Daily Tanach Sunday Shmuel 2 Chapter 19 Part 2: The reconciliation with Shimi Ben Geira

1.      The reconciliation with Shimi Ben Geira:

• Shimi Ben Geira and the tribe of Benjamin come to help the king: Shimi Ben Geira, the son of a Benjamite from the town of Bachurim, hurried ahead of his tribe and joined the men of Judah to greet King Dovid. He had brought with him a thousand men from the tribe of Benjamin as well as Tziva who was a servant in the household of Shaul, together with his 15 sons and 20 slaves. They crossed the Jordan River before the King. They assisted the king in helping all of his household across the Jordan River on boats and they did all they could to find favor in his eyes.
• Shimi Ben Geira apologizes to Dovid: When they came to cross the Jordan River, Shimi Ben Geira fell before the King and he pleaded before him saying, “Please, my master the king, forgive my sin that I had sinned against you [by rebelling against you in joining your son Avshalom, and by cursing you[1]] on the day that you had left Jerusalem. Please, pay no attention to it as your servant knows that he has sinned, and as a sign of repentance I am the first one to have arrived from the house of Joseph [and from all the Jewish people[2]] to come greet my master the king [and show my subordination to you, as through you forgiving my great sin it will encourage the rest of the Jewish people to seek forgiveness and reaccept you as the king[3]].
• Avishaiy presses on the king to put Shimi to death: Avishaiy the son of Tzeruyah turned to the king and said to him, “Will you indeed not put Shimi to death after he cursed you, the anointed one of G-d, [just because he showed you a small amount of subordination[4]]? Dovid replied to him, “What fight do we have between me and you, the son of Tzeruyah, that you should become for me today a prosecutor [which can cause me to lose my monarchy]. Should I today put a Jewish man to death [from whom a great Savior by the name of Mordechai will descend from[5]] after I now know that I have been replaced the king over Israel [and accepted by the populace, as putting him to death will enter fear into the populace and cause them not to want to make peace with me[6]].” [Likewise, the fact that he apologized to me shows that I am indeed the king over Israel.[7]] The king then turned to Shimi and promised him that he shall not be put to death, and the king then swore to him.

[1] Metzudos Dovid 19:20

[2] See Rashi, Metzudos Dovid, Ralbag on 19:21

[3] Rashi 19:21

[4] Radak and Metzudos Dovid 19:22

[5] Meiam Loez 19:23

[6] Metzudos Dovid and Pirush Rav Yeshaya 19:23

[7] Rashi 19:23