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the extreme penalty of the law, but for his former and still unpunished crimes, which
his recent treasonable conduct seemed to bring afresh to view, just as some accidental
ailment does a long latent fatal disease. As for Abiathar, in consideration of his office
and former services to David, he was only removed from the Pontificate, and banished
to his ancestral property at Anathoth, the city of the priests. But Holy Scripture calls us
to mark, how by the deposition of Abiathar the Divine prediction against the house of
Eli (1 Samuel 2:31-36) was fulfilled, though in this instance also through a
concurrence of intelligible causes.
There was now only one other left, who in heart and mind, as well as in popular
opinion, belonged to the party opposed to the reigning house. That old offender,
Shimei, was still at large, and enjoying ill-deserved safety. Had he during those years
learned to respect the dynasty which he had once so wantonly insulted, or did he still
consider it too weak to resent insubordination on his part? The question was soon to be
decided; for Solomon now ordered Shimei to remain permanently within the bounds of
Jerusalem, at the same time warning him that any infringement of this command, from
whatever cause, would be punished by death. Shimei, who had probably expected a far
more severe sentence, received with gratitude this comparatively slight restriction upon
his liberty. He must have known that most Eastern monarchs would have acted towards
him in a very different spirit. Besides, the restriction was not more irksome than that
which limited the safety of an ordinary manslayer by the condition of his remaining
within the bounds of the city of refuge. Nor was the command in itself unreasonable,
considering the necessity of watching Shimei's movements, and the importance of
convincing the people that a strong hand now held the reins of government. But
whatever outward acquiescence Shimei had shown, he had no idea of yielding such
absolute obedience as in his circumstances seemed called for. On the first apparently
trivial occasion,^76 Shimei left Jerusalem for the capital of Philistia without having
sought the king's permission, and, upon his return, suffered the penalty which, as he
well knew, had been threatened. By such measures of vigor and firmness "the kingdom
was established in the hand of Solomon."
(^)