1 Kings 2:23

23 Then King Solomon swore under God, "May God do his worst to me if Adonijah doesn't pay for this with his life!

1 Kings 2:23 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 2:23

Then King Solomon sware by the Lord
To prevent his mother pressing him to have her petition granted:

saying, God do so to me, and more also;
lay such and such evils upon me, and more than I care to express:

if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life;
to his own prejudice, and even to the loss of his life; in which Solomon suggests it would issue, being a fresh overt act of treason; he knew, from what Bathsheba said, that this was his petition, and that he had spoken of this to her, and put her upon making it for him; and who no doubt related to Solomon the whole of the conversation that passed between them, and to which he seems to have some respect in his answer.

1 Kings 2:23 In-Context

21 She said, "Give Abishag the Shunammite to your brother Adonijah as his wife."
22 King Solomon answered his mother, "What kind of favor is this, asking that Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah? Why don't you just ask me to hand over the whole kingdom to him on a platter since he is my older brother and has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side!"
23 Then King Solomon swore under God, "May God do his worst to me if Adonijah doesn't pay for this with his life!
24 As surely as God lives, the God who has set me firmly on the throne of my father David and has put me in charge of the kingdom just as he promised, Adonijah will die for this - today!"
25 King Solomon dispatched Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he struck Adonijah and he died.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.