Now therefore, do not hold him guiltlessThis phrase is part of King David's final instructions to Solomon, his son and successor. David refers to Joab, his former military commander, who had committed acts of violence and treachery. The phrase underscores the biblical principle of justice and accountability, reflecting the Old Testament law where wrongdoing must be addressed (
Exodus 21:12-14). It highlights the importance of discernment in leadership, a theme prevalent throughout the wisdom literature, such as Proverbs.
for you are a wise man
David acknowledges Solomon's wisdom, which is a central theme in Solomon's reign. This wisdom is later confirmed when Solomon famously asks God for wisdom to govern the people (1 Kings 3:9-12). The phrase also connects to the broader biblical narrative where wisdom is a divine gift, as seen inJames 1:5, and is essential for righteous leadership.
You know what you ought to do to him
David entrusts Solomon with the responsibility of executing justice, implying that Solomon's wisdom will guide him in making the right decision. This reflects the biblical theme of divine guidance in leadership, as seen in the lives of other leaders like Moses and Joshua. It also foreshadows Solomon's role as a judge and king who must balance justice and mercy.
to bring his gray head down to Sheol in blood
This phrase indicates the severity of Joab's crimes and the necessity of his execution as a form of justice. "Gray head" symbolizes old age, suggesting that Joab's time for judgment has come. "Sheol" refers to the abode of the dead in Hebrew thought, emphasizing the finality of the judgment. The concept of blood guilt and retribution is consistent with the covenantal laws found in the Torah, such asNumbers 35:33, which stress the need for justice to maintain the land's purity. This also prefigures the ultimate justice and redemption found in Christ, who fulfills the law and offers forgiveness through His blood.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
DavidThe aging king of Israel who is giving final instructions to his son Solomon. David is known for his heart after God, but also for his complex and sometimes troubled reign.
2.
SolomonThe son of David and Bathsheba, who is about to ascend to the throne of Israel. Known for his wisdom, Solomon is tasked with establishing his kingdom and dealing with unfinished business from David's reign.
3.
JoabThe son of Zeruiah, David's nephew, and commander of his army. Joab is a complex figure known for his loyalty to David but also for his violent and sometimes treacherous actions.
4.
SheolIn Hebrew thought, Sheol is the realm of the dead, a place of darkness and silence. It is often used to describe the grave or the afterlife.
5.
David's Final InstructionsThis event marks the transition of power from David to Solomon, with David providing guidance on how to secure the kingdom and deal with past grievances.
Teaching Points
The Importance of JusticeDavid's instruction to Solomon emphasizes the need for justice, even when it involves difficult decisions. As believers, we are called to uphold justice in our own lives, reflecting God's character.
Wisdom in LeadershipSolomon is recognized for his wisdom, which is essential for effective leadership. We should seek God's wisdom in our decisions, especially when they impact others.
Dealing with Unresolved IssuesDavid's directive to Solomon to address past wrongs reminds us of the importance of resolving conflicts and not leaving issues unaddressed, which can lead to greater problems.
The Consequences of SinJoab's actions had long-lasting consequences, illustrating the biblical principle that sin often leads to death and destruction. We must be mindful of our actions and their potential impact.
Legacy and ResponsibilityDavid's final words to Solomon highlight the responsibility of leaving a godly legacy. We should consider how our actions today will affect future generations.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of 1 Kings 2:9?
2.How does 1 Kings 2:9 demonstrate the importance of justice in leadership?
3.What does David's instruction reveal about dealing with past wrongs biblically?
4.How can we apply the principle of discernment from 1 Kings 2:9 today?
5.What scriptural connections exist between 1 Kings 2:9 and Romans 12:19?
6.How does Solomon's response in 1 Kings 2:9 reflect God's wisdom and justice?
7.Why does David instruct Solomon to deal harshly with Shimei in 1 Kings 2:9?
8.How does 1 Kings 2:9 reflect on the concept of justice in the Bible?
9.What does 1 Kings 2:9 reveal about David's character and leadership?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from 1 Kings 2?
11.How many stalls of horses did Solomon have? (1 Kings 4:26 vs. 2 Chronicles 9:25)
12.Why do the numbers listed in 2 Chronicles 9:25 about Solomon's horses and chariots differ from related passages like 1 Kings 4:26?
13.Could dogs literally devour Jezebel's body as described in 2 Kings 9:33-35, or might this be symbolic hyperbole?
14.Why does 1 Kings 4:26 mention 40,000 stalls for Solomon's horses, while 2 Chronicles 9:25 records only 4,000?What Does 1 Kings 2:9 Mean
Now thereforeDavid has just reminded Solomon of Shimei’s long-standing offense (1 Kings 2:8;2 Samuel 16:5-13; 19:16-23).
• “Now therefore” ties the coming command directly to that history.
• Scripture often builds an exhortation on what has just been recounted (Joshua 24:14;Romans 12:1), showing that God expects past deeds to inform present action.
• The phrase signals urgency. David is near death (1 Kings 2:1), and unfinished justice cannot be postponed.
do not hold him guiltless“Do not let him go unpunished” underscores accountability.
• God Himself “will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (Exodus 34:7), and civil authority is charged to mirror that standard (Romans 13:4).
• Shimei’s sin was no mere insult; cursing the Lord’s anointed was a capital crime (Exodus 22:28;2 Samuel 1:14-16).
• David had personally stayed Shimei’s judgment out of mercy (2 Samuel 19:23), but mercy does not erase guilt—only postpones its reckoning (Numbers 14:18).
for you are a wise manDavid appeals to Solomon’s discernment, later heightened when God grants him extraordinary wisdom (1 Kings 3:9-12).
• Wisdom applies God’s law rightly (Proverbs 2:6-9).
• It guards against personal vendetta; Solomon will act as king, not as a son seeking revenge (James 3:17).
• Wise leadership fulfills covenant justice while preserving national integrity (Deuteronomy 16:18-20).
You know what you ought to do to himDavid trusts Solomon to determine procedure.
• Solomon will eventually confine Shimei under a clear restriction (1 Kings 2:36-38)—a measured response rather than immediate execution.
• This reflects principles of due process (Deuteronomy 17:4; 19:15-20).
• Knowing “what you ought to do” includes timing, evidence, and witness—traits of righteous rule (Proverbs 20:26, 28).
to bring his gray head down to Sheol in bloodThe final clause makes plain that capital punishment is warranted if Shimei breaches the king’s conditions.
• “Gray head” points to advanced age; age does not nullify guilt (Deuteronomy 32:35).
• “Sheol” refers to the realm of the dead; “in blood” signals a violent, judicial death (Genesis 9:6;1 Kings 2:46).
• Solomon enforces this when Shimei violates his oath, demonstrating that delayed judgment is still certain judgment (Ecclesiastes 8:11-13;Hebrews 10:30).
summary1 Kings 2:9 records David’s charge that Solomon complete justice against Shimei. The verse moves from urgency (“Now therefore”) to the imperative of justice (“do not hold him guiltless”), grounds it in Solomon’s God-given wisdom, entrusts him with the method, and foresees the rightful penalty. Scripture’s broader testimony affirms that mercy may delay but never cancels deserved judgment, and wise, lawful rulers are God’s means of maintaining that balance.
Verse 9. -
Now therefore [lit., "
andnow." Possibly the "now" is a note of time in apposition to the "day" of ver. 8, or rather the time of David's oath. "I then unadvisedly swam unto him, but now the law must have its course." Probably it is merely inferential, -
quae cum ita sint]
hold him not guiltless [rather,
thou shalt not leave him unpunished (Vatablus, Gesen., Bahr,
al.); cf.
Exodus 20:7;
Jeremiah 30:11];
for thou art a wise man [
φρόνιμος rather than
σοφός (LXX.) Gesen. renders here, "endued with ability to judge." David clearly desires that wisdom and justice, not malice or passion, should be Solomon's guide],
and knowest what thou oughtest to [lit.,
shalt or
shouldest]
do to him; but [Heb.
and]
his hoar head [mentioned, not maliciously, but with the idea that punishment, which had been long delayed, must overtake him nevertheless. The age of Joab and Shimei would make the Divine Nemesis the more conspicuous. Men would "see that there was a God that judgeth in the earth"]
bring thou down to the grave with blood. The Auth. Version here needlessly alters the
order of the original, which should be followed wherever it can be (and it generally can) without sacrifice of idiom and elegance. In this case the alteration, by the slight prominence it gives to "hoar head" and to "blood," gives a factitious harshness to the sentence. The Hebrew stands thus: "And thou shalt bring down his hoar head with blood to Sheol." This order of the words also exhibits somewhat more clearly the sequence of thought, which is this: "Thou art wise, therefore thou knowest what by law thou shouldest do. What thou shalt do is, thou shalt bring down," etc. It is clear from these words that if David was actuated by malice, by a "passionate desire to punish those who had wronged him" (Plumptre, Dict. Bib., art. "Solomon"), or by "fierce and profound vindictiveness" (Stanley, "Jewish Church," vol. 2. p. 135), he was profoundly unconscious of it. If it was "a dark legacy of hate" (
ibid.) he was bequeathing to Solomon, then he stands before us in these last hours either as an unctuous hypocrite, or as infatuated and inconsistent to the last degree. That the man who, in his opening words (ver. 3), enjoined upon his son, in the most emphatic manner, a strict and literal obedience to the law of Heaven, should in these subsequent words, delivered almost in the same breath, require him to satiate a long-cherished and cruel revenge upon Joab and Shimei (the latter of whom he had twice delivered from death), is an instance of self contradiction which is almost, if not quite, without parallel. But as I have showed elsewhere, at some length, it is a superficial and entirely erroneous view of David's last words, which supposes them to have been inspired by malice or cruelty. His absorbing idea was clearly this, that he had not "kept the charge of the Lord;" that he, the chief magistrate, the "revenger to execute wrath," by sparing Joab and Shimei, the murderer and the blasphemer, both of whose lives were forfeited to justice, had failed in his duty, had weakened the sanctions of law, and compromised the honour of the Most High. He is too old and too weak to execute the sentence of the law now, but for the safety of his people, for the security of his throne, it must be done, and therefore Solomon, who was under no obligation to spare the criminals his father had spared, must be required to do it. Of the Jewish king it might be said with a special propriety,
"Rex est lex loquens," and seldom has the voice of law spoken with greater dignity and fidelity than by David in this dying charge. To say, as Harwood does, (Lange, American Trans., p. 32) that "nothing but sophistry can justify his [David's] charge to Solomon, not to let the unfortunate man [Shimei] die in peace," merely shows how imperfectly the writer has entered into the spirit of the theocratic law, that law under which David lived, and by which alone he could be governed and govern others.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Now therefore,וְעַתָּה֙(wə·‘at·tāh)Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 6258:At this timedo notאַל־(’al-)Adverb
Strong's 408:Nothold him guiltless,תְּנַקֵּ֔הוּ(tə·naq·qê·hū)Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5352:To be, clean, to be bare, extirpatedforכִּ֛י(kî)Conjunction
Strong's 3588:A relative conjunctionyouאָ֑תָּה(’āt·tāh)Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859:Thou and thee, ye and youare a wiseחָכָ֖ם(ḥā·ḵām)Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2450:Wiseman.אִ֥ישׁ(’îš)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376:A man as an individual, a male personYou knowוְיָֽדַעְתָּ֙(wə·yā·ḏa‘·tā)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3045:To knowwhatאֲשֶׁ֣ר(’ă·šer)Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834:Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order thatyou ought to doתַּֽעֲשֶׂה־(ta·‘ă·śeh-)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6213:To do, maketo himלּ֔וֹ(lōw)Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrewto bring his gray headשֵׂיבָת֛וֹ(śê·ḇā·ṯōw)Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7872:Hoary head, old agedownוְהוֹרַדְתָּ֧(wə·hō·w·raḏ·tā)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3381:To come or go down, descendto Sheolשְׁאֽוֹל׃(šə·’ō·wl)Noun - common singular
Strong's 7585:Underworld (place to which people descend at death)in blood.”בְּדָ֖ם(bə·ḏām)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1818:Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed
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OT History: 1 Kings 2:9 Now therefore don't hold him guiltless (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg) 
