1 Kings 1
1
David in His Old Age
1Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. 2Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms,#1:2 Or in your bosom that my lord the king may be warm.” 3So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the #Josh. 19:18Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not.
Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King
5Now #2 Sam. 3:4 Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” #2 Sam. 15:1And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, #2 Sam. 3:3, 4; 1 Chr. 3:2and he was born next after Absalom. 7He conferred with #2 Sam. 2:13, 18 Joab the son of Zeruiah and with #2 Sam. 20:25Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. 8But #[See ver. 7 above] Zadok the priest and #2 Sam. 8:18 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and #2 Sam. 12:1 Nathan the prophet and #ch. 4:18 Shimei and Rei and #See 2 Sam. 23:8-39David’s mighty men were not with Adonijah.
9Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside #Josh. 15:7; 2 Sam. 17:17En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, 10but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or #2 Sam. 12:24Solomon his brother.
Nathan and Bathsheba Before David
11Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that #[See ver. 5 above]Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it? 12Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, #ver. 30; [1 Chr. 22:9]“Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then is Adonijah king?’ 14Then while you are still speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm#1:14 Or expand on your words.”
15So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber (now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to the king). 16Bathsheba bowed and paid homage to the king, and the king said, “What do you desire?” 17She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, #[See ver. 13 above]‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18And now, behold, Adonijah is king, although you, my lord the king, do not know it. 19#ver. 9 He has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, #[See ver. 7 above] Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but #[See ver. 10 above]Solomon your servant he has not invited. 20And now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king #ch. 2:10; 2 Sam. 7:12; [Deut. 31:16]sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders.”
22While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23And they told the king, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed before the king, with his face to the ground. 24And Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25For he has gone down this day and #[See ver. 19 above] has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders#1:25 Hebrew; Septuagint Joab the commander of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, #See 1 Sam. 10:24‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26#ver. 8, 10, 32But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he has not invited. 27Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you have not told your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
Solomon Anointed King
28Then King David answered, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29And the king swore, saying, #See Ruth 3:13“As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, 30#ver. 13, 17as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.” 31Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king and said, #Neh. 2:3; Dan. 2:4; 3:9; 5:10; 6:6, 21“May my lord King David live forever!”
32King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king. 33And the king said to them, “Take with you #2 Sam. 11:11; 20:6 the servants of your lord and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to #2 Chr. 32:30; 33:14Gihon. 34And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there #See 1 Sam. 10:1 anoint him king over Israel. #2 Sam. 15:10; 2 Kgs. 9:13; 11:14 Then blow the trumpet and say, #[ver. 25]; See 1 Sam. 10:24‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35You shall then come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my place. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.” 36And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so. 37#See 1 Sam. 20:13 As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, #ver. 47and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”
38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, #See 2 Sam. 8:18and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon. 39There Zadok the priest took the horn of #[Ps. 89:20]; See Ex. 30:23-32 oil from the tent and #1 Chr. 29:22 anointed Solomon. #[See ver. 34 above] Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, #[See ver. 34 above]“Long live King Solomon!” 40And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise.
41Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “What does this uproar in the city mean?” 42While he was still speaking, behold, #2 Sam. 15:27, 36; 17:17 Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, “Come in, #2 Sam. 18:27for you are a worthy man and bring good news.” 43Jonathan answered Adonijah, “No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king, 44and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the #[See ver. 38 above]Cherethites and the Pelethites. And they had him ride on the king’s mule. 45And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at #[See ver. 33 above]Gihon, and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard. 46#1 Chr. 29:23Solomon sits on the royal throne. 47Moreover, the king’s servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, #ver. 37 ‘May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne.’ And the king #[Gen. 47:31]bowed himself on the bed. 48And the king also said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, #ch. 3:6; [Ps. 132:11, 12]who has granted someone#1:48 Septuagint one of my offspring to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.’”
49Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and rose, and each went his own way. 50And Adonijah feared Solomon. So he arose and went #ch. 2:28 and took hold of #Ex. 27:2the horns of the altar. 51Then it was told Solomon, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” 52And Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, #See 1 Sam. 14:45not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” 53So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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1 Kings 1
1
David’s Old Age. 1#1:1–2:12a] The first major unit of the Solomon story concludes the so-called Succession Narrative (2 Sm 9–20; 1 Kgs 1–2). This unit tells how Solomon, a younger son, came to succeed David on the throne of Israel through the intervention of the prophet Nathan. Compare the last unit of the Solomon story, 11:26–43, where the prophet Ahijah begins the process whereby Jeroboam becomes king of the northern tribes after Solomon’s death. The story of Solomon’s accession is itself concentrically arranged: David’s decline, Adonijah’s rise, Solomon’s supporters, David’s decision, Solomon’s inauguration, Adonijah’s fall, David’s death. Chronicles has no developed parallel to this story (see 1 Chr 23:1). When King David was old and advanced in years, though they covered him with blankets he could not get warm. 2His servants therefore said to him, “Let a young virgin be sought to attend my lord the king,#The fulsome use of royal titles and the elaborate etiquette in the Succession Narrative suggest the raw ambition of the contending parties and the oppressive atmosphere of the court. and to nurse him. If she sleeps with you, my lord the king will be warm.” 3So they sought for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunamite. So they brought her to the king. 4The girl was very beautiful indeed, and she nursed the king and took care of him. But the king did not have relations with her.
Adonijah’s Ambition. 5Adonijah, son of Haggith, boasted, “I shall be king!” and he provided himself with chariots, horses, and a retinue of fifty to go before him.#2 Sm 15:1. 6Yet his father would never antagonize him by asking, “Why are you doing this?” Adonijah was also very handsome, and next in age to Absalom by the same mother. 7He consulted with Joab, son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they became Adonijah’s supporters. 8However, Zadok the priest, Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei, and David’s warriors did not support Adonijah.
9Adonijah slaughtered sheep, oxen, and fatlings at the stone Zoheleth near En-rogel#En-rogel: the modern Job’s Well just southeast of Jerusalem. It marked the ancient boundary between the tribes of Benjamin and Judah (Jos 15:7; 18:16). and invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah; 10but he did not invite Nathan the prophet, or Benaiah, or the warriors, or Solomon his brother.
Solomon Proclaimed King. 11Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother: “Have you not heard that Adonijah, son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David does not know? 12Come now, let me advise you so that you may save your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13Go, visit King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord king, swear to your handmaid: Your son Solomon shall be king after me; it is he who shall sit upon my throne? Why, then, has Adonijah become king?’ 14And while you are still there speaking to the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”
15So Bathsheba visited the king in his room. The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunamite was caring for the king.#Entering the king’s chambers, Bathsheba confronts two realities: he is very old; and she herself, the woman for whom David once committed adultery and murder, has been replaced at the king’s side and in his bed. 16Bathsheba bowed in homage to the king. The king said to her, “What do you wish?”#Throughout 1 Kgs 1 the key question is “Who shall be king (malak)?” David’s feeble, two-syllable question to Bathsheba is an ironic echo of that key word: “What do you wish?” renders the Heb. mahlak? 17She answered him: “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord, your God, ‘Solomon your son will be king after me; it is he who shall sit upon my throne.’ 18But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord king, do not know it.#Bathsheba uses a clever wordplay to conceal the rivalry between Solomon and Adonijah and imply that the real rivalry is between David and Adonijah. She repeatedly addresses David as “my lord king” (’adoni hammelek), but claims that “Adonijah has become king” (’adoniya malak). Know: the term means both “be aware of” and “recognize, acknowledge, ratify.” 19He has sacrificed bulls, fatlings, and sheep in great numbers; he has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab, the commander of the army, but not your servant Solomon. 20#There was no precedent for determining succession to the throne of Israel. Adonijah and his supporters assumed that primogeniture would assure the succession as it did in the monarchies of the surrounding nations. But Bathsheba persuades David that he is free to name anyone he chooses. Now, my lord king, all Israel is looking to you to declare to them who is to sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him. 21If this is not done, when my lord the king rests with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be considered criminals.”
22While she was still speaking to the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23They told the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.” He entered the king’s presence and did him homage, bowing to the floor. 24Then Nathan said: “My lord king, did you say, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me and shall sit upon my throne’? 25For today he went down and sacrificed bulls, fatlings, and sheep in great numbers; he invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest, and even now they are eating and drinking in his company and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26But me, your servant, he did not invite; nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon. 27If this was done by order of my lord the king, you did not tell me, your servant, who is to sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him.”
28King David answered, “Call Bathsheba here.” When she entered the king’s presence and stood before him, 29the king swore, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, 30this very day I will fulfill the oath I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Your son Solomon shall be king after me and shall sit upon my throne in my place.’” 31Bowing to the floor in homage to the king, Bathsheba said, “May my lord, King David, live forever!”
32Then King David said, “Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, son of Jehoiada.” When they had entered the king’s presence, 33he said to them: “Take with you the royal officials. Mount my son Solomon upon my own mule and escort him down to Gihon. 34There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet shall anoint him king over Israel, and you shall blow the ram’s horn and cry, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35When you come back up with him, he is to go in and sit upon my throne. It is he that shall be king in my place: him I designate ruler of Israel and of Judah.” 36Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, answered the king: “So be it! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so decree! 37As the Lord has been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne even greater than that of my lord, King David!”
38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and Pelethites#Cherethites and Pelethites: mercenaries in David’s bodyguard. They became part of his retinue after he defeated the Philistines and established himself in Jerusalem; cf. 2 Sm 8:18; 15:18; 20:23. went down, and mounting Solomon on King David’s mule, escorted him to Gihon. 39Then Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. They blew the ram’s horn and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” 40Then all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing so much the earth split with their shouting.
Adonijah Submits to Solomon. 41Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it, just as they ended their banquet. When Joab heard the sound of the ram’s horn, he asked, “Why this uproar in the city?” 42As he was speaking, Jonathan, son of Abiathar the priest, arrived. Adonijah said, “Come, you are a man of worth and must bring good news.” 43Jonathan answered Adonijah, “Hardly!#Hardly: Jonathan’s first word, ’abal, whose meaning (such as “indeed,” “on the contrary”) must be discerned from the context, may be ironic. This irony is deepened by an untranslatable wordplay in Hebrew: a very similar word means “to mourn,” which is an appropriate comment about the death of Adonijah’s hopes for the throne. Our lord, King David, has made Solomon king. 44The king sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and Pelethites, and they mounted him upon the king’s own mule. 45Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him king at Gihon, and they went up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. That is the noise you hear. 46Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne, 47and moreover the king’s servants have come to pay their respects to our lord, King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than your name, his throne greater than your throne!’ And the king in his bed did homage. 48This is what the king said: ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has this day provided one to sit upon my throne, so that I see it with my own eyes.’” 49All the guests of Adonijah got up trembling, and went each their way, 50but Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, got up and went to grasp the horns of the altar.#Horns of the altar: the protuberances on each of the four corners of the altar (Ex 27:2; 29:12). By grasping the horns of the altar Adonijah is claiming asylum (Ex 21:13–14; 1 Kgs 2:28).
51It was reported to Solomon: “Adonijah, in fear of King Solomon, is clinging to the horns of the altar and saying, ‘Let King Solomon first swear that he will not kill me, his servant, with the sword.’” 52Solomon answered, “If he proves worthy, not a hair of his shall fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he shall die.” 53King Solomon sent to have him brought down from the altar, and he came and paid homage to King Solomon. Solomon then said to him, “Go to your house.”
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