Discovery Box1 Kings 2:8-9 
Context2:8 “Note well, you still have to contend with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, 1 who tried to call down upon me a horrible judgment when I went to Mahanaim. 2 He came down and met me at the Jordan, and I solemnly promised 3 him by the Lord, ‘I will not strike you down 4 with the sword.’ 2:9 But now 5 don’t treat him as if he were innocent. You are a wise man and you know how to handle him; 6 make sure he has a bloody death.” 7
1 Kings 2:36-46
Context2:36 Next the king summoned 8 Shimei and told him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem 9 and live there – but you may not leave there to go anywhere! 10 2:37 If you ever do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die! You will be responsible for your own death.” 11 2:38 Shimei said to the king, “My master the king’s proposal is acceptable. 12 Your servant will do as you say.” 13 So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. 14
2:39 Three years later two of Shimei’s servants ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. Shimei was told, “Look, your servants are in Gath.” 2:40 So Shimei got up, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to find his servants; Shimei went and brought back his servants from Gath. 2:41 When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had then returned, 2:42 the king summoned 15 Shimei and said to him, “You will recall 16 that I made you take an oath by the Lord, and I solemnly warned you, ‘If you ever leave and go anywhere, 17 know for sure that you will certainly die.’ You said to me, ‘The proposal is acceptable; I agree to it.’ 18 2:43 Why then have you broken the oath you made before the Lord and disobeyed the order I gave you?” 19 2:44 Then the king said to Shimei, “You are well aware of the way you mistreated my father David. 20 The Lord will punish you for what you did. 21 2:45 But King Solomon will be empowered 22 and David’s dynasty 23 will endure permanently before the Lord.” 2:46 The king then gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada who went and executed Shimei. 24
So Solomon took firm control of the kingdom. 25
1 tn Heb “Look, with you is Shimei….”
2 tn Heb “and he cursed me with a horrible curse on the day I went to Mahanaim.”
3 tn Or “swore an oath to.”
4 tn Heb “kill you.”
5 tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek and the Vulgate have here “you” rather than “now.” The two words are homonyms in Hebrew.
6 tn Heb “what you should do to him.”
7 tn Heb “bring his grey hair down in blood [to] Sheol.”
8 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
9 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
10 tn Heb “and you may not go out from there here or there.”
11 tn Heb “your blood will be upon your head.”
12 tn Heb “Good is the word, as my master the king has spoken.”
13 tn Heb “so your servant will do.”
14 tn Heb “many days.”
15 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
16 tn Heb “Is it not [true]…?” In the Hebrew text the statement is interrogative; the rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course it is.”
17 tn Heb “here or there.”
18 tn Heb “good is the word; I have heard.”
19 tn Heb “Why have you not kept the oath [to] the
20 tn Heb “You know all the evil, for your heart knows, which you did to David my father.”
21 tn Heb “The
22 tn Or “blessed.”
23 tn Heb “throne.”
24 tn “The king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada and he went out and struck him down and he died.”
25 tn “And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.”
