1 Kings 1

Chapter context

What is happening in 1 Kings 1?

templewisdomidolatrydivision

1 Kings 1 belongs to the opening movement of the book, especially the section often described as Solomon’s accession and wisdom. First Kings tells of Solomon’s reign and temple, the split between north and south, and the rise of prophetic confrontation through Elijah. Read this chapter with the wider themes of temple, wisdom, and idolatry in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. ² Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat. ³ So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. ⁴ And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not. ⁵ Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. ⁶ And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. ⁷ And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. ⁸ But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. ⁹ And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah the king’s servants: ¹⁰ But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not. ¹¹ Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? ¹² Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. ¹³ Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign? ¹⁴ Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words. ¹⁵ And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king. ¹⁶ And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou? ¹⁷ And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne. ¹⁸ And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not: ¹⁹ And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called. ²⁰ And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. ²¹ Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders. ²² And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. ²³ And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. ²⁴ And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? ²⁵ For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king’s sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah. ²⁶ But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called. ²⁷ Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him? ²⁸ Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king. ²⁹ And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, ³⁰ Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day. ³¹ Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever. ³² And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. ³³ The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: ³⁴ And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon. ³⁵ Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah. ³⁶ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too. ³⁷ As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David. ³⁸ So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. ³⁹ And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon. ⁴⁰ And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them. ⁴¹ And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar? ⁴² And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings. ⁴³ And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king. ⁴⁴ And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king’s mule: ⁴⁵ And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard. ⁴⁶ And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. ⁴⁷ And moreover the king’s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed. ⁴⁸ And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it. ⁴⁹ And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. ⁵⁰ And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. ⁵¹ And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me today that he will not slay his servant with the sword. ⁵² And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. ⁵³ So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house.

Study helps

Glossary

David Person v. 1, 8, 11, 13, 28, 31-32, 37, 43, 47: Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .
Abishag Person v. 3, 15: Father of (i. e., “given to”) error, a young woman of Shunem, distinguished for her beauty. She was chosen to minister to David in his old age. She became his wife ( 1 Kings 1:3 , 4, 15).
Shunem Place v. 3: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Sulam.
Adonijah Person v. 5, 7-9, 11, 13, 18, 24-25, 41-43, 49-51: My Lord is Jehovah. (1. ) The fourth son of David ( 2 Sam. 3:4 ). After the death of his elder brothers, Amnon and Absalom, he became heir-apparent to the throne. But Solomon, a younger brother, was preferred to him.
Haggith Person v. 5, 11: Festive; the dancer, a wife of David and the mother of Adonijah ( 2 Sam. 3:4 ; 1 Kings 1:5 , 11; 2:13; 1 Chr. 3:2 ), who, like Absalom, was famed for his beauty.
Absalom Person v. 6: Father of peace; i. e., “peaceful” David’s son by Maacah ( 2 Sam. 3:3 ; comp. 1 Kings 1:6 ). He was noted for his personal beauty and for the extra-ordinary profusion of the hair of his head ( 2 Sam. 14:25 ,26).
Abiathar Person v. 7, 19, 25, 42: Father of abundance, or my father excels, the son of Ahimelech the high priest. He was the tenth high priest, and the fourth in descent from Eli.
Joab Person v. 7, 19, 41: Jehovah is his father. (1. ) One of the three sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister, and “captain of the host” during the whole of David’s reign ( 2 Sam. 2:13 ; 10:7 ; 11:1 ; 1 Kings 11:15 ).
Zeruiah Person v. 7: Stricken of the Lord, David’s sister, and the mother of Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.
Benaiah Person v. 8, 10, 26, 32, 36, 38, 44: Built up by Jehovah. (1. ) The son of Jehoiada, chief priest ( 1 Chr. 27:5 ). He was set by David over his body-guard of Cherethites and Pelethites ( 2 Sam. 8:18 ; 1 Kings 1:32 ; 1 Chr. 18:17 ).
Jehoiada Person v. 8, 26, 32, 36, 38, 44: Jehovah-known. (1. ) The father of Benaiah, who was one of David’s chief warriors ( 2 Sam. 8:18 ; 20:23 ). (2. ) The high priest at the time of Athaliah’s usurpation of the throne of Judah.
Nathan Person v. 8, 10-11, 22-24, 32, 34, 38, 44-45: Given. (1. ) A prophet in the reigns of David and Solomon ( 2 Chr. 9:29 ). He is first spoken of in connection with the arrangements David made for the building of the temple.
Shimei Person v. 8: Famous. (1. ) A son of Gershon, and grandson of Levi ( Num. 3:18 ; 1 Chr. 6:17 , 29); called Shimi in Ex. 6:17 .
Zadok Person v. 8, 26, 32, 34, 38-39, 44-45: Righteous. (1. ) A son of Ahitub, of the line of Eleazer ( 2 Sam. 8:17 ; 1 Chr. 24:3 ), high priest in the time of David ( 2 Sam. 20:25 ) and Solomon ( 1 Kings 4:4 ).
En-rogel Place v. 9: Biblical spring. Modern identification: Bir Ayub.
Serpent’s Stone Place v. 9: Biblical rock. Modern identification: Bir Ayub.
Gihon Place v. 33, 38, 44-45: A stream. (1. ) One of the four rivers of Eden ( Gen. 2:13 ). It has been identified with the Nile. Others regard it as the Oxus, or the Araxes, or the Ganges. Modern identification: Gihon Spring.
Tabernacle Object v. 39: (1. ) A house or dwelling-place ( Job 5:24 ; 18:6 , etc. ). (2. ) A portable shrine (comp. Acts 19:24 ) containing the image of Moloch ( Amos 5:26 ; marg. and R. V., “Siccuth”). (3. ) The human body.
Jerusalem Place v. 40: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
City People v. 41, 45: The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).
Jonathan Person v. 42-43: Whom Jehovah gave, the name of fifteen or more persons that are mentioned in Scripture. The chief of these are, (1. ) A Levite descended from Gershom ( Judg. 18:30 ). His history is recorded in 17:7-13 and 18:30.