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At this point, Zeruiah’s son Abishai asked the king, “Why should this dead dog be cursing your majesty the king? May I have permission to go over and cut off his head?”

10 But the king responded, “What do I have in common with you sons of Zeruiah? If he continues to curse—and if the Lord has told him, ‘Curse David!’—then who are you to be demanding to know[a] ‘Why have you done this?’”

11 So David ordered Abishai and all of his staff: “Look! My own son wants to kill me! How much more now is this descendant of Benjamin? Leave him alone and let him go on cursing, because the Lord has ordered him to do this.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 16:10 Lit. be saying
  2. 2 Samuel 16:11 The Heb. lacks to do this

Then Abishai(A) son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog(B) curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.”(C)

10 But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah?(D) If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’”(E)

11 David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son,(F) my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.(G)

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