1 Kings 2:46 (ESV)

46 Then the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck him down, and he died. So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

The final verse in chapter two tells of Shimei’s execution at the direction of Solomon. The verse also states that this execution of justice was responsible for the establishment of stability in Solomon’s kingdom.

It is important to remember that the last sentence of this verse stands as a divine commentary on Solomon’s actions in chapter two. The Holy Spirit appears to be telling us that if Solomon had not acted as he did against Adonijah, Abiathar, Joab, and Shimei, then Solomon’s reign would have been marked by instability and, perhaps, premature dissolution.