2 Samuel16
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And when David was a little past the top of the ascent, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and a hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.
2And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses are for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as are faint in the wilderness may drink.
3And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem; for he said, To-day will the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.
4Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine is all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I do obeisance; let me find favor in thy sight, my lord, O king.
5And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out, and cursed still as he came.
6And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
7And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Begone, begone, thou man of blood, and base fellow:
8Jehovah hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and Jehovah hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son; and, behold, thou art taken in thine own mischief, because thou art a man of blood.
9Then 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? Because he curseth, and because Jehovah hath said unto him, Curse David; who then shall say, Wherefore hast thou done so?
11And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more may this Benjamite now do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for Jehovah hath bidden him.
12It may be that Jehovah will look on the wrong done unto me, and that Jehovah will requite me good for his cursing of me this day.
13So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hill-side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.
14And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary; and he refreshed himself there.
15And Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
16And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, Long live the king, Long live the king.
17And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?
18And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom Jehovah, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him will I abide.
19And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.
20Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give your counsel what we shall do.
21And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, that he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then will the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
22So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
23And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 2 Samuel 16.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Ziba's falsehood. (1–4). David cursed by Shimei. (5–14). Ahithophel's counsel. (15–23).
vv1-4
Ziba belied Mephibosheth. Great men ought always to be jealous of flatterers, and to be careful that they hear both sides.
vv5-14
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 ourselves from. It is well for us, that men are not to be our judges, but He whose judgment is according to truth. See how patient David was under this abuse. Let this remind us of Christ, who prayed for those who reviled and crucified him. A humble spirit will turn reproaches into reproofs, and get good from them, instead of being provoked by them. David the hand of God in it, and comforts himself that God would bring good out of his affliction. We may depend upon God to repay, not only our services, but our sufferings.
vv15-23
The wisest counsellors of that age were Ahithophel and Hushai: Absalom thinks himself sure of success, when he has both; on them he relies, and consults not the ark, though he had that with him. But miserable counsellors were they both. Hushai would never counsel him to do wisely. Ahithophel counselled him to do wickedly; and so did as effectually betray him, as he did, who was designedly false to him: for they that advise men to sin, certainly advise them to their hurt. After all, honesty is the best policy, and will be found so in the long run. Ahithophel gave wicked counsel to Absalom; to render himself so hateful to his father, that he would never be reconciled to him; this cursed policy was of the devil. How desperately wicked is the human heart!
Key Words
דָּוִד: David, the youngest son of Jesse
עָבַר: to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation)
מְעַט: a little or few (often adverbial or compar.)
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
רֹאשׁ: the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)
נַעַר: (concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age)
מְפִיבֹשֶׁת: Mephibosheth, the name of two Israelites
קִרְאָה: an encountering, accidental, friendly or hostile (also adverbially, opposite)
צֶמֶד: hence, an acre (i.e. day's task for a yoke of cattle to plough)
חֲמוֹר: a male ass (from its dun red)
Cross References
2 Samuel 16Directly fulfills Nathan's prophecy that David's neighbor would lie with his wives in the daylight.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Fulfills the specific judgment that this would be done openly 'before all Israel, and before the sun.'
Supported by Matthew Poole
Contextualizes Ahithophel's legendary counsel which David actively prayed God would turn into foolishness.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Establishes Ziba's status as servant and the original arrangement with Mephibosheth's land.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Mephibosheth's later defense and explanation, exposing Ziba's slanderous report here as a lie.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The Mosaic law explicitly prohibiting the cursing of a ruler or leader of the people.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Abishai's characteristic, hot-tempered eagerness to strike down the king's adversary immediately.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Illuminates David's folly in judging Mephibosheth's case before hearing the other side.
Supported by Matthew Henry
David recalls Shimei's grievous curse on his deathbed, directing Solomon how to handle him.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Abishai repeats his demand to execute Shimei for cursing the Lord's anointed upon David's return.
Supported by Matthew Poole
David's ongoing struggle to manage the violent, impetuous sons of Zeruiah.
Supported by JFB
Hushai's initial meeting with David, setting up his role as David's plant in Absalom's court.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallels the provisions of food and drink brought to sustain David's faint followers in the wilderness.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Thematic parallel of a son defiling his father's bed, recalling Reuben's sin and loss of birthright.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identifies the ten concubines David left behind to keep the house, whom Absalom defiled.
Supported by JFB