1 Kings 2:42
New International Version
the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD and warn you, ‘On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die’? At that time you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I will obey.’

New Living Translation
So the king sent for Shimei and demanded, “Didn’t I make you swear by the LORD and warn you not to go anywhere else or you would surely die? And you replied, ‘The sentence is fair; I will do as you say.’

English Standard Version
the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and go to any place whatever, you shall die’? And you said to me, ‘What you say is good; I will obey.’

Berean Standard Bible
the 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.’

King James Bible
And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good.

New King James Version
Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD, and warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and travel anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word I have heard is good.’

New American Standard Bible
So the king sent men and summoned Shimei, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD, and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you depart and go anywhere, you shall assuredly die’? And you said to me, ‘The word I have heard is good.’

NASB 1995
So the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘You will know for certain that on the day you depart and go anywhere, you shall surely die ‘? And you said to me, ‘The word which I have heard is good.’

NASB 1977
So the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘You will know for certain that on the day you depart and go anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word which I have heard is good.’

Legacy Standard Bible
So the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by Yahweh and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘You will know for certain that on the day you go out and go anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word which I have heard is good.’

Amplified Bible
So the king sent word and called for Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you leave [Jerusalem] and go anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word (ruling) I have heard is good.’

Christian Standard Bible
So the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Didn’t I make you swear by the LORD and warn you, saying, ‘On the day you leave and go anywhere else, know for sure that you will certainly die’? And you said to me, ‘The sentence is fair; I will obey.’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Didn’t I make you swear by the LORD and warn you, saying, ‘On the day you leave and go anywhere else, know for sure that you will certainly die? And you said to me, ‘The sentence is fair; I will obey.’

American Standard Version
And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not adjure thee by Jehovah, and protest unto thee, saying, Know for certain, that on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The saying that I have heard is good.

Contemporary English Version
Solomon sent for him and said: Shimei, you promised in the name of the LORD that you would never leave Jerusalem. I warned you that you would die if you did. You agreed that this was fair, didn't you?

English Revised Version
And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for certain, that on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The saying that I have heard is good.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
he summoned Shimei. Solomon asked him, "Didn't I make you take an oath by the LORD? Didn't I warn you that if you left [the city] to go anywhere, you could be certain that you would die? Didn't you say to me, 'Very well. I'll do just what you said'?

Good News Translation
he sent for him and said, "I made you promise in the LORD's name not to leave Jerusalem. And I warned you that if you ever did, you would certainly die. Did you not agree to it and say that you would obey me?

International Standard Version
so the king sent for Shimei and asked him, "Didn't I make a promise to the LORD and warn you, 'The day you leave and go anywhere else, you can be sure you'll die'? And you told me, 'What your majesty has decreed is acceptable to me.'

Majority Standard Bible
the 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.?

NET Bible
the king summoned Shimei and said to him, "You will recall that I made you take an oath by the LORD, and I solemnly warned you, 'If you ever leave and go anywhere, know for sure that you will certainly die.' You said to me, 'The proposal is acceptable; I agree to it.'

New Heart English Bible
The king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, "Did I not adjure you by the LORD, and warn you, saying, 'Know for certain, that on the day you go out, and walk abroad any where, you shall surely die?' You said to me, 'The saying that I have heard is good.'

Webster's Bible Translation
And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protest to thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest any where abroad, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst to me, The word that I have heard is good.

World English Bible
The king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Didn’t I adjure you by Yahweh and warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and walk anywhere else, you shall surely die?’ You said to me, ‘The saying that I have heard is good.’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the king sends and calls for Shimei, and says to him, “Have I not caused you to swear by YHWH—and I testify against you, saying, In the day of your going out, and you have gone anywhere, you certainly know that you surely die; and you say to me, The word I have heard [is] good?

Young's Literal Translation
and the king sendeth and calleth for Shimei, and saith unto him, 'Have I not caused thee to swear by Jehovah -- and I testify against thee, saying, In the day of thy going out, and thou hast gone anywhere, thou dost certainly know that thou dost surely die; and thou sayest unto me, The word I have heard is good?

Smith's Literal Translation
And the king will send and call for Shimei, and say to him, Did not I cause thee to swear by Jehovah, and attest to thee, saying, In the day of thy going forth, and thou wentest whither and whither, knowing, thou shalt know that dying, thou shalt die? and thou wilt say to me, Good the word I heard.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And sending he called for him, and said to him: Did I not protest to thee by the Lord, and tell thee before: On what day soever thou shalt go out and walk abroad any whither, know that thou shalt die? And thou answeredst me: The word that I have heard is good.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And sending, he summoned him, and he said to him: “Did I not testify to you by the Lord, and warn you in advance, ‘On whatever day, having departed, you go forth to here or to there, know that you shall die?’ And you responded to me, ‘The word that I have heard is good.’

New American Bible
the king summoned Shimei and said to him: “Did I not have you swear by the LORD and warn you clearly, ‘The day you leave and go anywhere else, be certain you shall surely die’? And you answered, ‘I accept and obey.’

New Revised Standard Version
the king sent and summoned Shimei, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD, and solemnly adjure you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and go to any place whatever, you shall die’? And you said to me, ‘The sentence is fair; I accept.’
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, Did I not make you to swear by the LORD, and witnessed against you, saying, Know for certain, on the day that you go out of Jerusalem and cross the brook Kidron, you shall surely die? And you said to me, The saying is good, so will I do.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the King sent and called for Shemei and he said to him: “Did I not swear to you by LORD JEHOVAH and I swore to you and I said: ‘In the day that you will go out of Jerusalem and you will cross the Torrent of Qedrown, know surely that you shall die.’, and you said, ‘It is an excellent answer; so I shall do’?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him: 'Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and forewarned thee, saying: Know for certain, that on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me: The saying is good; I have heard it.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the king sent and called Semei, and said to him, Did I not adjure thee by the Lord, and testify to thee, saying, In whatsoever day thou shalt go out of Jerusalem, and go to the right or left, know certainly that thou shalt assuredly die?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Execution of Shimei
41When Solomon was told 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?”…

Cross References
2 Samuel 7:14
I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.

2 Samuel 19:23
So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king swore an oath to him.

1 Kings 1:51-53
It was reported to Solomon: “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, and he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon first swear to me not to put his servant to the sword.’” / And Solomon replied, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he will die.” / So King Solomon summoned Adonijah down from the altar, and he came and bowed down before King Solomon, who said to him, “Go to your home.”

1 Kings 2:8-9
Keep an eye on Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim who is with you. He called down bitter curses against me on the day I went to Mahanaim, but when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD: ‘I will never put you to the sword.’ / Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You know what you ought to do to him to bring his gray head down to Sheol in blood.”

1 Kings 2:36-38
Then the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else. / On 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.” / “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.

2 Kings 23:3
So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.

Nehemiah 5:12-13
“We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and required of the nobles and officials an oath that they would do what they had promised. / I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.

Psalm 15:4
who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath,

Psalm 89:30-32
If his sons forsake My law and do not walk in My judgments, / if they violate My statutes and fail to keep My commandments, / I will attend to their transgression with the rod, and to their iniquity with stripes.

Ecclesiastes 8:2
Keep the king’s command, I say, because of your oath before God.

Jeremiah 34:8-22
After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD / that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage. / So all the officials and all the people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their menservants and maidservants and no longer hold them in bondage. They obeyed and released them, ...

Matthew 5:33-37
Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ / But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; / or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ...

Matthew 26:72-74
And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man!” / After a little while, those standing nearby came up to Peter. “Surely you are one of them,” they said, “for your accent gives you away.” / At that he began to curse and swear to them, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.

Mark 6:26
The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her.

Luke 1:73
the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us


Treasury of Scripture

And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, Did I not make you to swear by the LORD, and protested to you, saying, Know for a certain, on the day you go out, and walk abroad any where, that you shall surely die? and you said to me, The word that I have heard is good.

Did I not

1 Kings 2:36-38
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…

Psalm 15:4
In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

Luke 19:22
And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

and thou saidst

Luke 15:22
But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

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1 Kings 2
1. David, having given a charge to Solomon
3. of Reverence
5. of Joab
7. of Barzillai
8. of Shimei
10. Solomon succeeds
12. Adonijah, moving Bathsheba to ask unto Solomon for Abishag,
13. is put to death
26. Abiathar, having his life given him, is deprived of the priesthood
28. Joab fleeing to the horns of the altar, is there slain
35. Benaiah is put in Joab's room, and Zadfok in Abiathar's
36. Shimei, confined to Jerusalem, by occasion of going to Gath, is put to death.














So the king summoned Shimei
In this passage, the "king" refers to King Solomon, who had recently ascended to the throne of Israel. The act of summoning Shimei is significant, as it demonstrates Solomon's authority and the seriousness of the situation. Shimei, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, had previously cursed Solomon's father, King David. The Hebrew root for "summoned" (קרא, qara) implies a calling or a proclamation, indicating the formal and authoritative nature of Solomon's command. This reflects the king's role as a judge and enforcer of justice in the kingdom.

and said to him
The phrase "and said to him" introduces the direct communication between Solomon and Shimei. In the ancient Near Eastern context, direct speech was a powerful tool for conveying authority and intent. Solomon's words are not merely a conversation but a legal pronouncement. The Hebrew verb "said" (אמר, amar) is often used in the context of declarations and commands, underscoring the weight of Solomon's words.

Did I not make you swear by the LORD
Here, Solomon reminds Shimei of the oath he took "by the LORD." The invocation of the LORD's name in an oath was a solemn and binding act in ancient Israelite culture. The Hebrew word for "swear" (שבע, shaba) is related to the concept of making a covenant or a solemn promise. By swearing by the LORD, Shimei was invoking the highest authority, making his promise unbreakable under divine witness.

and warn you
The act of warning (הזהיר, hazir) is crucial in this context. Solomon had previously given Shimei a clear and explicit warning about the consequences of his actions. This reflects the biblical principle of justice, where individuals are given fair notice of the laws and the repercussions of breaking them. The warning serves as a reminder of the king's mercy and the opportunity for Shimei to choose obedience.

saying, ‘On the day you leave and go elsewhere
This phrase sets the condition of the oath. The specificity of "the day you leave and go elsewhere" highlights the importance of obedience to the king's command. The Hebrew word for "leave" (יצא, yatza) implies a departure or an exit, while "go elsewhere" (הלך, halak) suggests a journey or movement away from a designated place. This condition underscores the seriousness of remaining within the boundaries set by the king.

know for sure that you will die’?
The phrase "know for sure" (ידע תדע, yada tada) emphasizes certainty and inevitability. The repetition of the root word for "know" in Hebrew intensifies the assurance of the consequence. The declaration "you will die" (מות תמות, mot tamut) is a legal sentence, reflecting the justice system of ancient Israel where certain actions warranted capital punishment. This underscores the gravity of breaking an oath made before the LORD.

And you told me, ‘The sentence is fair; I will comply.’
Shimei's response acknowledges the fairness of the king's decree. The word "fair" (טוב, tov) in Hebrew conveys a sense of goodness, appropriateness, or justice. By agreeing that the sentence is fair, Shimei admits the righteousness of Solomon's judgment. His promise to "comply" (שמע, shama) indicates a commitment to obedience, which he ultimately fails to uphold. This highlights the biblical theme of accountability and the consequences of failing to honor one's word before God and man.

Verse 42. - And the king sent and called for Shimel, and said unto him, Did I not make thee swear by the Lord [it thus comes out quite incidentally that Solomon had bound Shimei by an oath. The LXX: embodies this information as a direct statement in the text of ver. 37, κὰι ὥρκισεν αὐτὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, but it is obviously a gloss] and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day that thou goest but and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good. [The LXX. (Vat.) omits "And thou saidst," etc. This last sentence has been punctuated thus: "Good is the word. I have heard." Probably אֲשֶׁר, "which,"is to be understood.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
the king
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

summoned
וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח (way·yiš·laḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

Shimei
לְשִׁמְעִ֗י (lə·šim·‘î)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8096: Shimei -- the name of a number of Israelites

and said
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to him,
אֵלָ֜יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

“Did I not
הֲל֧וֹא (hă·lō·w)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

make you swear
הִשְׁבַּעְתִּ֣יךָ (hiš·ba‘·tî·ḵā)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7650: To seven oneself, swear

by the LORD
בַֽיהוָ֗ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and warn
וָאָעִ֤ד (wā·’ā·‘iḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5749: To duplicate, repeat, to protest, testify, to encompass, restore

you,
בְּךָ֙ (bə·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

‘On the day
בְּי֣וֹם (bə·yō·wm)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3117: A day

you leave
צֵאתְךָ֗ (ṣê·ṯə·ḵā)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

and go
וְהָֽלַכְתָּ֙ (wə·hā·laḵ·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

elsewhere,
אָ֣נֶה (’ā·neh)
Adverb
Strong's 575: Where?, whither?, when?, hither and thither

know for sure
יָדֹ֥עַ (yā·ḏō·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 3045: To know

that
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you will die’?
מ֣וֹת (mō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

And you told
וַתֹּ֧אמֶר (wat·tō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

me,
אֵלַ֛י (’ê·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

‘The sentence
הַדָּבָ֖ר (had·dā·ḇār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

is fair;
ט֥וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

I will comply.’
שָׁמָֽעְתִּי׃ (šā·mā·‘ə·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently


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OT History: 1 Kings 2:42 The king sent and called for Shimei (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 2:41
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