2 Samuel 16:11

2Sa 16:11 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.

Ver. 11. Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels.] If we can therefore suffer because we have suffered, as David did from Shimei, but first from Absalom, then we have profited by our afflictions: then "patience hath her perfect work." {Jas 1:4} A weak heart faints with every addition of succeeding sorrow: the strong re-collecteth itself, and, like an old beaten porter to the cross, tolerare mavult guam deplorare, rather carrieth it, than crieth out of it. See Job 23:2. {See Trapp on "Job 23:2"}

Seeketh my life.] Not only is he sick of my long life - as Adolphus Egmondanus lately was of his father Arnold’s, duke of Geldria, whom he kept prisoner six years for living so long - but seeketh to destroy it: as did Tullia, Nero, Solymus, Amidas, &c. {a}

For the Lord hath bidden him.] It is he who hath turned this dead dog loose upon me. This seeing of God in crosses as the chief agent, whatever the instrument be, is an excellent help to true patience. If a man meet a prince, and know him not, he will not give him due reverence: so if we see not God in our sufferings we shall not so well submit to him; David, for instance, when he went against Nabal.

{a} Cominaeus.

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.

2Sa_16:11-12

Let him alone, let him curse, for the Lord hath bidden him.

The grounds of Davids forbearance towards Shimei

David, in his adversity, receives from Shimei an undeserved, cruel, and most irritating provocation; he reviles him, and curses him, and casts stones at him; but the afflicted monarch bears all his insults with silent meekness; he, forgives and protects his railing enemy; and here in the text he discloses to his wondering attendants the feelings which actuated his conduct towards him. His words evidently direct our attention to the grounds of his forbearance towards Shimei; and they convince us at once that this forbearance did not proceed from a want of feeling. Some men appear to bear provocations, as a stone may be said to bear them: they excite no resentment, for they give no pain. But this insensibility is not Christian meekness. We must feel before we can forgive; and that forgiveness is the most exalted in its nature, which is accompanied with the keenest sense of the injuries it pardons. Neither was this insensibility the meekness of David. His was one of the warmest hearts that ever beat in a human breast. Every act of kindness had power to move it, and he himself tells us that reproach could almost break it.

I. His forbearance must be traced partly to the softening influence of affliction. David here reminds his servants of the trials under which he was suffering; and intimates to them that the father, who had to bear with the cruelty of a beloved son, could find but little difficulty in pardoning the insults of a reviling enemy; that the greater affliction had prepared his mind for the less, and enabled him to be submissive under it. Tribulation, says the apostle, worketh patience. It calls the patience of the Christian into exercise, and consequently strengthens it. Who are the proud and revengeful among mankind? They who have known but little of the calamities of life, and been tossed by few of its storms.

II. David was assisted in overcoming his resentment by tracing the persecution he received to god. The ill-treatment of the ungodly, as well as the natural evils of life, must be ascribed, in some degree, to a chastising God. The malice and cruelty of the world are no less the instruments of working his will than the diseases which assail our bodies, or the storms which lay waste our dwellings.

III. Hence the forbearance of David may be ascribed also to a sense of sin. He says nothing indeed of his sinfulness, but the abrupt language which he uses evidently implies that it was in his mind. And what provocation is there which a deep sense of guilt will not enable us to bear? Go to the man whom a heavenly instructor has made acquainted with the hidden depravity of his nature; who is day by day retiring to his closet to mourn over his sins, and who often waters his couch with tears by night as he thinks of his transgressions--try the patience of the stricken penitent by insults and revilings; and what is the result? Says the wounded Christian, I am a sinner, and wrath must not lodge in a sinners heart. I may be reviled, but what a miracle of mercy is it that I am not consumed! Men may reproach me, but how ought I to wonder that my God forbears to curse and destroy me!

IV. The forbearance of David proceeded from an humble expectation of a recompense from god. Though he had sinned against him and was suffering under his righteous displeasure, he knew that the Lord had not utterly taken away his loving-kindness from trim. What a powerful motive to forbearance and patience! When we are persecuted, the Lord looks on our afflictions. He knows our reproach, and our shame, and our dishonour; our adversaries are all before him. In conclusion:

1. David was not of a revengeful disposition. A mind so softened by affliction, so fixed on God, so full of contrition and faith, could not be revengeful.

2. We may infer also from the text, the reason why so much importance is attached in thee Scriptures to a forgiving spirit. (C. Bradley, M. A.)

No resentment

Sir Matthew Hale, the celebrated judge, had so completely gained the government of his passions that, though naturally of a quick temper, he was never seen in a passion, nor did he ever resent injuries. One day a person who had clone him a great injury came to him for his advice in the settlement of his estate, which he very readily gave him, but would accept no fee for it. When he was asked how be could behave so kindly to a man wire bad wronged him so much, his answer was, I thank God I have learned to forgive and forget injuries. (Quiver.)

Tracing trouble to its fountain head

As children will thank the tailor, and think they owe their new clothes to him rather than to their parents bounty, so we look to the next hand, and set up that instead of God. Second causes must never be made to stand before the first cause. Friends and helpers are all very well as servants of our Father, but our Father must have all our praise. There is a like evil in the matter of trouble. We are apt to be angry with the instrument of our affliction, instead of seeing the hand of God over all, and meekly bowing before it. It was a great help to David in bearing wits railing Shimei, when he saw that God had appointed this provocation as a chastisement. He would not suffer his hasty captains to take the scoffers head, but meekly said, Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord hath bidden him. A dog when he is struck will bite the stick; if he were wise, he would observe that the stick only moves as the hand directs it. When we discern God in our tribulations we are helped to be quiet, and endure with patience. Let us not act like silly children, but trace matters to their fountain-head, and act accordingly. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Sa 16:11. Behold, my son seeketh my life — Which is a much greater mischief than to reproach me with words. How much more may this Benjamite do it? — One of that tribe and family from which God hath taken away the kingdom, and given it to me. Let him curse — Do not now hinder him by violence from doing it, nor punish him for it. It is meet I should bear the indignation of the Lord, and submit to his pleasure. For the Lord hath bidden him — Not by the word of his precept, or by any powerful influence upon his mind impelling him to it; but by the word of his providence, placing me in such circumstances that he conceives he can curse me with impunity, and by suffering the malignity of his heart to take its natural course, and work without restraint.

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

16:11-12 even more reason: David understood why a supporter of Saul might hate him.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 11. Let 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, however, considers all this as being permitted of God for his chastisement and humiliation. I cannot withhold from my readers a very elegant poetic paraphrase of this passage, from the pen of the Rev. Charles Wesley, one of the first of Christian poets: -

"Pure from the blood of Saul in vain,

He dares not to the charge reply:

Uriah's doth the charge maintain,

Uriah's doth against him cry!

Let Shimei curse: the rod he bears

For sins which mercy had forgiven:

And in the wrongs of man reveres

The awful righteousness of heaven.

Lord, I adore thy righteous will,

Through every instrument of ill

My Father's goodness see;

Accept the complicated wrong

Of Shimei's hand and Shimei's tongue

As kind rebukes from THEE."

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

(11) How much more now may this Benjamite.—The “Benjamite” is in contrast to his own son, because he represents the adherent of another and rival dynasty. It is noticeable that David accuses Absalom not only of seeking his throne, but his life.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11. this Benjamite] Who has some plausible ground for spite against a king who has succeeded to the honours once held by his family.

the Lord hath bidden him] David recognises Shimei as the divinely appointed instrument for his chastisement, and therefore he can say, “the Lord hath bidden him.” But Shimei’s cursing was on his part sinful, and God commands no man to sin. God makes use of the evil passions of men to work out His purposes, but those evil passions are not thereby excused or justified. See for example, Gen_45:5; Act_2:23. Since He is the Author and Cause of all things, and in a certain sense nothing can be done without His Will, He is sometimes said to do what He permits to be done, to command what He does not forbid. See note on 1Sa_26:19 : and 2Sa_24:1.

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 David said to Abishai, and all his servants,.... In order to make them easy, and reconcile them to this usage of him:

behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life; meaning Absalom:

how much more now may this Benjamite do it? who was not only of the same tribe that Saul was, but of the same family, and so bore an ill will to David because of his succession in the throne:

let him alone, and let him curse; do nothing to restrain him, not even by words, and much less by any violent actions, and still less by taking away his life:

for the Lord hath bidden him; in the sense explained in Sa2 16:10.

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

My life - Which is a greater mischief, than to reproach me with words. Benjamites - Of that tribe and family from which God hast taken away the kingdom, and given it to me. Let him - Do not now hinder him violently from it, nor punish him for it. It is meet I should bear the indignation of the Lord, and submit to his pleasure.

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

David said still further to Abishai and all his servants: "Behold, my own son seeketh after my life; how much more then the Benjaminite! (who belongs to a hostile race.) Let him curse, for Jehovah hath bidden him. Perhaps Jehovah will look upon my guilt, and Jehovah will requite me good for the curse which befals me this day." בּעוני (Chethib) has been altered by the Masoretes into בּעיני o, "upon mine eye," probably in the sense of "upon my tears;" and קללתי into קללתו, - from pure misapprehension. בּעוני does not mean "upon my misery," for עון never has this meaning, but upon the guilt which really belongs to me, in contrast with that with which Shimei charges me; and קללתי is the curse that has come upon me. Although David had committed no murder upon the house of Saul, and therefore Shimei's cursing was nothing but malicious blasphemy, he felt that it came upon him because of his sins, though not for the sin imputed to him. He therefore forbade their putting the blasphemer to death, and said Jehovah had commanded him to curse; regarding the cursing as the consequence of the wrath of God that was bringing him low (comp. the remarks on Sa1 26:19). But this consciousness of guilt also excited the assurance that the Lord would look upon his sin. When God looks upon the guilt of a humble sinner, He will also, as a just and merciful God, avert the evil, and change the suffering into a blessing. David founded upon this the hope, that the Lord would repay him with good for the curse with which Shimei was pursuing him now.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

my son, who was born from my body

David describes his son this way to emphasize the close bond between a father and his son. AT: "my own son" or "my dear son" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

wants to take my life

This is a polite way to refer to killing someone. AT: "wants to kill me" (See: Euphemism)

How much more may this Benjamite now desire my ruin?

David uses this rhetorical question to express that he is not surprised that the man wants to kill him. This can be written as a statement. AT: "Of course this Benjamite desires my ruin!" or "I am not surprised this Benjamite desires my ruin as well!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

desire my ruin

Here David describes the man's desire to kill him as if David were something that the man wanted to ruin. AT: "desire me to be killed" or "desire to kill me" (See: Metaphor)

Leave him alone and let him curse

Here the phrase "leave him alone" means to not stop him from what he is doing. AT: "Do not stop him from cursing me" (See: Idiom)

will look at

Here "looking" means "considering." AT: "will consider" (See: Idiom)

the misery unleashed on me

Here David speaks of misery as if it were a dangerous animal that the Benjamite unleashed on him. (See: Personification)

translationWords

servant

body

life

Benjamin

ruin

command

good

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.