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Gera was a Benjamite who cursed David during Absalom's rebellion but later sought forgiveness when David returned to Jerusalem.
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Gera, a Benjamite, appears in the narrative of Absalom's rebellion against his father, King David. When David was fleeing from Jerusalem due to Absalom's revolt, Gera's relative, Shimei, came out and cursed David, throwing stones and dirt at him (2Sa.16.5-8). Shimei accused David of being responsible for the bloodshed in Saul's house and claimed that God was punishing him by giving the kingdom to Absalom. David's servants wanted to kill Shimei for his disrespect, but David refused, believing that God might have sent Shimei to curse him (2Sa.16.9-14). After Absalom's defeat and death, Shimei, along with Gera and a thousand Benjamites, met David at the Jordan River to escort him back to Jerusalem (2Sa.19.16-18). Shimei fell down before David and sought forgiveness for his previous actions. David granted him mercy and promised not to put him to death (2Sa.19.18-23). However, on his deathbed, David instructed his son Solomon to deal with Shimei, considering him guilty of cursing the Lord's anointed (1Ki.2.8-9). Gera's involvement in these events highlights the complex political dynamics within Israel during David's reign and the lingering tensions between the house of David and the supporters of Saul's dynasty.
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4 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H1617
As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the family of the house of Saul was just coming out. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and as he approached, he kept yelling out curses.
Then Shimei son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David,
and crossed at the ford to carry over the kingʼs household and to do what was good in his sight. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell down before the king
Keep an eye on Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim who is with you. He called down bitter curses against me on the day I went to Mahanaim, but when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD: ‘I will never put you to the sword.’
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.