What is the meaning of 2 Samuel 16:5? As King David approached Bahurim • David is fleeing Jerusalem because of Absalom’s revolt (2 Samuel 15:14). This humiliating retreat sets the emotional background for the encounter. • Bahurim lies on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, the last suburb before the wilderness. Previously, it was where Michal’s husband Paltiel followed her weeping (2 Samuel 3:16), a reminder that pain often surfaces at this location. • David’s journey pictures the believer’s walk through seasons of discipline and testing (Psalm 3:1–3). The Lord allows opposition to refine attitudes of humility and dependence (Hebrews 12:5–6). a man from the family of the house of Saul was just coming out • The narrative highlights lingering tensions between the old regime and the new. Saul’s relatives still feel the sting of losing power (1 Samuel 15:26–28). • God had formally transferred the kingdom to David (2 Samuel 3:9–10), yet not everyone surrendered to that reality—just as some hearts resist Christ’s rightful rule (John 1:11). • David, for his part, shows no desire to crush the remnant of Saul’s line; he earlier spared Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:7). The contrast underlines grace in the face of resentment (Ephesians 4:32). His name was Shimei son of Gera • Shimei appears only here and in the accounts of his later apology (2 Samuel 19:18–23) and his eventual execution for renewed disobedience (1 Kings 2:36–46). • His Benjaminite heritage explains his loyalty to Saul, but his heart posture exposes personal bitterness rather than principled loyalty (James 3:14–16). • The Spirit records his name to show that God sees and weighs every individual response to His anointed (Numbers 16:30–35). and as he approached, he kept yelling out curses • Shimei curses continuously, hurling both words and stones (2 Samuel 16:6). Scripture warns, “You shall not curse God, nor curse a ruler of your people” (Exodus 22:28). • David’s measured reaction—“Let him curse, for the LORD has told him” (2 Samuel 16:11)—displays faith in God’s sovereignty (Romans 12:19). • This scene foreshadows Christ, who “when He was reviled, did not retaliate” (1 Peter 2:23). The true King absorbs hostility, entrusting Himself to the Father. • God later vindicates David; Shimei repents publicly (2 Samuel 19:20), proving that patience under insult often exposes the foolishness of the accuser (Proverbs 15:1). summary 2 Samuel 16:5 shows David, God’s chosen king, encountering hostile opposition from Shimei, a bitter relative of Saul, while passing through Bahurim. The verse exposes simmering resentment against God’s ordained leadership, highlights the testing of a humble king in exile, and sets the stage for divine vindication. In every age, the passage warns against cursing whom God has installed and encourages trusting His justice when mistreated. |
    |