· Translation: KJV

2 Samuel 19:19He said to the king, "Don't let my lord impute iniquity to me, neither do you remember that which your servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.

The setting

Jordan River crossing, Israel, ~970 BC. King David returns from exile after his son Absalom's failed coup. Shimei, who cursed David during his flight, now begs for mercy...

The emotion here: desperate terror mixed with fragile hope

The original word

avon (עָוֹן) — twisted guilt, the weight of moral failure that bends the soul

Why it matters

Shimei threw stones and dirt at David while cursing him as he fled Jerusalem

Read with care

What most readers miss in 2 Samuel 19:19

Shimei is speaking from a position of total vulnerability — one word from David means death

Common misconceptionPeople think this shows David as merciful, but David actually postponed judgment — he told Solomon to deal with Shimei later (1 Kings 2:8-9).

Bible Genome reading

2 Samuel 19:19 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerShimei
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionseeking
Literary typedialogue
MarkPrayer

Emotional genome

Comfort power50%
Quotability60%
Memorability70%
Crisis relevance90%
Standalone50%
Themes:confessionmercyforgiveness

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 2 Samuel 19

2 Samuel 19:19 comes from the book of 2 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Shimei. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 50% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include confession, mercy, forgiveness. Notable phrases: don't let my lord impute iniquity; your servant did perversely. This verse is a prayer.

Your reflection

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