2 Samuel 16 Study Notes

16:1-2 A little beyond the summit on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives, David’s delegation could not be seen by Absalom or anyone else in Jerusalem. Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, had earlier arranged for Saul’s estate to be restored to his master (9:1-10). Now he brought provisions for David’s group, but with a different motive.

16:3 David expressed surprise that Mephibosheth had not come with him and others from his palace. Ziba informed David that Mephibosheth was staying in Jerusalem because he was hoping to take advantage of the situation to regain Saul’s kingdom.

16:4 The truth of Ziba’s assertion could not be substantiated, but David, in his turbulent emotional state, decided he believed Ziba and rewarded him with Mephibosheth’s estate.

16:5 Bahurim was a nearby Benjaminite village. Shimei son of Gera is unknown except for his actions related to Absalom’s revolt and David’s flight (19:16-23) and his sentence during Solomon’s reign (1Kg 2:8-9,36-46).

16:6-8 The phrase blood of the house of Saul might have assumed that David participated in either Saul’s death or Ish-bosheth’s death. Some interpreters believe David’s giving of Saul’s descendants to the Gibeonites for execution (21:5-9) had happened already; if so, Shimei may have been alluding to that.

16:9 Abishai was disturbed that someone would curse . . . the king (cp. 19:21), and he offered to kill Shimei as he had offered to kill Saul several years before (1Sm 26:8).

16:10 Do we agree on anything? is literally “What to me and to you?” It may be rhetorically asking what interests David and Abishai have in common (cp. 19:22; Jdg 11:12; 1Kg 17:18; 2Kg 3:13; 2Ch 35:21; Jn 2:4). This expression reveals David’s exasperation with the sons of Zeruiah his sister, here more specifically focused at Abishai. The sentence that begins with He curses me this way may also be translated as “If he curses me this way” and suggests that David was unsure of the source of Shimei’s words (v. 11).

16:11 David highlighted his desperate situation. He was under threat of death from his own son Absalom, so perhaps Shimei’s words were also part of God’s instruction to the king.

16:12-14 David thought that perhaps if he bore Shimei’s curses with patience, the Lord would restore goodness to him. David and his officials were exhausted from the long journey and from the stress of Shimei’s cursing as they traveled, so they took a much-needed rest.

16:15 Now is probably better translated as “meanwhile” to communicate the fact that even as David was flee-ing, Absalom and his supporters arrived at Jerusalem. The conspirators took the city with-out a fight because David’s forces had fled.

16:16 The account now picks up from 15:37. Hushai and Absalom entered Jerusalem about the same time, and Hushai’s greeting, Long live the king, was the beginning of his attempt to convince Absalom he was on his side.

16:17 Absalom questioned Hushai’s loyalty because he knew of Hushai’s faithful service to his father, David.

16:18 Hushai’s reply was more vague than Absalom realized. David—not Absalom—was the one whom the Lord had chosen (1Sm 16:12).

16:19 Hushai promised Absalom that just as he had served faithfully in David’s presence, he now would continue to serve in the same way at Absalom’s side.

16:20-22 Absalom’s lying with his father’s concubines would be a visible sign to everyone that Absalom was taking over the kingdom (including the harem) from David (12:8,11). See 1Kg 2:13-25 for Adonijah’s request to Solomon to have David’s last wife, Abishag, as his wife, and what happened to him as a result. Sleeping with David’s concubines would also sharpen the division between Absalom and his father and encourage others to forsake David and join Absalom. In the sight of all Israel fulfilled God’s words to David through the prophet Nathan (12:11).

16:23 The advice Ahithophel gave was normally like someone asking about a word from God. This time, however, his counsel was politically wise but immoral since David was still alive (Lv 20:11).