Why does David refuse Abisai’s request to kill Semei while Semei curses him?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

David says the Lord has bid Semei curse him. He points out that his own son seeks his life and leaves open the hope that the Lord may look on his affliction and return good for that day’s cursing.

Chapter breakdown

David is a little past the top of the hill when Siba, Miphiboseth’s servant, meets him with two asses. They carry two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a vessel of wine. David asks what these things mean. Siba says the asses are for the king’s household to ride, the loaves and figs for his servants to eat, and the wine for anyone who grows faint in the desert. Asked where his master’s son is, Siba says Miphiboseth stayed in Jerusalem, saying that the house of Israel would restore his father’s kingdom to him that day. David gives Siba all that belonged to Miphiboseth. Siba asks to find favour before his lord the king.

At Bahurim, Semei, son of Gera and of the kindred of Saul’s house, comes out cursing as he goes. He throws stones at David and all the king’s servants, while the people and warriors walk on the king’s right and left. Semei calls David a man of blood and a man of Belial and tells him to come out. He says the Lord has repaid David for all the blood of Saul’s house because he usurped the kingdom in Saul’s place. He says the Lord has given the kingdom to David’s son Absalom and that David’s evils press on him because he is a man of blood.

Abisai, son of Sarvia, asks why this dead dog should curse his lord the king and says he will go and cut off Semei’s head. David asks what he has to do with the sons of Sarvia. He tells them to leave Semei alone and let him curse, saying the Lord has bid him curse David. He asks who would dare question why Semei has done it.

Challoner’s separate note says the Lord was not the author of Semei’s sin. It came purely from Semei’s own malice and abuse of his free will. The Lord knew and permitted the outbreak of his malice and used him as an instrument to punish David for his sins.

David tells Abisai and all his servants that his own son, who came from his body, seeks his life: how much more may a son of Jemini do so? He repeats that they should leave Semei alone to curse as the Lord has bidden. Perhaps, David says, the Lord may look upon his affliction and render him good for the cursing of this day.

David and his men continue along the way. Semei goes along the hillside opposite them, cursing, casting stones and scattering earth. The king and all the people with him arrive weary and refresh themselves there.

Absalom and all his people enter Jerusalem, with Achitophel accompanying him. Chusai the Arachite, David’s friend, comes to Absalom and twice greets him by asking God to save the king. Absalom asks whether this is kindness to his friend and why he did not go with that friend. Chusai says he will belong to and stay with the one whom the Lord, all these people and all Israel have chosen. He asks whom he should serve if not the king’s son, and says he will serve Absalom as he served his father.

Absalom asks Achitophel to advise what they should do. Achitophel tells him to go in to his father’s concubines, whom David left to keep the house. When all Israel hears that Absalom has disgraced his father, he says, their hands may be strengthened with Absalom.

Challoner’s separate note says the people might fear that Absalom would reconcile with his father and leave them in the lurch. Achitophel therefore advised a crime that seemed to make reconciliation impossible.

A tent is spread for Absalom on top of the house, and he goes in to his father’s concubines before all Israel. The chapter says that Achitophel’s counsel in those days was treated as though a man had consulted God. This was so both when he was with David and when he was with Absalom.

The story inside

David’s journey and Absalom’s arrival in Jerusalem unfold alongside one another. Siba supplies the fleeing household and makes an allegation that leads David to grant him Miphiboseth’s property. Semei’s curses bring a different response: David refuses Abisai’s proposed killing and speaks of a possible good that the Lord may return. In Jerusalem, Chusai answers Absalom’s questions about serving him. Absalom then follows Achitophel’s advice to disgrace his father before Israel. The chapter records that public act and the standing Achitophel’s counsel held under both kings; it does not supply a final verdict on Siba’s allegation or guarantee David’s hoped-for outcome.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Siba’s allegation must remain attributed to him. His account of Miphiboseth’s words is followed by David’s grant of the property, but this chapter offers no separate confirmation. Calling it either proven loyalty or proven deceit would go beyond this source.
2
David’s restraint includes an uncertain hope. He refuses Abisai’s offer to kill Semei, compares Semei’s hostility with his own son’s threat, and says perhaps the Lord may return good. Challoner explains the permission of Semei’s sin separately; neither passage makes God the author of that sin.
3
Achitophel links his advice to the support of Absalom’s followers. He says public disgrace of David may strengthen their hands. Challoner adds that they might fear reconciliation and that the crime seemed to prevent it. Those qualifications matter: the chapter records the act, without declaring reconciliation forever impossible.

Test your recall

What reason does Achitophel give for telling Absalom to go in to his father’s concubines, and what concern does Challoner’s separate note explain?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 33350–33371
2 Kings Chapter 16 Siba bringeth provisions to David. Semei curseth him. Absalom defileth his father’s wives. 16:1. And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold Siba the servant of Miphiboseth came to meet him with two asses, laden with two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs, and a vessel of wine. 16:2. And the king said to Siba: What mean these things? And Siba answered: The asses are for the king’s household to sit on: and the loaves and the figs for thy servants to eat, and the wine to drink if any man be faint in the desert. 16:3. And the king said: Where is thy master’s son? And Siba answered the king: He remained in Jerusalem, saying: To day, will the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. 16:4. And the king said to Siba: I give thee all that belonged to Miphiboseth. And Siba said: I beseech thee let me find grace before thee, my lord, O king.
Lines 33373–33387
16:5. And king David came as far as Bahurim: and behold there came out from thence a man of the kindred of the house of Saul named Semei, the son of Gera, and coming out he cursed as he went on, 16:6. And he threw stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people, and all the warriors walked on the right, and on the left side of the king. 16:7. And thus said Semei when he cursed the king: Come out, come out, thou man of blood, and thou man of Belial. 16:8. The Lord hath repaid thee for all the blood of the house of Saul: because thou hast usurped the kingdom in his stead, and the Lord hath given the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and behold thy evils press upon thee, because thou art a man of blood.
Lines 33389–33394
16:9. And Abisai the son of Sarvia said to the king: Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? I will go, and cut off his head. 16:10. And the king said: What have I to do with you, ye sons of Sarvia? Let him alone and let him curse: for the Lord hath bid him curse David: and who is he that shall dare say, why hath he done so?
Lines 33396–33400
Hath bid him curse.... Not that the Lord was the author of Semei’s sin, which proceeded purely from his own malice, and the abuse of his free will. But that knowing, and suffering his malicious disposition to break out on this occasion, he made use of him as his instrument to punish David for his sins.
Lines 33402–33408
16:11. And the king said to Abisai, and to all his servants: Behold my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now a son of Jemini? let him alone that he may curse as the Lord hath bidden him. 16:12. Perhaps the Lord may look upon my affliction, and the Lord may render me good for the cursing of this day.
Lines 33410–33415
16:13. And David and his men with him went by the way. And Semei by the hill’s side went over against him, cursing, and casting stones at him, and scattering earth. 16:14. And the king and all the people with him came weary, and refreshed themselves there.
Lines 33417–33431
16:15. But Absalom and all his people came into Jerusalem, and Achitophel was with him. 16:16. And when Chusai the Arachite, David’s friend, was come to Absalom, he said to him: God save thee, O king, God save thee, O king. 16:17. And Absalom said to him, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Why wentest thou not with thy friend? 16:18. And Chusai answered Absalom: Nay: for I will be his, whom the Lord hath chosen, and all this people, and all Israel, and with him will I abide. 16:19. Besides this, whom shall I serve? is it not the king’s son? as I have served thy father, so will I serve thee also.
Lines 33433–33438
16:20. And Absalom said to Achitophel: Consult what we are to do. 16:21. And Achitophel said to Absalom: Go in to the concubines of thy father, whom he hath left to keep the house: that when all Israel shall hear that thou hast disgraced thy father, their hands may be strengthened with thee.
Lines 33440–33443
Their hands may be strengthened, etc.... The people might apprehend lest Absalom should be reconciled to his father, and therefore they followed him with some fear of being left in the lurch, till they saw such a crime committed as seemed to make a reconciliation impossible.
Lines 33445–33450
16:22. So they spread a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and he went in to his father’s concubines before all Israel. 16:23. Now the counsel of Achitophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man should consult God: so was all the counsel of Achitophel, both when he was with David, and when he was with Absalom.