All the blood of the house of Saul - Shimei probably put to David's account the death of Saul, and Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, slain in battle by the Philistines with whom David was in league; of Ish-bosheth, slain in consequence of David's league with Abner; that of Abner himself, which he attributed to David's secret orders; and all the 360 slain in the battle between Joab and Abner 2 Samuel 2:31. Some, too, think that the death of seven men of Saul's immediate family 2 Samuel 21:8 had occurred before David's flight, and was referred to by Shimei. Shimei's hatred and virulence is an indication that the Benjamites resented the loss of royalty in their tribe, even in the palmiest days of David's monarchy.

The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul,.... Which he would suggest was shed by David, or, however, that he was the cause of its being shed; as if he had stirred up the Philistines to that battle in which Saul and his sons were slain, and had an hand secretly in the deaths of Ishbosheth and Abner, all which were false insinuations; and it may be the seven sons of Saul before this time, though after related, were delivered into the hands of the Gibeonites to be hanged, to which respect may be had:

in whose stead thou hast reigned; not by right, but by usurpation he suggests:

and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son; in this he seems to contradict himself; for if David had got the kingdom by usurpation, it would rather have, been delivered by the Lord into the hand of one of Saul's family, and not of David's:

and behold, thou art taken in thy mischief; punished for his sins; the mischief he had brought on others was retaliated to him:

because thou art a bloody man; guilty of slaying, as the Targum of shedding innocent blood, and so worthy of death.

The LORD hath returned upon thee all the {e} blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.

(e) Reproaching him, as though by his means Ishbosheth and Abner were slain.

16:8 Of Saul - Either, The blood of Abner and Ishbosheth; which he imputes to David, as if they had been killed by David's contrivance: or, the death of Saul's seven sons, chap.21:8, which, though related after this, seems to have been done before. Art taken - The same mischief thou didst bring upon others, is now returned upon thy own head.

behold...: Heb. behold thee in thy evil

16:5-14 David bore Shimei's curses much better than Ziba's flatteries; by these he was brought to pass a wrong judgment on another, by those to pass a right judgment on himself: the world's smiles are more dangerous than its frowns. Once and again David spared Saul's life, while Saul sought his. But innocence is no defence against malice and falsehood; nor are we to think it strange, if we are charged with that which we have been most careful to keep ourselves from. It is well for us, that men are not to be our judges, but He whose judgment is according to truth. See how patient David was under this abuse. Let this remind us of Christ, who prayed for those who reviled and crucified him. A humble spirit will turn reproaches into reproofs, and get good from them, instead of being provoked by them. David the hand of God in it, and comforts himself that God would bring good out of his affliction. We may depend upon God to repay, not only our services, but our sufferings.