1 Kings 2:7
ESV
But deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother.
NIV
"But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.
NASB
However, show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table; for they assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother.
CSB
"Show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite and let them be among those who eat at your table because they supported me when I fled from your brother Absalom.
NLT
Be kind to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead. Make them permanent guests at your table, for they took care of me when I fled from your brother Absalom.
KJV
But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.
NKJV
“But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.
What does 1 Kings 2:7 mean?
Some of David's instructions to Solomon about becoming king are to resolve lingering issues from his own rule. David had apparently decided that he would not hold Joab accountable for his murders during his own reign. Yet he intends to have Joab's sentence carried out after his own death (1 Kings 2:5–6).Here, David tells Solomon to keep a promise made to a man called Barzillai the Gileadite. Barzillai gave shelter and provisions to David and others who fled from Absalom (2 Samuel 17:27–29). David offered to give the eighty-year-old man a place in Jerusalem with him. Barzillai respectfully refused, and David promised to give his relative Chimham a place at his table in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 19:31–39). Now David tells Solomon to continue to honor that promise.
The section finishes with David's charge to Solomon to deal with the Benjaminite Shimei. As David fled Jerusalem, before he met with Barzillai, Shimei cursed him and accused him of taking the crown from his kinsman Saul. Either Joab or Shimei could inspire a revolt against Solomon, but David trusts Barzillai's sons.
First and Second Kings highlight the idolatry of God's people and His resultant judgment. Readers can take heart in encountering a passage that underscores the importance of honoring good men.
