a house in Jerusalem, and removed from Bahurim to it, where he lived for the space of three years, as follows.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Cedron, which led towards Bahurim. He was equally forbidden to go out by any other road; and was put to death for going to Geth. --- Head. Thou canst blame only thyself. Solomon might have put this man to death before: but he chose to pay so much deference to the oath of his father, as not to bring him to execution without a fresh offence.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The brook Kidron; a brook nigh unto Jerusalem, of which see 2Sa 15:23; 2Ki 23:4; which he particularly names, because that was the way to Bahurim, his former and settled habitation: but this is not to be understood exclusively to other ways and places; for the restraint was general, that he should

not go forth thence any whither, 1Ki 2:36, to wit, as far any other way as Cedron was: which also appears from the following history; for when he went to Gath, he went not over Cedron, (which lay eastward from the city,) but westward, as Gath lay.

Thy blood shall be upon thine own head; the blame and guilt of thy blood shall lie upon thyself only.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

37. The brook Kidron — This way was probably specified because any attempt of Shimei to escape would be quite likely to lead him first in the direction of his home, which lay beyond the Kidron.

Thy blood… upon thine own head — A common expression to denote the punishment of death. Compare marginal reference.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For it shall be, on the day thou goest out and passest over the brook lit., watercourse, wady. The Kidron is quite dry, except during and for a short time after the winter rains Kidron The Kidron is mentioned specially because that was the direction which, it might be presumed, Shimei would take, his old home being at Bahurim, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die The Hebrew is, if possible, still more striking and emphatic, "To know thou shalt know that to die thou shalt die." Shimei could not say that he had not been plainly warned: thy blood shall be upon thine own head. Cf. Lev_20:9, and especially Jos_2:19; also ver. 31 of this chapter.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Kidron - A brook nigh Jerusalem, which he particularly names, because that was the way to Bahurim, his former habitation: but this is not all, for the restraint was general, that he should not go forth thence any whither. Thy blood - The blame and guilt of thy blood shall lie upon thyself only.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.