1 AND when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.
2 And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.
3 And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.
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.
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.
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.
7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:
8 The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.
9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?
11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him.
12 It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day.
13 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.
14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.
15 And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
16 And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king.
17 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?
18 And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.
19 And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.
20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

1And when Dauid was a little past the top of the hill, Beholde, Ziba the seruant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of asses sadled, and vpon them two hundred loaues of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottell of wine.

2And the King saide vnto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba saide, The asses bee for the kings houshold to ride on, and the bread and summer fruit for the yong men to eate, and the wine, that such as be faint in the wildernesse, may drinke.

3And the king said, And where is thy masters sonne? and Ziba said vnto the king, Behold, he abideth at Ierusalem: for hee said, To day shall the house of Israel restore mee the kingdome of my father.

4Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained vnto Mephibosheth. And Ziba saide, I humbly beseech thee that I may finde grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

5 And when king Dauid came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the sonne of Gera: hee came foorth, and cursed still as he came.

6And he cast stones at Dauid, and at all the seruants of king Dauid: and all the people, and all the mighty men were on his right hand, and on his left.

7And thus said Shimei when hee cursed, Come out, come out thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:

8The Lord hath returned vpon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast raigned, and the Lord hath deliuered the kingdome into the hand of Absalom thy sonne: and behold, thou art taken to thy mischiefe, because thou art a bloody man.

9 Then said Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah vnto the king, Why should this dead dogge curse my lord the king? let mee goe ouer, I pray thee, and take off his head.

10And the king said, What haue I to doe with you, ye sonnes of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the Lord hath said vnto him, Curse Dauid. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?

11And Dauid said to Abishai, and to all his seruants, Beholde, my sonne which came foorth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Beniamite doe it? let him alone, and let him curse: for the Lord hath bidden him.

12It may bee that the Lord will looke on mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day.

13And as Dauid and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hilles side ouer against him, and cursed as hee went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

14And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselues there.

15 And Absalom and al the people the men of Israel, came to Ierusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

16And it came to passe when Hushai the Archite, Dauids friend, was come vnto Absalom, that Hushai said vnto Absalom, God saue the king, God saue the king.

17And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend? Why wentest thou not with thy friend?

18And Hushai said vnto Absalom, Nay, but whom the Lord and this people, and all the men of Israel chuse, his will I bee, and with him will I abide.

19And againe, whom should I serue? should I not serue in the presence of his sonne? as I haue serued in thy fathers presence, so will I be in thy presence.

20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Giue counsell among you what we shall doe.

21And Ahithophel said vnto Absalom, Goe in vnto thy fathers concubines, which he hath left to keepe the house, and all Israel shall heare that thou art abhorred of thy father, then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.

22So they spread Absalom a tent vpon the top of the house, and Absalom went in vnto his fathers concubines, in the sight of all Israel.

23And the counsell of Ahithophel which he counselled in those dayes, was as if a man had enquired at the Oracle of God: so was all the counsell of Ahithophel, both with Dauid and with Absalom.

I == 2nd Sam 9:2 ; 15:30 , 32

 

 

 

II == 2nd Sam 15:23 ; 17:29

 

 

 

 

III == 2nd Sam 19:27

 

 

 

IV == Prov 18:13

 

 

 

V == 2nd Sam 19:16 ; 1st Kings 2:8 , 44

 

 

 

 

VII == Deut 13:13

 

VIII == Judg 9:24 , 56-57 ; 2nd Sam 1:16 ; 3:28-29 ; 4:11-12 ; 1st Kings 2:32-33

 

 

IX == Ex 22:28 ; 1st Sam 24:14 ; 2nd Sam 9:8

 

X == 2nd Sam 19:22 ; 2nd Kings 18:25 ; Lam 3:38 ; Rom 9:20 ; 1st peter 2:23

XI == Gen 15:4 ; 2nd Sam 12:11

 

 

 

XII == Rom 8:28

 

 

 

 

 

 

XV == 2nd Sam 15:37

 

XVI == 2nd Sam 15:37

 

 

XVII == 2nd Sam 19:25 ; Prov 17:17

 

 

 

XIX == 2nd Sam 15:34

 

 

 

 

XXI == Gen 34:30 ; 1st Sam 13:4 ; 2nd Sam 2:7 ; 15:16 ; 20:3 ; Zech 8:13

 

XXII == 2nd Sam 12:11-12

 

 

XXIII == 2nd Sam 15:12

 

 

 

1 David had gone a little beyond the top when Ziba, the servant of Meribbaal, met him with saddled asses laden with two hundred loaves of bread, an ephah of cakes of pressed raisins, an ephah of summer fruits, and a skin of wine.

2 The king said to Ziba, "What do you plan to do with these?" Ziba replied: "The asses are for the king's household to ride on. The bread and summer fruits are for your servants to eat, and the wine for those to drink who are weary in the desert."

3 Then the king said, "And where is your lord's son?" Ziba answered the king, "He is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, 'Now the Israelites will restore to me my father's kingdom.'"

4 The king therefore said to Ziba, "So! Everything Meribbaal had is yours." Then Ziba said: "I pay you homage, my lord the king. May I find favor with you!"

5 As David was approaching Bahurim, a man named Shimei, the son of Gera of the same clan as Saul's family, was coming out of the place, cursing as he came.

6 He threw stones at David and at all the king's officers, even though all the soldiers, including the royal guard, were on David's right and on his left.

7 Shimei was saying as he cursed: "Away, away, you murderous and wicked man!

8 The LORD has requited you for all the bloodshed in the family of Saul, in whose stead you became king, and the LORD has given over the kingdom to your son Absalom. And now you suffer ruin because you are a murderer."

9 Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said to the king: "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over, please, and lop off his head."

10 But the king replied: "What business is it of mine or of yours, sons of Zeruiah, that he curses? Suppose the LORD has told him to curse David; who then will dare to say, 'Why are you doing this?'"

11 Then the king said to Abishai and to all his servants: "If my own son, who came forth from my loins, is seeking my life, how much more might this Benjaminite do so! Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.

12 Perhaps the LORD will look upon my affliction and make it up to me with benefits for the curses he is uttering this day."

13 David and his men continued on the road, while Shimei kept abreast of them on the hillside, all the while cursing and throwing stones and dirt as he went.

14 The king and all the soldiers with him arrived at the Jordan tired out, and stopped there for a rest.

15 In the meantime Absalom, accompanied by Ahithophel, entered Jerusalem with all the Israelites.

16 When David's friend Hushai the Archite came to Absalom, he said to him: "Long live the king! Long live the king!"

17 But Absalom asked Hushai: "Is this your devotion to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?"

18 Hushai replied to Absalom: "On the contrary, I am his whom the LORD and all this people and all Israel have chosen, and with him I will stay.

19 Furthermore, as I was in attendance upon your father, so will I be before you. Whom should I serve, if not his son?"

20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Offer your counsel on what we should do."

21 Ahithophel replied to Absalom: "Have relations with your father's concubines, whom he left behind to take care of the palace. When all Israel hears how odious you have made yourself to your father, all your partisans will take courage."

22 So a tent was pitched on the roof for Absalom, and he visited his father's concubines in view of all Israel.

23 Now the counsel given by Ahithophel at that time was as though one had sought divine revelation. Such was all his counsel both to David and to Absalom.

v 1-4. Word got around fast, and David’s group were only past the top of the Olivet when Mephibosheth's servant Ziba, 9:12,  met David with food, a large goat skin of wine, and a couple of asses to ride. Ziba lied that Mephibosheth had not come because he thought the problems in David’s family made an ideal time for Saul’s family to regain control. David believed it and gave all Mephibosheth’s things to Ziba. Ziba may have thought that when the conflict with David and Absalom ended he might gain political control himself.

 

 

 

 

 

v 5-8. As they passed down through Benjamite area on the eastern side of Olivet, Shimei cursed David and threw dust and rocks at him and his followers, along with false accusations that he had shed blood of Saul’s family. Bloodshed . . . Saul: refers to the episode recounted in 2 Sam 21:1-14. v

 

 

 

 

 

9-14. David’s nephew wanted to behead the man for talking that way to David, but on this occasion, David took a firm stand against Joab’s relatives. After all, his own son was ready to kill him. David was not guilty of the things Shimei said, but he felt the Lord may have been chastening him for his other sins. David also trusted that the Lord might do him good for enduring this evil. Shimei continued his abusiveness all the way to the place David stopped in the Jordan valley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 15-19. Meanwhile, Absalom and Ahithophel have returned to Jerusalem and are greeted by Hushai. Absalom is a little suspicious of Hushai defecting from David, but Hushai uses deception to convince him that he will be faithful to whoever is king.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 20-23. Upon Ahithophel’s counsel, a tent was set up on the flat roof so that all Israel could see when Absalom went in unto David’s concubines. According to Lev. 22:11, this was a capitol crime. Taking over another man’s wives and concubines was evidence that one had succeeded to the throne. This would in turn, make people realize there could be no reconciliation between the two men and they would align themselves more firmly with Absalom. As abominable as this action was, it was a fulfillment of God’s pronouncement to David that what he had done in secret, God would allow his neighbor to do in view of all Israel, 12:11,12. Though this advice of Ahithophel was wicked, the accuracy of his counsel  to both David and Absalom was as if it came directly from God. Some feel that Ahithophel had further motive of revenge against David for what he had done to Ahithophel’s granddaughter, Bathsheba. (She was the daughter of Eliam, 11:3, who was the son of Ahithophel, 23:34.)