1 Kings 2:8

“ And, behold, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim, but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by YHWH, saying, “I will not put you to death with the sword.”

David’s thoughts then turned to another very dangerous man, and that was Shimei, the man who had cursed him when he was fleeing from Absalom (2 Samuel 16:5-14). He was clearly conscious that Shimei’s hatred still smouldered behind what might have appeared to be a compliant attitude, and that once he was gone Shimei would again become a danger to the kingdom. He knew full well the powerful influence that Shimei had among the Benjaminites (2 Samuel 19:16-17). Here was a man who would undoubtedly seek to take advantage of the young king’s inexperience, so that while he lived the Benjaminites as a whole would be constantly soured against Solomon. He was another who had proved that he could not be trusted.

David’s own hands had been tied with regard to him, by the oath that he had sworn when Shimei had come to meet him at the Jordan and had welcomed him back accompanied by a full unit of warriors. And he had not had any fear that he could control him, and had no doubt kept a watchful eye on him. But it was a very different matter for the young Solomon. He did not want Solomon to have to be watching his back all the time, and he was all too aware that Shimei was totally untrustworthy and unreliable. Furthermore his own oath did not apply to Solomon.