Discovery Box2 Samuel 19:16-30
Context19:16 Shimei son of Gera the Benjaminite from Bahurim came down quickly with the men of Judah to meet King David. 19:17 There were a thousand men from Benjamin with him, along with Ziba the servant 1 of Saul’s household, and with him his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They hurriedly crossed 2 the Jordan within sight of the king. 19:18 They crossed at the ford in order to help the king’s household cross and to do whatever he thought appropriate.
Now after he had crossed the Jordan, Shimei son of Gera threw himself down before the king. 19:19 He said to the king, “Don’t think badly of me, my lord, and don’t recall the sin of your servant on the day when you, my lord the king, left 3 Jerusalem! 4 Please don’t call it to mind! 19:20 For I, your servant, 5 know that I sinned, and I have come today as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”
19:21 Abishai son of Zeruiah replied, “For this should not Shimei be put to death? After all, he cursed the Lord’s anointed!” 19:22 But David said, “What do we have in common, 6 you sons of Zeruiah? You are like my enemy today! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Don’t you realize that today I am king over Israel?” 19:23 The king said to Shimei, “You won’t die.” The king vowed an oath 7 concerning this.
19:24 Now Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, 8 came down to meet the king. From the day the king had left until the day he safely 9 returned, Mephibosheth 10 had not cared for his feet 11 nor trimmed 12 his mustache nor washed his clothes.
19:25 When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?” 19:26 He replied, “My lord the king, my servant deceived me! I 13 said, ‘Let me get my donkey saddled so that I can ride on it and go with the king,’ for I 14 am lame. 19:27 But my servant 15 has slandered me 16 to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God. Do whatever seems appropriate to you. 19:28 After all, there was no one in the entire house of my grandfather 17 who did not deserve death from my lord the king. But instead you allowed me to eat at your own table! 18 What further claim do I have to ask 19 the king for anything?”
19:29 Then the king replied to him, “Why should you continue speaking like this? You and Ziba will inherit the field together.” 19:30 Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him have 20 the whole thing! My lord the king has returned safely 21 to his house!”
[19:17] 2 tn Heb “rushed into.”
[19:19] 3 tn Though this verb in the MT is 3rd person masculine singular, it should probably be read as 2nd person masculine singular. It is one of fifteen places where the Masoretes placed a dot over each of the letters of the word in question in order to call attention to their suspicion of the word. Their concern in this case apparently had to do with the fact that this verb and the two preceding verbs alternate from third person to second and back again to third. Words marked in this way in Hebrew manuscripts or printed editions are said to have puncta extrordinaria, or “extraordinary points.”
[19:19] 4 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[19:20] 5 tn The Hebrew text has simply “your servant.”
[19:22] 6 tn Heb “what to me and to you.”
[19:23] 7 tn Heb “swore to him.”
[19:24] 9 tn Heb “in peace.” So also in v. 31.
[19:24] 10 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Mephibosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:24] 11 tn Heb “done his feet.”
[19:26] 13 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:26] 14 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:27] 15 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:27] 16 tn Heb “your servant.”
[19:28] 18 tn Heb “and you placed your servant among those who eat at your table.”
