Your servant: this is once again a self-reference, showing respect and submission to the king. But it will be better translated by the first person singular pronoun in many languages. Nevertheless it will be appropriate to use other forms to indicate proper respect for the royal authority. Good News Translation attempts to do this by using the respectful word “sir.”
Therefore: this translates the common Hebrew conjunction, which may be better rendered in this context as “but” (New International Version) or “yet” (New American Bible), since there is an implied contrast between what might be expected (that Shimei would flee from David) and what is actually happening (that Shimei is the first to appear before the king).
Behold: the particle used here serves to focus attention on the statement that follows. Shimei is making an important point of the fact that, in spite of his past behavior, he is ahead of all others from his area to come and pay homage to the king as he returns to Jerusalem.
The first of all the house of Joseph: usually the expression the house of Joseph refers to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. But Shimei was from the tribe of Benjamin, so in this context it is almost certainly intended to suggest “the northern tribes” in general or “all the other northern Israelites” (Bible en français courant). Compare Ezek 37.16 and Psa 78.67, where the name “Joseph” is similarly used.
My lord the king: on this way of referring to the king, see the comments on the previous verse.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
2Sam 19.:21
Since Shimei is speaking directly to the king in verses 19 and 20, the reader may have expected that David would be the one who answers and not Abishai. For this reason Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch adds the implicit information, “Before the king could answer, Abishai responded….”
Answered: literally “answered … and said.”
Abishai is mentioned frequently (including 16.9 and 1 Sam 26.6-9). Since he is often identified as the son of [his mother] Zeruiah, it may not be necessary in some languages to repeat that information here.
The form of Abishai’s comment is a question, but the intent is to state that Shimei should be killed for having cursed David. Some translators may prefer to translate the meaning more directly without resorting to a question.
Cursed: see 16.5, 7, 13.
The LORD’s anointed: or “the person the LORD has chosen to be king.” See 1.14, 16; 1 Sam 2.10; 16.6.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .