II Samuel 16:13 · Bible study
2 Samuel 16:13 Commentary: David's Patient Endurance Under Shimei's Curses
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Discover how David's patient endurance of Shimei's curses, stones, and dust reveals trust in God's sovereignty amidst unjust suffering.
Research Summary
- Meaning: David silently endures Shimei's curses, stones, and dust, trusting that God may be at work even through a hateful enemy.
- Key words: 'went along' (infinitive absolute for continuous action), 'cursed' (Piel intensive), 'stoned' (Piel), 'dusted' (Piel).
- Main debate: Whether David's statement that “Yahweh has said to him” reflects literal divine command or a providential interpretation.
- Theological theme: Divine sovereignty and humble trust in the midst of unjust suffering.
- Best use: Teaching on patience under persecution, the character of David, or God's providence.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So David and his men proceeded along the road as Shimei went along the ridge of the hill opposite him. As Shimei went, he yelled curses, threw stones, and flung dust at David.
WEB World English Bible 2000
So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, threw stones at him, and threw dust.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hill-side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And David goeth with his men in the way, and Shimei is going at the side of the hill over-against him, going on, and he revileth, and stoneth with stones over-against him, and hath dusted with dust.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And David and his men with him went by the way. And Semei by the hill's side went over against him, cursing, and casting stones at him, and scattering earth.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y como David y los suyos iban por el camino, Semei iba por el lado del monte delante de él, andando y maldiciendo, y arrojando piedras delante de él, y esparciendo polvo.
E quando Davi e os seus iam pelo caminho, Simei ia pelo lado do monte diante dele, andando e amaldiçoando, e lançando pedras diante dele, e espalhando pó.
David et ses gens continuèrent leur chemin. Et Schimeï marchait sur le flanc de la montagne près de David, et, en marchant, il maudissait, il jetait des pierres contre lui, il faisait voler la poussière.
Also ging David mit seinen Leuten des Weges; Aber Simei ging an des Berges Seite her ihm gegenüber und fluchte und warf mit Steinen nach ihm und besprengte ihn mit Erdklößen.
Alzo ging David met zijn lieden op den weg; en Simei ging al voort langs de zijde des bergs tegen hem over, en vloekte, en wierp met stenen van tegenover hem, en stoof met stof.
Davide e la sua gente continuarono il loro cammino; e Scimei camminava sul fianco del monte, dirimpetto a Davide, e cammin facendo lo malediva, gli tirava de’ sassi e buttava della polvere.
A tak szedł Dawid, i mężowie jego drogą, a Semej szedł stroną góry przeciwko niemu, a idąc złorzeczył, i ciskał kamieńmi przeciw niemu, i miotał prochem.
И шел Давид и люди его своим путем, а Семей шел по окраине горы, со стороны его, шел и злословил, и бросал камнями на сторону его и пылью.
於是大衛 和跟隨他的人往前 行走。示每 在大衛 對面 山 坡，一面行走 一面咒罵，又拿石頭 砍 他，拿土 揚他。
So David and his men went on their way: and Shimei went by the hillside parallel with them, cursing and sending stones and dust at him.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Samuel 16:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse portrays David's remarkable restraint in the face of public humiliation. Keil and Delitzsch note the Hebrew infinitive absolute halokh ("went along") before the finite verb, emphasizing that Shimei's cursing was continuous and relentless. Gill points to a Masoretic pause in the middle of the verse, which may draw attention to David's deliberate silence under attack. Matthew Henry observes that David bore Shimei's curses better than he had borne Ziba's flatteries earlier in the chapter, suggesting that unjust suffering purifies faith more than prosperity does. The Piel forms of "cursed" (vayekallel) and "stoned" (vayesakkel) indicate intense, repeated action. David's refusal to retaliate, even when Abishai offered to kill Shimei (v.9-12), is read across traditions as a model of humble submission to divine sovereignty. All the supplied sources praise David's trust that God might use even a cursing enemy for His purposes.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: David did not retaliate against Shimei's public humiliation, choosing instead to trust that God might have a purpose even in the curses.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| David's interpretation that God told Shimei to curse | Most Christian readings affirm that David is expressing a profound trust that God can work through even an enemy's curse. | Some interpreters (including critical scholars) see this as David's rationalization of guilt or passivity, while orthodox readings emphasize his prophetic insight and humility. |
| The justice of Shimei's accusations | All supplied commentaries treat Shimei's curses as unjust and driven by old dynastic hatred. | Whether David's earlier actions toward Saul's house (e.g., the execution of seven descendants in 2 Samuel 21) gave any substance to Shimei's claims remains a point of historical discussion. |
| Model of leadership in suffering | David's restraint is widely regarded as exemplary patience. | Catholic tradition often links this to the virtue of meekness; Protestant emphasis falls on God's sovereignty; some modern readers question whether David should have defended his God-given kingship more actively. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This scene occurs as David flees Jerusalem during Absalom's rebellion. Absalom, David's son, has stolen the hearts of Israel and entered the city (16:15). David crosses the Kidron valley and moves toward the wilderness, likely along the road that ascends the Mount of Olives. Shimei, a Benjaminite from the village of Bahurim, belonged to the house of Saul (16:5). This old dynastic rivalry explains the venom of his attack: he accuses David of shedding the blood of Saul's house and of being a "man of Belial" (v.7-8).
The location Shimei chose shows strategic spite. The phrase "on the hillside" (be'tzela' hahar) literally means "on the rib of the mountain" (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown). He and his party walked on the opposite ridge, parallel to David's route (le'umato), within shouting distance but safely out of reach. Throwing stones and dust were gestures of extreme contempt (the same Hebrew root for "stone" appears in the Piel verb for pelting). Ellicott notes that Shimei's curses could be clearly heard. David's mighty men flanked him on either side (v.6), yet David ordered them to do nothing, saying "Yahweh has said to him, 'Curse David'" (v.10). This conviction, that God's sovereign hand was present even in the curses, shapes everything that follows.
Weary from flight (v.14), David refreshes himself after this ordeal, still king but stripped of earthly power.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable. Gill observes a large Masoretic pause (a paseq) in the middle of the verse, which may serve a rhetorical function, perhaps highlighting David's silence, but this is an accentual feature, not a variant reading.
Reception History
Christian tradition has often read this scene as a type of Christ's passion. Matthew Henry (1710) explicitly compares David's patient endurance to Christ's silence before his accusers. The Reformed tradition (Geneva Bible, Calvin) emphasized God's sovereignty in ordering even Shimei's curses for David's refinement. In the medieval period, the desert fathers used this passage to illustrate the virtue of apatheia, remaining unmoved by insults. Modern homiletics frequently returns to this episode when addressing suffering, injustice, and trust in God's overarching plan.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The assault of contempt: Shimei curses, stones, and dusts David, a complete public humiliation designed to break his spirit.
- The restraint of faith: David forbids retaliation because he sees a possible divine purpose ("Yahweh has bidden him").
- The hope of vindication: David trusts that God will look on his affliction and eventually repay good for the cursing (v.12).
Five-point outline
- The crisis of Absalom's rebellion drives David to the road of humiliation.
- Shimei's curses echo old enmity and false accusations.
- David's response: no defense, no retaliation, only submission to God.
- This patience exposes the heart of true humility, trusting God's sovereignty over reputation and safety.
- David dares to hope that God will repay good for evil (v.12).
Illustration hooks
- A schoolteacher falsely accused by a parent, who chooses not to defend herself publicly but trusts the administration to see the truth over time.
- An employee passed over for promotion while a less competent colleague spreads rumors, yet continues to work diligently, leaving the outcome in God's hands.
- Church history: stories of martyrs who endured public mockery without retaliation, citing Christ's example (1 Peter 2:23).
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God is sovereign, why does He allow innocent people to be publicly humiliated?
- When should I defend myself against false accusations, and when should I remain silent?
- How can I genuinely trust God when everything seems to be falling apart?
Leading a Discussion
This passage invites us to examine how we respond when we are wronged, especially when the wrong is public and undeserved. David's refusal to retaliate did not come from weakness; it came from a conviction that God was somehow present even in the curse. As you discuss, resist the urge to moralize quickly. Let the text ask its own hard questions first.
Discussion questions
- What do Shimei's actions, cursing, stoning, throwing dust, communicate about his view of David? Why were these gestures especially humiliating?
- How does David explain his restraint to Abishai in verses 10-12? What does he believe about God's role in Shimei's behavior?
- David says "Yahweh has invited him" to curse. Does this mean God caused Shimei's actions, or that God permitted them? How do you see the difference?
- When have you experienced insult or injustice without clear recourse? What thoughts and feelings did that stir in you?
- David hopes that God will "repay me good for the cursing" (v.12). Is this a kind of bargaining with God, or an expression of faith? Explain.
- How does Jesus' example of silence before his accusers (Matthew 26:62-63) connect to David's response here? Where do they differ?
- What one change would you like to make in your own life this week in how you handle unfair criticism?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Samuel 16:5 | When 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. |
| II Samuel 16:6 | 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. |
| Acts 23:23 | He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator offers no independent explanation for this phrase. Instead, he directs the reader to the note on the earlier verse where the matter is discussed. No further comment is given here.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight Shimei's relentless and escalating hostility toward David as he traveled. Shimei matched David's pace on the mountainside, cursing him, throwing stones, and casting dust — each act showing deliberate, personal contempt rather than a mere outburst.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill observes that Shimei grew bolder because David and his men took no notice of his curses. He also notes that the stones and dust Shimei threw contemptuously only recoiled on himself. Gill adds that David composed Psalm 7 during this incident.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws attention to the precise physical location of the scene, describing Shimei as walking along the rib of the hill opposite the king. They interpret the stone throwing and dust casting as deliberate acts of contempt and insult from a disloyal subject toward his unfortunate sovereign.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch notes that the phrase "over against him" occurs twice in the verse, describing Shimei's position on the hillside. They observe that while it is not explicitly stated that Shimei pelted David with stones and earth, the context clearly implies this hostile action.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that David sees his son's rebellion and the nation's defection as God's just chastisement for his sins. David does not resist but humbly submits, sending back the ark and accepting Shimei's curses as divine discipline, patiently trusting that God may yet restore him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that David handled Shimei's curses better than he handled Ziba's flatteries. The curses forced David to pass a right judgment on himself, whereas the flatteries had led him into a wrong judgment on another. The world's frowns, he concludes, are less dangerous than its smiles.