“And behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the sonne of Gera, a Beniamite of Bahurim, which cursed mee with a grieuous curse, in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but hee came downe to meete me at Iordane, and I sware to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.”
1611 King James Version (KJV)
2:8 I will not, &c. - The words are, The king said unto Shimei,thou shalt not die: and the king sware unto him, #2Sam 19:23|.The oath, we see, was absolute. It was not, I will not put thee to deathnow. or, I will not put thee to death with the sword. But whocan reconcile his charge to Solomon with this oath? Surely, consideringthe time of that charge, this next to the matter of Uriah, is thegreatest blemish in all David's life.