FRAMEWORKS:
1 Kings 1: Competition for the Kingship
v.1-4
David is warmed
v.5-10
Adonijah
Sets Himself Up as King
v.11-14
Nathan counsels Bathsheba
v.15-21
Bathsheba speaks to David
v.22-27
Nathan adds his voice
v.28-31
David declares
his will for Solomon to be king
v.32-37
David instructs his three men
v.38-40
They declare Solomon publicly
v.41-48
Adonijah is told
v.49-53
Adonijah is put under house arrest
v.1-4
David is warmed
v.1
When
King David was very old, he could not keep warm even when they
put covers over him.
v.2
So
his attendants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to
serve the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so
that our lord the king may keep warm.”
v.3
Then
they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful young woman and
found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
v.4
The
woman was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited
on him, but the king had no sexual relations with her.
[Notes:
As
1 Kings picks up the history from 2 Samuel, David is now an old
man who feels the cold! The main concern of the court is to keep
their king warm at night!]
v.5-10
Adonijah
Sets Himself Up as King
v.5
Now
Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said,
“I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with
fifty men to run ahead of him.
v.6
(His
father had never rebuked him by asking, “Why do you behave as
you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)
v.7
Adonijah
conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest,
and they gave him their support.
v.8
But
Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet,
Shimei and Rei and David's special guard did not join Adonijah.
v.9
Adonijah
then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone
of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king's
sons, and all the royal officials of Judah,
v.10
but
he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special
guard or his brother Solomon.
[Notes:
David
has a problem: a big family from a number of wives. Adonijah,
according to 2 Sam 3:2-5, is only the fourth son. Amnon the oldest
was killed by Absalom [2 Sam 13]. Absalom had been killed by Joab
[2 Sam 18] and there are a number of others. Adonijah is clearly
one of the most ambitious and wants to take over after his father.
It causes a split between those who are for him [v.7] and those
who are not [v.8]. He invites those who are for him to join with
him together with royal officials. He clearly sees this as the
time for him to be proclaimed king.]
v.11-14
Nathan counsels Bathsheba
v.11
Then
Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, “Have you not heard
that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord
David knows nothing about it?
v.12
Now
then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the
life of your son Solomon.
v.13
Go
in to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not
swear to me your servant: “Surely Solomon your son shall be king
after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah
become king?'
v.14
While
you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and add
my word to what you have said.”
[Notes:
To
see the thinking behind these activities, please see the notes
in the Introduction page. ]
v.15-21
Bathsheba speaks to David
v.15
So
Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag
the Shunammite was attending him.
v.16 Bathsheba
bowed down, prostrating herself before the king. “What is it you
want?” the king asked.
v.17
She
said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by
the LORD your God: ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and
he will sit on my throne.'
v.18
But
now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not
know about it.
v.19
He
has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep,
and has invited all the king's sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab
the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your
servant.
v.20 My
lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from
you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
v.21
Otherwise,
as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his ancestors,
I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.”
[Notes:
Bathsheba
points out to David that he had indicated that her son Solomon
would be the next king but Adonijah seems to be making a play
for the role.]
v.22-27
Nathan adds his voice
v.22
While
she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived.
v.23
And
the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before
the king and bowed with his face to the ground.
v.24
Nathan
said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall
be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne?
v.25
Today
he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened
calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king's sons, the commanders
of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating
and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!'
v.26 But
me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada,
and your servant Solomon he did not invite.
v.27
Is
this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants
know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
[Notes:
Nathan
confirms this is what was happening.]
v.28-31
David
declares his will for Solomon to be king
v.28
Then
King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king's
presence and stood before him.
v.29
The
king then took an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, who has
delivered me out of every trouble,
v.30
I
will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the
LORD, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after
me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”
v.31
Then
Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating
herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live
forever!”
[Notes:
The
king calls Bathsheba back in and promises that Solomon will be
king.]
v.32-37
David instructs his three men
v.32
King
David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan
the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.”
When they came before the king,
v.33
he
said to them: “Take your lord's servants with you and have Solomon
my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon.
v.34
There
have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over
Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!'
v.35
Then
you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne
and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel
and Judah.”
v.36
Benaiah
son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the LORD, the God
of my lord the king, so declare it.
v.37
As
the LORD was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon
to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King
David!”
[Notes:
David
calls in his three spiritual leaders and instructs them to anoint
Solomon as king.]
v.38-40
They declare Solomon publicly
v.38
So
Zadok the priest, Nathan the
prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites
and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon mount King David's
mule, and they escorted him to Gihon.
v.39
Zadok
the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed
Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted,
“Long live King Solomon!”
v.40
And
all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing
greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.
[Notes:
The
men carry this out.]
v.41-48
Adonijah is told
v.41 Adonijah
and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing
their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked,
“What's the meaning of all the noise in the city?”
v.42
Even
as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived.
Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing
good news.”
v.43
“Not
at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon
king.
v.44
The
king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah
son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have
put him on the king's mule,
v.45
and
Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king
at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city
resounds with it. That's the noise you hear.
v.46
Moreover,
Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne.
v.47
Also,
the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David,
saying, ‘May your God make Solomon's name more famous than yours
and his throne greater than yours!' And the king bowed in worship
on his bed
v.48
and
said, ‘Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has allowed
my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.' ”
[Notes:
The
news gets to Adonijah that Solomon is now king.]
v.49-53
Adonijah is put under house arrest
v.49
At
this, all Adonijah's guests rose in alarm and dispersed.
v.50
But
Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns
of the altar.
v.51
Then
Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging
to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to
me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'
”
v.52
Solomon
replied, “If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his
head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he
will die.”
v.53
Then
King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar.
And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon
said, “Go to your home.”
[Notes:
The
guests all flee and Adonijah seeks safety but is taken before
Solomon and instructed to go to his own home where he must stay
(implied).]
Continue
to Chapter 2