John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. And when King David came to Bahurim , etc.] The Targum is, Alemath, perhaps the same that is said to be a city of the Levites, given unto them out of the tribe of Benjamin, ( 1 Chronicles 6:60) for the man next described, who was of this place, was a Benjaminite, ( 2 Samuel 19:16); (see Gill on “ 2 Samuel 3:16”); David was not yet come to the city itself, but into the neighbourhood of it, the fields adjacent to it: and behold, thence came out a man of the family of Saul ; a descendant of a branch of his family, who had entertained a private grudge and secret enmity against David, to whom he imputed the fall of the family of Saul: whose name [was] Shimei, the son of Gera : which might be a name common in the tribe of Benjamin, one of Benjamin’s sons being named Gera, ( Genesis 46:21). Some say he was the same with Nebat, the father of Jeroboam; but he was of the tribe of Ephraim, this of Benjamin: he came forth, and cursed still as he came ; he came out of Bahurim, of which place he was, and all the way he came continued cursing David, until he came near unto him.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 5-14 - David bore Shimei's curses much better than Ziba's flatteries; by thes he was brought to pass a wrong judgment on another, by those to pass right judgment on himself: the world's smiles are more dangerous tha its frowns. Once and again David spared Saul's life, while Saul sough his. But innocence is no defence against malice and falsehood; nor ar we to think it strange, if we are charged with that which we have bee most careful to keep ourselves from. It is well for us, that men ar not to be our judges, but He whose judgment is according to truth. Se how patient David was under this abuse. Let this remind us of Christ who prayed for those who reviled and crucified him. A humble spiri will turn reproaches into reproofs, and get good from them, instead of being provoked by them. David the hand of God in it, and comfort himself that God would bring good out of his affliction. We may depen upon God to repay, not only our services, but our sufferings.
Original Hebrew ובא935 המלך4428 דוד1732 עד5704 בחורים980 והנה2009 משׁם8033 אישׁ376 יוצא3318 ממשׁפחת4940 בית1004 שׁאול7586 ושׁמו8034 שׁמעי8096 בן1121 גרא1617 יצא3318 יצוא3318 ומקלל׃7043
