2 Samuel 16:5When king David came to Bahurim, behold, a man of the family of the house of Saul came out, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera. He came out, and cursed still as he came.
The setting
Bahurim, Israel (modern-day Palestinian West Bank). ~1000 BC. David fleeing Jerusalem as his son Absalom takes the throne. A relative of dead King Saul sees his chance for revenge...
The emotion here: recording divine justice in the midst of political chaos
The original word
qālal (קָלַל) — to curse, make light of, treat as worthless
Why it matters
Bahurim was a Benjamite town loyal to Saul's family, making it hostile territory for David
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Samuel 16:5
This is the EXACT moment David's past sins with Saul's family come back to haunt him during his lowest point
Common misconceptionPeople think this is random persecution, but Shimei had legitimate grievances - David's rise did destroy Saul's family line through civil war.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Samuel 16:5
Bible Genome reading
2 Samuel 16:5 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Samuel 16:5 comes from the book of 2 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include opposition, conflict. Notable phrases: man of the family of the house of Saul.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does 2 Samuel 16:5 mean to you, today?
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