2 Samuel 16:7
ESV
And Shimei said as he cursed, "Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man!
NIV
As he cursed, Shimei said, "Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel!
NASB
This is what Shimei said when he cursed: 'Go away, go away, you man of bloodshed and worthless man!
CSB
Shimei said as he cursed: "Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, you wicked man!
NLT
Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!' he shouted at David.
KJV
And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:
NKJV
Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue!
What does 2 Samuel 16:7 mean?
David and his servants are fleeing Jerusalem. Absalom is on his way with his supporters, ready to kill anyone who remains devoted to the king (2 Samuel 15:10–17). As David and his people make their way to the Jordan River, Shimei, a relative of Saul's, curses them and throws rocks (2 Samuel 16:5–6). He calls him a "man of Beliyaal": a "man of the Devil."Shimei claims that David carries the blood of the house of Saul (2 Samuel 16:8). On the surface, the claim is ridiculous. All the years Saul chased David, David absolutely refused to fight. When David cut off a corner of Saul's cloak, and he realized he had touched the Lord's anointed, he was mortified (1 Samuel 24:1–7). He wrote a lament when Saul and Jonathan were killed by the Philistines (2 Samuel 1:17–27). And he took in Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, refusing to kill him or Saul's other descendants, including Shimei, to strengthen his hold on the crown (2 Samuel 9).
However, the two families were not entirely peaceful. When David became king over Judah, Saul's general Abner installed Saul's son Ish-bosheth as king over the northern tribes (2 Samuel 2:8–11). In part because of Abner's aggression and Joab's quest for vengeance, the two sides engaged in a long war (2 Samuel 3:1). Eventually, Abner grew tired of both Ish-bosheth and losing and came to David's side. Ish-bosheth was murdered by bandits, and the northern tribes agreed to make David king (2 Samuel 3:9–11; 4:5–8; 5:3).
Another alternative is that, if the events of 2 Samuel are not entirely chronological, Shimei is referring to the sons and grandsons of Saul whom David turned over to the Gibeonites for an unnamed offense (2 Samuel 21:1–9). But, more likely, Shimei means Saul, his sons, and possibly Abner.
David is certainly a man of blood. His life has been violent—so much so that God won't let him build the temple (1 Chronicles 28:2–3). However, he is not responsible for the hardships Saul's family experienced. David understands that Absalom's rebellion and Shimei's insults are God's punishment because David is guilty of Uriah's blood (2 Samuel 12:9–11).
Yet somewhere along the way, David met up with Joab, Abishai, his "mighty men," and the part of the army who remained loyal. Abishai even offers to take off Shimei's head. David restrains him. It was God's will that Saul's house would fail, and it's God's will that Shimei would test David (2 Samuel 16:9–11).
