e He now put him in the execution of that Office, to which he may ſeem to have been Anointed before, 1 Chron. 29. 22, But of that, ſee my Notes here on v. 27.
36 q
dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither f.
f This Solomen ordered, partly, for his own ſecurity ; that being removed from that place where his Kindred, and Ettate, and In- tereſt lay, to a place where he was bur a ſtranger, and fufficiently odious for his former, and never-to-be-torgotten Inſolency towards his Lord and King, he might be uncapable of railuig any Tumults- and Seditions 3 partly, as a penalty for his former Wickedneſs wherein yet there was more Mercy than Juſtice, and from which David had not promiſed him any ſecurity, but only given him his Life3 and partly, Thar being in this publick Theatre, all his Words, and Attions might be nar; owly obſerved; which, conſidering his: buſie, and coverous, and wicked Temper, was likely to give Solomoz the advantage which he ſought for ; aad this very Prohibition would wap inflame his deſire of Tranſgrefling it, as the manner of : EN IS.
37 For it ſhall be, that on the day thou goeſt out, and paſleſt over the * brook Kidron g, thou ſhalt know $ for certain, that thou fhalc ſurely die : thy biood (hall bs upon thine own head þ. * -#%
g A Brook nigh unto Jeruſalem, of which ſee 2 Sam. 15. £3. 2 Kings 23. 4. Which he particularly. names, becauſe that was 'the way to Baburim, his former and ſetried Habitation : bur this is nor to be underſtood excluſively to other ways and places; for the reſtraint was general. that he ſhould mot go forth thence any whither, v- 36. rowit, as far any other way as Cearon was ; which aiſoappears from the following Hiſtory 3 for when he went to Gath, he wehr not over Cedron, (. which lay. Eaitward from the City ) but Weſtz ward, as Gath lay. þ The blame and guilt of thy Blood ſhall he upon thy ſelf only. __ HEE
38 And Shimei ſaid unto the King, The faying is good 3: as my lord the king hath ſaid, fo will thy fervant do k. And Shimei dwelt in Jeruſalem many days.
i Thy Sentence is muck more merciful than I expe&ed, or de- ſerved. k And Shizzei did not only promilc it, but alſo fwore toirt ; being required by Solomon ta doo, as is manifeſt from were 42, 43- Rh | : | 39 And it came to paſs at the end of three years, thar ewoo the ſervants of Shimeiran away unro Achifh ſon of Maachah king of Gath /,' and chey told Shumei,
faying, Beliold, thy ſervants be in Gath,
\ — © nail
z F14 I A
33 Their blood therefore ſhall return * upen the * 2 Sam. head of Joab, and upon the head of his ſeed for ever b: 3. 29-
nd the king ſent, and called for * Shimei, and * > Saw ſaid unto him, Build thee an houſe in Jeruſalem, and 36+ 5+
hap. IIL
[.
1 A King, but ſubje& and tributary, firſt to David and then to RY his els bh, either that Achiſh who ſhewed ſo much kindneſs to David, « Sam: 27: and 28. or his Son 5 who, in requital of this kindneſs was ſtill permitted to enjoy the Title and Honour ofa King, but not the- full Power ; whence it was, not, or durſt not keep theſe Servants, though they had fled to him for Prote&ion ; but ſuffered Shime: to take them away from hs Royal City. ; :
49 And Shimei aroſe, and ſadled his aſs, and went to Gath m, to Achiſh, to ſeek his ſervants : and Shime1 went and brought his ſervants from Gath.
»» Which, though highly dangerous, he attempted, pry: be= cauſe he was blinded with Covetouſneſs and Rage againſt his Ser- vants, which two Luſts have done, and daily do engage Men to ſuch Courſes and A&ions as are no lefs dangerous to their lives than this is ; partly, becauſe he thought length of time had worn this out of Solomens mind, and other Mens thoughts : and that this being done ſecretly and ſpeedily, would never have come to Solo= mon. Ears ; or that Solomon would not be ſevere in this Caſe, where it was not wantonneſs nor contempt of his Authority, but the
| neceflity of his H»uſhold=concerns, which put him upon it : And
*, Coron:
#-
artly, becauſe God withdrew from him the light of common Pru- ence and wholly left him to his own Miſtakes, and Folly, and Luſfts; and withal, to the Inſtigation of the Devil, whoſe cunning and powerful Artiſices, and Infinuations he could not reſiſt, without
Divine help? _ gong And it was told Solomon », that Shimei had
gone from Jeruſalem to Gath, and was come back again.
i Who doubtleſs had his Spies appointed, to obſerve him in all his Motions.
42 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 cercain,
that on the day thou goeſt out, and walkeſt abroad any.
whither, that thou ſhalt ſurely die? And thou fſaidſt unto me, The word that I have heard zs good.
Why then haſt thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that 1 have charged
thee with o ? |
o He was guilty both of Rebellion againſt the expreſs, and juſt, and ( as himſelf called it} good Command of the King, and of Perjury againſt Gog,: which were two high and hainous Crimes. His Oath, he calls :h*Oath of the Lord, becauſe it wastaken in Gods Preſence, and he was called upon as witneſs of it, and as the A- venger of all Violations of it, and becauſe the Law of God obliged him to the performance of it. AY
44 The king ſaid moreover to Shimei, Thou knoweſt all the wickedneſs which thine heart is privy to p, that thou Gidfſt to David my father : therefore the LORD
ſhall return q tky wickedneſs upon thine own head.
p For which thy own Conſcience accuſerh thee, and there is no need of other Witneſſes. 9q Heb. hath returned, which ſeems moſt proper- God hath puniſhed thee for thy former Wickednels, by {uffering thee to fall into further Crimes, and expole thy 1eltto thy deſerved Death.
45 And king Solomon ſhall be bleſſed, and the throne of David r ſhall be eſtabliſhed s before the LORD * for
EVCET.
7 That Royal Power and Dignity conferred upon David to him and his Heirs for ever- 5 By the execution of ſuch Righteous Judgmenrs as this is. * In the preſence of that God, who is both an Obſerver and Rewarder of all ſuch Righteous AQions: or, under Gods inſpe&ion, and by his Bleſſing. ;
46 So the king commanded Benaiah the ſon of Je- hoiadzh, which went out #, and fell upon him that he died: and the * kingdom was eſtabliſhed in the hand of Solomon x,