1 Kings 2:37

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

³⁵And the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab's place over the army, and he appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar's place. ³⁶Then the king summoned Shimei and said to him, "Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else. ³⁷On the day you go out and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will die; your blood will be on your own head."³⁸"The sentence is fair," Shimei replied. "Your servant will do as my lord the king has spoken." And Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. ³⁹After three years, however, two of Shimei's slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And Shimei was told, "Behold, your slaves are in Gath." ⁴⁰So Shimei saddled his donkey and set out to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves, and he brought them back from Gath. ⁴¹When it was reported to Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned, ⁴²the king summoned Shimei and said to him, "Did I not make you swear by the LORD and warn you, 'On the day you leave and go elsewhere, know for sure that you will die'? And you told me, 'The sentence is fair; I will comply.' ⁴³So why have you not kept your oath to the LORD and the command that I gave you?" ⁴⁴The king also said, "You know in your heart all the evil that you did to my father David. Therefore the LORD will bring your evil back upon your head.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

over the: 1 Kings 15:13, 2 Samuel 15:23, 2 Kings 23:6, 2 Chronicles 29:16, Jeremiah 31:40, John 18:1, Cedron

thy blood: 1 Kings 2:31, 1 Kings 2:33, Leviticus 20:9, Joshua 2:19, 2 Samuel 1:16, Ezekiel 18:13

Reciprocal: Genesis 2:17 - surely 2 Samuel 19:23 - Thou shalt Ezekiel 33:4 - his blood

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For it shall be, [that] on the day thou goest out,.... Out of the city of Jerusalem: and passest over the brook Kidron: which is particularly mentioned, because this lay in his way to Bahurim, his native place; he must cross that to go to it, see 2 Samuel 15:23; and where it might reasonably be supposed he would some time or another be inclined to go, through business, or a desire to see it again:

thou shalt know for certain that thou shall surely die: it may be depended on as what will be most certainly the case; no reprieve nor pardon will be granted:

thy blood shall be on thine own head; fair warning being given, he could blame none but himself, should he be guilty and suffer.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 2:37. Thy blood shall be upon thine own head. — Thou knowest what to expect; if thou disobey my orders thou shalt certainly be slain, and then thou shalt be considered as a self-murderer; thou alone shalt be answerable for thy own death. Solomon knew that Shimei was a seditious man, and he chose to keep him under his own eye; for such a man at large, in favourable circumstances, might do much evil. His bitter revilings of David were a sufficient proof.