1 Kings 1

David's Last Days

1 Now King David was old and getting on in years. Although they covered him with bedclothes, he could not get warm.

2 So his servants said to him: "Let us^[a] search for a young virgin for my lord the king. She is to attend the king and be his caregiver. She is to lie by your side so that my lord the king will get warm."

3 They searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel; they found Abishag the Shunammite^[b] and brought her to the king.

4 The girl was of unsurpassed beauty, and she became the king's caregiver. She served him, but he was not intimate with^[c] her.

Adonijah's Bid for Power

5 Adonijah son of Haggith^[d] kept exalting himself, saying, "I will be king!" He also assembled chariots, cavalry, and 50 men to run ahead of him.^[e]

6 But his father had never once reprimanded^[f] him by saying, "Why do you act this way?"^[g] In addition, he was quite handsome^[h] and was born after Absalom.

7 He conspired^[i] with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. They supported Adonijah,

8 but Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's warriors did not side with Adonijah.

9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel. He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king,

10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the warriors, or his brother Solomon.

Nathan's and Bathsheba's Appeals

11 Then 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 [it]?

12 Now please come and let me advise you. Save your life and the life of your son Solomon.

13 Go, approach King David and say to him, 'My lord king, did you not swear to your servant: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne?^[j] So why has Adonijah become king?'

14 At that moment, while you are still there speaking with the king, I'll come in after you and confirm your words."

15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was serving him.

16 Bathsheba bowed down and paid homage to the king, and he asked, "What do you want?"

17 She replied, "My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, 'Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne.'

18 Now look, Adonijah has become king. And,^[k] my lord king, you didn't know [it].

19 He has lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the king's sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite your servant Solomon.

20 Now, my lord king, the eyes of all Israel are on you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

21 Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals."

22 At that moment, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived,

23 and it was announced to the king, "Nathan the prophet is here." He came into the king's presence and bowed to him with his face to the ground.

24 "My lord king," Nathan said, "did you say, 'Adonijah is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne?'

25 For today he went down and lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And look! They're eating and drinking in his presence, and they're saying, 'Long live King Adonijah!'

26 But he did not invite me-me, your servant-or Zadok the priest or Benaiah son of Jehoiada or your servant Solomon.

27 I'm certain my lord the king would not have let this happen without letting your servant^[l] know who will sit on my lord the king's throne after him."

Solomon Confirmed King

28 King David responded by saying, "Call in Bathsheba for me." So she came into the king's presence and stood before him.

29 The king swore an oath and said, "As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every difficulty,

30 just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne in my place, that is exactly what I will do this very day."

31 Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, paying homage to the king, and said, "May my lord King David live forever!"

32 King David then said, "Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada for me." So they came into the king's presence.

33 The king said to them, "Take my servants with you, have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon.

34 There, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him as king over Israel. You are to blow the ram's horn and say, 'Long live King Solomon!'

35 You are to come up after him, and he is to come in and sit on my throne. He is the one who is to become king in my place; he is the one I have commanded to be ruler^[m] over Israel and Judah."

36 "Amen," Benaiah son of Jehoiada replied to the king. "May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so affirm it.

37 Just as the Lord was with my lord the king, so may He^[n] be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David."

38 Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down, had Solomon ride on King David's mule, and took him to Gihon.

39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon.^[o] Then they blew the ram's horn, and all the people proclaimed, "Long live King Solomon!"

40 All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth split open from the sound.^[p]

Adonijah Hears of Solomon's Coronation

41 Adonijah and all the invited guests who were with him heard [the noise] as they finished eating. Joab heard the sound of the ram's horn and said, "Why is the town in such an uproar?"

42 He was still speaking when Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest, suddenly arrived. Adonijah said, "Come in, for you are an excellent man, and you must be bringing good news."^[q]

43 "Unfortunately not," Jonathan answered him. "Our lord King David has made Solomon king.

44 And with Solomon, the king has sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have had him ride on the king's mule.

45 Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. They have gone from there rejoicing. The town has been in an uproar; that's the noise you heard.

46 Solomon has even taken his seat on the royal throne.

47 "The king's servants have also gone to congratulate our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than your name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.' Then the king bowed in worship on his bed.^[r]

48 And the king went on to say this: 'May the Lord God of Israel be praised! Today He has provided one to sit on my throne, and I am a witness.' "^[s]

49 Then all of Adonijah's guests got up trembling and went their separate ways.

50 Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he got up and went to take hold of the horns of the altar.^[t]

51 It was reported to Solomon: "Look, Adonijah fears King Solomon, and he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let King Solomon first^[u] swear to me that he will not kill his servant with the sword.' "

52 Then Solomon said, "If he is a man of character, then not a single hair of his will fall to the ground, but if evil is found in him, then he dies."

53 So King Solomon sent for him, and they took him down from the altar. He came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, "Go to your home."

1 Kings 1 Commentary

Chapter 1

The history now before us accounts for the affairs of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, yet with special regard to the kingdom of God among them; for it is a sacred history. It is earlier as to time, teaches much more, and is more interesting than any common histories.

David's declining age. (1-4) Adonijah aspires to the throne. (5-10) David makes Solomon king. (11-31) Solomon is anointed king, and Adonijah's usurpation stopped. (32-53)

Verses 1-4 We have David sinking under infirmities. He was chastised for his recent sins, and felt the effects of his former toils and hardships.

Verses 5-10 Indulgent parents are often chastised with disobedient children, who are anxious to possess their estates. No worldly wisdom, nor experience, nor sacredness of character, can insure the continuance in any former course of those who remain under the power of self-love. But we may well wonder by what arts Joab and Abiathar could be drawn aside.

Verses 11-31 Observe Nathan's address to Bathsheba. Let me give thee counsel how to save thy own life, and the life of thy son. Such as this is the counsel Christ's ministers give us in his name, to give all diligence, not only that no man take our crown, Re. 3:11 , but that we save our lives, even the lives of our souls. David made a solemn declaration of his firm cleaving to his former resolution, that Solomon should be his successor. Even the recollection of the distresses from which the Lord redeemed him, increased his comfort, inspired his hopes, and animated him to his duty, under the decays of nature and the approach of death.

Verses 32-53 The people expressed great joy and satisfaction in the elevation of Solomon. Every true Israelite rejoices in the exaltation of the Son of David. Combinations formed upon evil principles will soon be dissolved, when self-interest calls another way. How can those who do evil deeds expect to have good tidings? Adonijah had despised Solomon, but soon dreaded him. We see here, as in a glass, Jesus, the Son of David and the Son of God, exalted to the throne of glory, notwithstanding all his enemies. His kingdom is far greater than that of his father David, and therein all the true people of God cordially rejoice. The prosperity of his cause is vexation and terror to his enemies. No horns of the altar, nor forms of godliness, nor pretences to religion, can profit those who will not submit to His authority, and accept of his salvation; and if their submission be hypocritical, they shall perish without remedy.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit them
• [b]. Shunem was a town in the hill country of Issachar at the foot of Mt. Moreh; Jos 19:17-18.
• [c]. Lit he did not know
• [d]. 2 Sm 3:2-4
• [e]. Heralds announcing his procession
• [f]. Or grieved
• [g]. 2 Sm 13:21
• [h]. 2 Sm 14:25
• [i]. Lit His words were
• [j]. 1 Ch 22:9-13; 23:1
• [k]. Many Hb mss, LXX, Vg, Syr; MT reads And now
• [l]. Many Hb mss, LXX; alt Hb tradition reads servants
• [m]. 1 Sm 9:16; 13:14; 2 Ch 11:22
• [n]. Alt Hb tradition reads so He will
• [o]. 1 Ch 29:22
• [p]. LXX reads the land resounded with their noise
• [q]. 2 Sm 18:27
• [r]. Gn 47:31
• [s]. Lit and my eyes are seeing
• [t]. 1 Kg 2:28
• [u]. Two Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg read today

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KINGS

This, and the following book, properly are but one book, divided into two parts, and went with the Jews under the common name of Kings. This, in the Syriac version, is called the Book of Kings; and in the Arabic version, the Book of Solomon, the Son of David the Prophet, because it begins with his reign upon the death of his father; and, in the Vulgate Latin version, the Third Book of Kings, the two preceding books of Samuel being sometimes called the First and Second Books of Kings, they containing the reigns of Saul and David; and in the Septuagint version both this and the following book are called Kingdoms, because they treat of the kingdom of Israel and Judah, after the division in the times of Rehoboam, son of Solomon, and of the several kings of them; as of Solomon before the division, so afterwards of the kings of Judah; Rehoboam, Abijam, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Jehoash, Amaziah, Uzziah or Azariah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah; and of the kings of Israel, Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, Ahab, Ahaziah, Jehu, Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam the son of Joash, Zachariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hoshea; so that these books may, with great propriety, be called the books or histories of the kings in the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel: who they were written by, is not easy to say; some think they were written by piecemeal by the prophets that lived in the several reigns successively, as Nathan, Ahijah the Shilonite, Iddo, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and afterwards put together by an inspired writer. The Jews commonly say {a}, that Jeremiah wrote the book of the Kings, by which they mean this, and the following book; though very probably they were written by Ezra, since the history in them is carried down to the liberty granted to Jehoiachin in Babylon; but that Ezra was the writer of all the preceding historical books, and even of the Pentateuch, cannot be admitted, which is the conceit of Spinosa {b}; part of whose tract is just now republished by somebody, word for word, under a title as in the margin {c}; but that Ezra was not the writer of the Pentateuch is clear, since he refers to it as written by Moses, and as the rule of religion and worship in his times, Ezr 3:2-4, 6:18; and it is certain these writings were in being in the times of Josiah, Amaziah, Joash, yea, of David, and even of Joshua, \2Ch 34:14 25:4 23:18 1Ki 2:3 Jos 8:34\; and as for the book of Joshua, that also was written long before Ezra's time; it must be written long before the times of David, before the Jebusites were expelled from Jerusalem, since the writer of it says, that they dwelt there in his days, Jos 15:63; the book of Judges must be written before the times of Samuel and David, since the former refers to the annals of it, 1Sa 12:9,10; and the latter alludes to some passages in it, Ps 68:7,8; see Jud 5:4,5; and a speech of Joab's, 2Sa 11:21, shows it to be an history then extant: to which may be added, that in it Jerusalem is called Jebus, Jud 19:10,11; which it never was, after it was taken by David out of the hands of the Jebusites, 2Sa 5:6; the book of Ruth very probably was written by Samuel; had it been of a later date, or written by Ezra, the genealogy with which it concludes, would doubtless have been carried further than to David: the Book of Samuel, and particularly the song of Hannah in it, were written in all probability before the penning of the hundred thirteenth psalm, Ps 113:1-9, in which some expressions seem to be taken from it wherefore, though the two books of Kings may be allowed to be written or compiled by Ezra, the ten preceding ones cannot be assigned to him: however, there is no room to doubt of the divine authority of these two books, when the honour our Lord has done them is observed, by quoting or referring to several histories in them; as to the account of the queen of Sheba coming to hear the wisdom of Solomon; of the famine in the times of Elijah; and of that prophet being sent to the widow of Sarepta, and of the cleansing of Naaman the Syrian in the times of Elisha, Mt 12:42, Lu 4:25-28 from 1Ki 17:1-10 2Ki 5:10-14; to which may be added, the quotations and references made by the apostles to passages in them, as by the Apostle Paul in Ro 11:2-4 from 1Ki 19:14,18; where this book is expressly called the Scripture; and by the Apostle James, Jas 5:17,18; who manifestly refers to 1Ki 17:1-24; and there are various things in this part of Scripture, which are confirmed by the testimonies of Heathen writers, as will be observed in the exposition of it. The use of these books is to carry on the history of the Jewish nation, to show the state of the church of God in those times, and his providential care of it amidst all the changes and vicissitudes in the state; and, above all, to transmit to us the true genealogy of the Messiah, which serves to confirm the Evangelist Matthew's account of it.

{a} T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 15. 1. {b} Tractat. Theolog. Politic. c. 8. & 9. p. 150 {c} Tractatus de Primis 12. Vet. Test. Lib. &c. Londini 1763.

\\INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KINGS 1\\

This chapter gives an account of the infirmities of David in his old age, and the method used to relieve him under them, 1Ki 1:1-4; of the preparation his son Adonijah made to usurp the throne, 1Ki 1:5-10; of Bathsheba's address to the king upon it, in favour of her son Solomon, on which she was put by, Nathan the prophet, and seconded in it by him, 1Ki 1:11-27; when the king with an oath confirmed the succession of Solomon in the kingdom, and ordered Nathan the prophet, and Zadok the priest, to anoint him, which was accordingly done with great ceremony, to the satisfaction of the king and his servants, 1Ki 1:28-40; the news of which being brought to Adonijah and his friends, struck them with terror, and on which they dispersed, 1Ki 1:41-50; and upon the promise of Adonijah, that he would behave well to Solomon, he was pardoned and dismissed, having fled and lain hold on the horns of the altar, 1Ki 1:51-53.