And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.
Parallel translations
- WEB The king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem, and live there, and don’t go anywhere else.
- BSB Then the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else.
- NKJV Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere.
- NASB Now the king sent men and summoned Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, and do not leave there for any other place.
- NLT The king then sent for Shimei and told him, “Build a house here in Jerusalem and live there. But don’t step outside the city to go anywhere else.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Solomon confines Shimei to Jerusalem, forbidding him to leave. The restriction is a gracious probation for a man who had cursed David.
Overview
Shimei had cursed David during Absalom's revolt and deserved death, but David had sworn not to kill him. Solomon places him under house arrest in Jerusalem rather than executing him outright, granting conditional clemency. The arrangement tests Shimei's obedience and shows mercy bounded by clear terms, much as God's patience sets limits on the unrepentant.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 2 Sam 16:5–9And 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.
- 1 Kgs 2:8–9And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.
- Prov 20:8A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
- 2 Sam 14:24And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face.
- 1 Kgs 1:53So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house.
- Prov 20:26A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
- 2 Sam 14:28So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king’s face.
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Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 2:36 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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