1 kings 2:40 - Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish, to seek his slaves; and Shimei went, and brought his slaves from Gath.

Generated Verse: 1 kings 2:40

What does "1 kings 2:40" mean?


This verse from 1 Kings 2:40 describes Shimei's disobedience to King Solomon's command and the beginning of his downfall. Here's a breakdown of the meaning:

Shimei arose, saddled his donkey: This shows Shimei taking action. He's motivated to do something.
and went to Gath to Achish: This is the key part. Solomon had ordered Shimei to remain in Jerusalem and not leave. Gath was a Philistine city, outside of the boundaries Solomon had set for him. Going to Gath was a direct violation of Solomon's command. Achish was the king of Gath.
to seek his slaves: Shimei is going to retrieve runaway slaves. This implies he had slaves who escaped and sought refuge in Gath.
and Shimei went, and brought his slaves from Gath: This confirms that Shimei successfully went to Gath, found his slaves, and brought them back to Jerusalem.

Therefore, the verse means that Shimei, in direct defiance of King Solomon's orders, left Jerusalem to retrieve his escaped slaves from Gath. This act of disobedience was the final straw that led to Solomon ordering his execution, as a punishment for breaking his oath and violating the terms of his conditional pardon.

In essence, this verse sets the stage for Shimei's punishment. He was given a chance to live peacefully in Jerusalem, but he chose to break the rules and travel to a foreign land, sealing his fate.

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