So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
The kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon - now that, by the death of Shimei, all the leaders of the rival factions had been cut off. This episode of Shimei embraces a period of three years. The narrative having been begun, is finished, and the thread of the history is resumed, relating to some events that occurred prior in time to the death of Shimei.