2 Samuel 16

Chapter context

What is happening in 2 Samuel 16?

Davidic covenantsin and judgmentmercykingship

2 Samuel 16 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as David’s adultery and judgment. Second Samuel narrates David’s consolidation of rule, the covenant promise to his house, his sin with Bathsheba, and the convulsions that follow within his family and kingdom. Read this chapter with the wider themes of Davidic covenant, sin and judgment, and mercy in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. ² And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be 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 be faint in the wilderness may drink. ³ And 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 shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. ⁴ Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king. ⁵ And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. ⁶ And 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. ⁷ And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: ⁸ The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD 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. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? 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. ¹² It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day. ¹³ And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust. ¹⁴ And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there. ¹⁵ And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. ¹⁶ And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king. ¹⁷ And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend? ¹⁸ And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide. ¹⁹ And 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. ²⁰ Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do. ²¹ And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong. ²² So 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. ²³ And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

Study helps

Glossary

David Person v. 1, 5-6, 10-11, 13, 23: Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .
Mephibosheth Person v. 1, 4: Exterminator of shame; i. e., of idols. (1. ) The name of Saul’s son by the concubine Rizpah (q. v. ), the daughter of Aiah.
Mount of Olives Place v. 1: Biblical hill. Modern identification: Mount of Olives.
Ziba Person v. 1-4: Post; statue, “a servant of the house of Saul” ( 2 Sam. 9:2 ), who informed David that Mephibosheth, a son of Jonathan, was alive.
Jerusalem Place v. 3, 15: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Bahurim Place v. 5: Young men, a place east of Jerusalem ( 2 Sam. 3:16 ; 19:16 ), on the road to the Jordan valley. Modern identification: Ras Tumeim.
Gera Person v. 5: Grain. (1. ) The son of Bela and grandson of Benjamin ( 1 Chr. 8:3 , 5, 7). (2. ) The father of Ehud the judge ( Judg. 3:15 ). (3. ) The father of Shimei, who so grossly abused David ( 2 Sam. 16:5 ; 19:16 , 18).
Saul Person v. 5, 8: Asked for. (1. ) A king of Edom ( Gen. 36:37 , 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48 .
Shimei Person v. 5, 7, 13: Famous. (1. ) A son of Gershon, and grandson of Levi ( Num. 3:18 ; 1 Chr. 6:17 , 29); called Shimi in Ex. 6:17 .
Absalom Person v. 8, 15-18, 20-23: Father of peace; i. e., “peaceful” David’s son by Maacah ( 2 Sam. 3:3 ; comp. 1 Kings 1:6 ). He was noted for his personal beauty and for the extra-ordinary profusion of the hair of his head ( 2 Sam. 14:25 ,26).
Abishai Person v. 9, 11: Father of (i. e., “desirous of”) a gift, the eldest son of Zeruiah, David’s sister. He was the brother of Joab and Asahel ( 2 Sam. 2:18 ; 1 Chr. 2:16 ).
Zeruiah Person v. 9-10: Stricken of the Lord, David’s sister, and the mother of Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.
Jordan Place v. 14: Biblical river. Modern identification: Jordan River.
Ahithophel Person v. 15, 20-21, 23: Brother of insipidity or impiety, a man greatly renowned for his sagacity among the Jews. At the time of Absalom’s revolt he deserted David ( Ps. 41:9 ; 55:12-14 ) and espoused the cause of Absalom ( 2 Sam. 15:12 ).