So why have you not kept your oath to the LORD and the command that I gave you?" Why thenThis phrase introduces a rhetorical question, emphasizing the expectation of accountability. In the Hebrew text, the word "why" (מַדּוּעַ, maddua) often signals a challenge or a call for introspection. It suggests a moment of confrontation where the speaker, King Solomon, is addressing a breach of trust. This sets the stage for a moral and spiritual evaluation, urging the listener to reflect on their actions in light of divine and royal authority. have you not kept
The phrase underscores the failure to uphold a commitment. The Hebrew root for "kept" (שָׁמַר, shamar) means to guard, observe, or give heed. It implies a duty of care and vigilance, especially in spiritual and covenantal contexts. This highlights the seriousness of the transgression, as it involves neglecting a sacred duty. The emphasis here is on the expectation of faithfulness and the consequences of failing to maintain one's promises. your oath
An oath in biblical times was a solemn promise, often invoking God as a witness. The Hebrew word for oath (שְׁבוּעָה, shevu'ah) signifies a binding agreement that carries spiritual weight. Breaking an oath was not merely a personal failure but a violation of a divine covenant. This reflects the gravity of the situation, as oaths were integral to maintaining social and religious order in ancient Israel. to the LORD
This phrase highlights the divine aspect of the oath. The use of "the LORD" (יְהוָה, Yahweh) signifies the covenantal relationship between God and His people. It underscores the idea that the oath was not just a personal promise but a commitment made before God, who is the ultimate judge and enforcer of covenants. This elevates the seriousness of the breach, as it is an offense against the divine order. and the command
The word "command" (מִצְוָה, mitzvah) refers to a directive or ordinance given by an authority. In this context, it is a royal command from Solomon, who was divinely appointed as king. This phrase emphasizes the dual nature of the obligation—both divine and royal. It reflects the theocratic nature of Israel's monarchy, where the king's commands were seen as extensions of God's will. that I gave you
This personalizes the command, linking it directly to Solomon's authority. The phrase underscores the relational aspect of the command, as it was given by Solomon himself, who was responsible for upholding justice and righteousness in the kingdom. It highlights the expectation of obedience to both divine and kingly authority, reinforcing the idea that the breach was a direct challenge to Solomon's rule and, by extension, to God's order. Persons / Places / Events 1. SolomonThe son of David and Bathsheba, Solomon is the king of Israel at this time. He is known for his wisdom and is responsible for building the first temple in Jerusalem. 2. ShimeiA member of the tribe of Benjamin, Shimei had previously cursed King David. Solomon had placed him under house arrest in Jerusalem, warning him not to leave the city. 3. JerusalemThe capital city of Israel and the spiritual center for the Jewish people. It is where Solomon's temple was located and where Shimei was confined. 4. The OathShimei had sworn an oath to the LORD, promising not to leave Jerusalem, as commanded by Solomon. 5. The LORDThe covenant name of God, Yahweh, to whom Shimei had sworn his oath. This highlights the seriousness of breaking the oath. Teaching Points The Seriousness of OathsOaths made to God are not to be taken lightly. They are binding and reflect our commitment to Him. Breaking an oath is a serious offense that can have significant consequences. The Importance of ObedienceObedience to God's commands and the authorities He places over us is crucial. Shimei's disobedience to Solomon's command led to his downfall, illustrating the importance of submission to rightful authority. Consequences of DisobedienceDisobedience to God's commands and breaking oaths can lead to severe consequences. Shimei's account serves as a warning to remain faithful and obedient. Integrity in SpeechOur words should reflect our integrity. As believers, we are called to be truthful and reliable, ensuring that our yes is yes and our no is no. God's JusticeGod's justice is evident in the enforcement of consequences for broken oaths. This reminds us that God is just and will hold us accountable for our actions. Bible Study Questions 1. What does Shimei's account teach us about the importance of keeping our promises to God and others? 2. How can we ensure that we are living in obedience to God's commands in our daily lives? 3. In what ways does the account of Shimei illustrate the consequences of disobedience and lack of integrity? 4. How can we apply the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5:33-37 to our own speech and commitments? 5. Reflect on a time when you made a promise or commitment. How did you ensure that you fulfilled it, and what can you learn from that experience in light of Shimei's account? Connections to Other Scriptures Ecclesiastes 5:4-5This passage warns about the seriousness of making vows to God and the importance of fulfilling them, echoing the gravity of Shimei's broken oath. Matthew 5:33-37Jesus teaches about the importance of keeping one's word and the integrity of speech, which relates to the concept of oaths and promises. Numbers 30:2This verse emphasizes the importance of fulfilling vows made to the LORD, reinforcing the expectation of faithfulness to one's word. People Abiathar, Abishag, Abner, Absalom, Achish, Adonijah, Amasa, Anathoth, Barzillai, Bathsheba, Benaiah, David, Eli, Gera, Haggith, Jehoiada, Jether, Joab, Maacah, Maachah, Ner, Shimei, Solomon, Zadok, ZeruiahPlaces Anathoth, Bahurim, Gath, Hebron, Jerusalem, Jordan River, Kidron, Mahanaim, ShilohTopics Charge, Charged, Command, Commandment, Hast, Instructed, Kept, Laid, Oath, Obey, Order, WhereforeDictionary of Bible Themes 1 Kings 2:36-45 7240 Jerusalem, history Library The Horns of the Altar
WE MUST tell you the story. Solomon was to be the king after David, but his elder brother, Adonijah, was preferred by Joab, the captain of the host, and by Abiathar, the priest; and, therefore, they got together, and tried to steal a march upon dying David, and set up Adonijah. They utterly failed in this; and when Solomn came to the throne Adonijah was afraid for his life, and fled to the horns of the altar at the tabernacle for shelter. Solomn permitted him to find sanctuary there, and forgave …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 31: 1885"He Ascended into Heaven:" Believe. "He Sitteth at the Right Hand of the Father...
11. "He ascended into heaven:" believe. "He sitteth at the right hand of the Father:" believe. By sitting, understand dwelling: as [in Latin] we say of any person, "In that country he dwelt (sedit) three years." The Scripture also has that expression, that such an one dwelt (sedisse) in a city for such a time. [1791] Not meaning that he sat and never rose up? On this account the dwellings of men are called seats (sedes). [1792] Where people are seated (in this sense), are they always sitting? Is …
St. Augustine—On the Creeds Whether Curiosity Can be About Intellective Knowledge?
Objection 1: It would seem that curiosity cannot be about intellective knowledge. Because, according to the Philosopher (Ethic. ii, 6), there can be no mean and extremes in things which are essentially good. Now intellective knowledge is essentially good: because man's perfection would seem to consist in his intellect being reduced from potentiality to act, and this is done by the knowledge of truth. For Dionysius says (Div. Nom. iv) that "the good of the human soul is to be in accordance with reason," …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether the Angels have Bodies Naturally United to Them?
Objection 1: It would seem that angels have bodies naturally united to them. For Origen says (Peri Archon i): "It is God's attribute alone---that is, it belongs to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as a property of nature, that He is understood to exist without any material substance and without any companionship of corporeal addition." Bernard likewise says (Hom. vi. super Cant.): "Let us assign incorporeity to God alone even as we do immortality, whose nature alone, neither for its own sake …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether the Natural Law Can be Changed?
Objection 1: It would seem that the natural law can be changed. Because on Ecclus. 17:9, "He gave them instructions, and the law of life," the gloss says: "He wished the law of the letter to be written, in order to correct the law of nature." But that which is corrected is changed. Therefore the natural law can be changed. Objection 2: Further, the slaying of the innocent, adultery, and theft are against the natural law. But we find these things changed by God: as when God commanded Abraham to slay …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica The Whole Heart
LET me give the principal passages in which the words "the whole heart," "all the heart," are used. A careful study of them will show how wholehearted love and service is what God has always asked, because He can, in the very nature of things, ask nothing less. The prayerful and believing acceptance of the words will waken the assurance that such wholehearted love and service is exactly the blessing the New Covenant was meant to make possible. That assurance will prepare us for turning to the Omnipotence …
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants "The King Kissed Barzillai. " 2 Sam. xix. 39
And no wonder, for David could appreciate a real man when he saw him, and so does David's Lord. I.--LOYALTY IS PRECIOUS TO THE KING OF KINGS. In the days when the son of Jesse had but few friends, it was a precious thing to be treated in the style Barzillai and his neighbours entertained him (see 2 Sam. xvii. 27-29). They were rich farmers, and had land which brought forth with abundance, so were able to act with princely hospitality to the fugitive monarch. But plenty may live with avarice, and …
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread What Manner of Man Ought not to Come to Rule.
Wherefore let every one measure himself wisely, lest he venture to assume a place of rule, while in himself vice still reigns unto condemnation; lest one whom his own guilt depraves desire to become an intercessor for the faults of others. For on this account it is said to Moses by the supernal voice, Speak unto Aaron; Whosoever he be of thy seed throughout their generations that hath a blemish, he shall not offer loaves of bread to the Lord his God (Lev. xxi. 17). And it is also immediately subjoined; …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Authorship of the Pentateuch.
The term Pentateuch is composed of the two Greek words, pente, five, and teuchos, which in later Alexandrine usage signified book. It denotes, therefore, the collection of five books; or, the five books of the law considered as a whole. 1. In our inquiries respecting the authorship of the Pentateuch, we begin with the undisputed fact that it existed in its present form in the days of Christ and his apostles, and had so existed from the time of Ezra. When the translators of the Greek version, …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Barzillai
BY REV. GEORGE MILLIGAN, M.A., D.D. "There is nothing," says Socrates to Cephalus in the Republic, "I like better than conversing with aged men. For I regard them as travellers who have gone a journey which I too may have to go, and of whom it is right to learn the character of the way, whether it is rugged or difficult, or smooth and easy" (p. 328 E.). It is to such an aged traveller that we are introduced in the person of Barzillai the Gileadite. And though he is one of the lesser-known characters …
George Milligan—Men of the Bible; Some Lesser-Known Fifth Sunday after Trinity Exhortation to the Fruits of Faith.
Text: 1 Peter 3, 8-15. 8 Finally, be ye all like-minded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tender-hearted, humble-minded: 9 not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: 11 And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 1 Kings 2:43 NIV1 Kings 2:43 NLT1 Kings 2:43 ESV1 Kings 2:43 NASB1 Kings 2:43 KJV
1 Kings 2:43 Commentaries
Bible Hub |
