16 Then Shimei the son of Gera , the Benjamite who was from Bahurim , hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David . 17 There were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, with Ziba the servant of the house of Saul , and his fifteen e sons and his twenty servants with him; and they rushed to the Jordan before the king . 18 Then they kept crossing the ford to bring over the king's household , and to do what was good in his sight . And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan . 19 So he said to the king , " Let not my lord consider me guilty , nor remember what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king came out from Jerusalem , so that the king would take it to heart . 20 "For your servant knows that I have sinned ; therefore behold , I have come today , the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king ." 21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah said , " Should not Shimei be put to death for this , because he cursed the Lord'S anointed ?" 22 David then said , " What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah , that you should this day be an adversary to me? Should any man be put to death in Israel today ? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today ?" 23 The king said to Shimei , " You shall not die ." Thus the king swore to him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Samuel 19:16-23
Commentary on 2 Samuel 19:16-23
(Read 2 Samuel 19:16-23)
Those who now slight and abuse the Son of David, would be glad to make their peace when he shall come in his glory; but it will be too late. Shimei lost no time. His abuse had been personal, and with the usual right feeling of good men, David could more easily forgive it.