So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out and struck him down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
Parallel translations
- WEB So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out, and fell on him, so that he died. The kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
- KJV So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
- BSB Then the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was firmly established in the hand of Solomon.
- NASB So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck him so that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.
- NLT Then, at the king’s command, Benaiah son of Jehoiada took Shimei outside and killed him. So the kingdom was now firmly in Solomon’s grip.
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
Benaiah executes Shimei, and the kingdom is firmly established in Solomon's hand. The final threat removed, Solomon's reign is now secure.
Overview
With Shimei's death, the last of the lingering dangers from David's era is dealt with, and the narrator declares the kingdom established under Solomon. The chapter closes the account of consolidating the throne through justice and mercy rightly applied. A stable, God-given kingdom now sets the stage for Solomon's wisdom and glory.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 1 Kgs 2:12Solomon sat on David his father’s throne; and his kingdom was firmly established.
- 2 Chr 1:1Solomon the son of David was firmly established in his kingdom, and Yahweh his God was with him, and made him exceedingly great.
- 1 Kgs 2:45But king Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will be established before Yahweh forever.”
- Prov 29:4The king by justice makes the land stable, but he who takes bribes tears it down.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 2:46 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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