2 Samuel 16 · Verse 5

2 Samuel 16:5

And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.
2 Samuel 16:5, King James Version

2 Samuel 16:5 in other translations

BSBAs King David approached Bahurim, a man from the family of the house of Saul was just coming out. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and as he approached, he kept yelling out curses.
WEBWhen King David came to Bahurim, behold, a man of the family of Saul’s house came out, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera. He came out and cursed as he came.
ASVAnd when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out, and cursed still as he came.
YLTAnd king David hath come in unto Bahurim, and lo, thence a man is coming out, of the family of the house of Saul, and his name is Shimei, son of Gera, he cometh out, coming out and reviling;
DARBYAnd when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out from thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed,
BBEAnd when King David came to Bahurim, a man of Saul's family named Shimei, the son of Gera, came out from there, calling curses after him.
WebsterAnd when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.

What does 2 Samuel 16:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 16:5-12
5-12. when king David came to Bahurim--a city of Benjamin (2Sa 3:16; 19:16). It is, however, only the confines of the district that are here meant. Shimei, ... a man of the family of Saul--The misfortune of his family, and the occupation by David of what they considered their rightful possessions, afforded a natural, if not a justifiable cause for this ebullition of rude insults and violence. He upbraided David as an ambitious usurper, and charged him, as one whose misdeeds had recoiled upon his own head, to surrender a throne to which he was not entitled. His language was that of a man incensed by the wrongs that he conceived had been done to his house. David was guiltless of the crime of which Shimei accused him; but his conscience reminded him of other flagrant iniquities; and he, therefore, regarded the cursing of this man as a chastisement from heaven. His answer to Abishai's proposal evinced the spirit of deep and humble resignation--the spirit of a man who watched the course of Providence, and acknowledged Shimei as the instrument of God's chastening hand. One thing is remarkable, that he acted more independently of the sons of Zeruiah in this season of great distress than he could often muster courage to do in the days of his prosperity and power.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 David came to Bahurim - This place lay northward of Jerusalem, in the tribe of Benjamin. It is called Almon, Jos 21:18; and Alemeth, 1Chr 6:60. Bahurim signifies youths, and Almuth youth; so the names are of the same import. Cursed still as he came - Used imprecations and execrations.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 16:5-14
David bore Shimei's curses much better than Ziba's flatteries; by these he was brought to pass a wrong judgment on another, by those to pass a right judgment on himself: the world's smiles are more dangerous than its frowns. Once and again David spared Saul's life, while Saul sought his. But innocence is no defence against malice and falsehood; nor are we to think it strange, if we are charged with that which we have been most careful to keep ourselves from. It is well for us, that men are not to be our judges, but He whose judgment is according to truth. See how patient David was under this abuse. Let this remind us of Christ, who prayed for those who reviled and crucified him. A humble spirit will turn reproaches into reproofs, and get good from them, instead of being provoked by them. David the hand of God in it, and comforts himself that God would bring good out of his affliction. We may depend upon God to repay, not only our services, but our sufferings.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

2 Samuel 16:5 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּבָ֛אu.Va'and he cameH935
הַמֶּ֥לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
דָּוִ֖דda.VidDavidH1732
עַד\־'ad-toH5704
בַּֽחוּרִ֑יםba.chu.RimBahurimH980
וְהִנֵּ֣הve.hi.Nehand there!H2009
מִשָּׁם֩mi.Shamfrom thereH8033
אִ֨ישׁ'isha manH376
יוֹצֵ֜אyo.Tze'[was] coming outH3318
מִמִּשְׁפַּ֣חַתmi.mish.Pa.chatfrom [the] clan ofH4940
בֵּית\־beit-[the] house ofH1004
שָׁא֗וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
וּשְׁמוֹ֙u.she.Moand name hisH8034
שִׁמְעִ֣יshim.'I[was] ShimeiH8096
בֶן\־ven-[the] son ofH1121
גֵּרָ֔אge.Ra'GeraH1617
יֹצֵ֥אyo.Tze'[he was] coming outH3318
יָצ֖וֹאya.Tzo'continuously <to come>H3318
וּמְקַלֵּֽל\׃u.me.ka.Leland cursingH7043

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 16:5

  • 2 Samuel 3:16

    And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return. And he returned.

  • 1 Samuel 17:43

    And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

  • 1 Kings 2:8-9

    And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.

  • Exodus 22:28

    Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.

  • 1 Kings 2:36-46

    And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither. For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head. And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath. …

  • 2 Samuel 17:18

    Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man’s house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down.

  • Isaiah 8:21

    And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.

  • Psalms 69:26

    For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.

  • Ecclesiastes 10:20

    Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

  • Psalms 109:28

    Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

  • Matthew 5:11-12

    Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

  • 2 Samuel 19:16-23

    And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David. And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over Jordan before the king. And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan; And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Bahurim.This place is supposed to be the same as Almon, (Jos 21:18,) and Almeth, (1 Ch 6:60,) a city of Benjamin, north of Jerusalem, and apparently not far from Olivet.
14; 3:16; 17:18
whose name.
19:16-18; 1Ki 2:8,9,36-44,45,46
he came, etc. or, he still came forth and cursed. cursed.
Ex 22:28; 1Sa 17:43; Ps 69:26; 109:16-19,28; Pr 26:2; Ec 10:20
Isa 8:21; Mt 5:11,12

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Samuel 16:4

    Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

  • 2 Samuel 16:5

    And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.

  • 2 Samuel 16:6

    And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.

Read all of 2 Samuel 16

2 Samuel 16:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y vino el rey David hasta Bahurim: y he aquí, salía uno de la familia de la casa de Saúl, el cual se llamaba Semei, hijo de Gera; y salía maldiciendo,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le roi David vint jusqu’à Bakhurim; et voici, il en sortit un homme de la famille de la maison de Saül, et son nom était Shimhi, fils de Guéra: il sortit en maudissant,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und als der König David nach Bachurim kam, siehe, da kam von dannen heraus ein Mann vom Geschlecht des Hauses Sauls, sein Name war Simei, der Sohn Geras. Er kam unter Fluchen heraus,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Venit ergo rex David usque Bahurim: et ecce egrediebatur inde vir de cognatione domus Saul, nomine Semei, filius Gera: procedebatque egrediens, et maledicebat,