Lives of Scripture

As David fled Jerusalem during Absalom's revolt, Shimei son of Gera, from Saul's own clan, came out cursing him, throwing stones, and hurling dust, shouting that David was a "man of bloodshed" being repaid for the house of Saul (2 Samuel 16:5-8). Abishai wanted to kill him for cursing the king, but David restrained him: "let him curse, for the LORD has told him... perhaps the LORD will look on my affliction" (16:9-12) -- one of David's clearest moments of humble submission to God's providence even in personal humiliation. After the revolt collapsed, Shimei rushed to meet the returning king, threw himself down, and begged forgiveness; David swore an oath that day that he would not put him to death (19:16-23). Yet David's forgiveness was not the final word. On his deathbed, David instructed Solomon not to let Shimei's earlier curse go entirely unpunished, though he stopped short of ordering his death outright (1 Kings 2:8-9). Solomon confined Shimei to Jerusalem under penalty of death if he ever crossed the Kidron valley; Shimei agreed, but three years later left the city to retrieve runaway servants, and Solomon had him executed for breaking his sworn word (2:36-46). Shimei's arc moves from vicious insult, through mercy, to a delayed judgment finally executed once the king's oath was tested and broken.