1 Kings 1: 1 – 53
Ms. Israel
1 Now King David was old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm. 2 Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman, a virgin, be sought for our lord the king, and let her stand before the king, and let her care for him; and let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may be warm.” 3 So they sought for a lovely young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The young woman was very lovely; and she cared for the king and served him; but the king did not know her. 5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6 (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, “Why have you done so?” He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.) 7 Then he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed and helped Adonijah. 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah. 9 And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fattened cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En Rogel; he also invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or Solomon his brother. 11 So Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 12 Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go immediately to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, “Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 Then, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.” 15 So Bathsheba went into the chamber to the king. (Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) 16 And Bathsheba bowed and did homage to the king. Then the king said, “What is your wish?” 17 Then she said to him, “My lord, you swore by the LORD your God to your maidservant, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18 So now, look! Adonijah has become king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know about it. 19 He has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army; but Solomon your servant he has not invited. 20 And as for you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted as offenders.” 22 And just then, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. 23 So they told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. 24 And Nathan said, “My lord, O king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25 For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, and the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and look! They are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But he has not invited me—me your servant—nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon. 27 Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?” 28 Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29 And the king took an oath and said, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress, 30 just as I swore to you by the LORD God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so I certainly will do this day.” 31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and paid homage to the king, and said, “Let my lord King David live forever!” 32 And King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king. 33 The king also said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon.[i] 34 There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the horn, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” 36 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! May the LORD God of my lord the king say so too. 37 As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.” 38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and took him to Gihon. 39 Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound. 41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said, “Why is the city in such a noisy uproar?” 42 While he was still speaking, there came Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest. And Adonijah said to him, “Come in, for you are a prominent man, and bring good news.” 43 Then Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule. 45 So Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at 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 Also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom. 47 And moreover the king’s servants have gone to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.’ Then the king bowed himself on the bed. 48 Also the king said thus, ‘Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see it!’ 49 So all the guests who were with Adonijah were afraid, and arose, and each one went his way. 50 Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 And it was told Solomon, saying, “Indeed Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; for look, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’ ” 52 Then Solomon said, “If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” 53 So King Solomon sent them to bring him down from the altar. And he came and fell down before King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
In the late 1920s, a Queen Esther Beauty Pageant was held in Tel Aviv centering on the holiday of Purim. The first modern day Miss Israel Pageant took place in 1950. Since then Miss Israel pagent has been the national foundation for the Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Europe pageants. The official winner represents Israel in the Miss Universe competition and the runners-up in the Miss World, Miss International and Miss Europe competitions. Sometimes the winner competes at other international pageants, such as the Miss World pageant.
In today’s study we will find out that this beauty contest was developed during the reign of king David.
The importance of this initial passage lies in the fact, firstly that it indicates the king’s poor state of health, and secondly that it introduces Abishag who will play an important part in what follows. It makes clear exactly what her position was. She was there mainly to keep the king warm, and to look after him, but did not have sexual relations with him. She was, however, seen as his concubine (common wife) as is evident from 2.22.
1 Now King David was old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm.
The sad state to which David had come is made clear, and while partly due to old age, must surely also have resulted from some illness. For him to have been feeling cold when we consider the heat of the climate must have had some medical condition at the back of it as its cause. He was after all only about seventy years of age. His state, and no doubt his shivering, naturally was a concern of his faithful ‘servants’.
2 Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman, a virgin, be sought for our lord the king, and let her stand before the king, and let her care for him; and let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may be warm.”
His ‘servants’ therefore determined to find for him a young woman to lie close to him and warm him. Now a question for us to consider is ‘have you considered one of David’s wives or possibly one of his concubines to lie next to their husband? Something else is going on here? Sure, you can say that they love their boss so much they want to bless him with a young beautiful woman but I believe that David’s guys wanted to stir up David’s physical being. Perhaps they thought that if a young and beautiful woman came into the picture David would physically stir up his overall health.
3 So they sought for a lovely young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
They sought throughout the kingdom for a suitable beautiful young woman and chose a Shunammite named Abishag. In a way this was the beauty pagent I spoke about. We need to stop and think how the judging went on? The scripture states that they sought ‘throughout the territory for a beautiful woman. Are you telling me all the other woman were ugly and they were only able to find one.
4 The young woman was very lovely; and she cared for the king and served him; but the king did not know her.
Note how the beauty of the young woman is stressed, which appears to contrast with the fact that ‘the king knew her not’ (had no sexual relations with her). It certainly stresses how ill the king was, and some have suggested that it was a virility test to indicate his state of health. Thus, his lack of sexual activity was simply an indication of his failing condition.
The main importance of all this was firstly in order to emphasize the king’s poor health, and secondly in order to prepare for Abishag’s part in what was coming. But it is also a reminder to us that even in such a situation God looks after His own servants in His own way and makes provision for each of them according to their need.
There can be no doubt that Adonijah was here trying to become king, knowing perfectly well that it would not meet with David’s initial approval, and aware that David really saw Solomon as his heir. His hope was presumably that once it had become an accomplished fact and had gained the approval of the people David would become reconciled to it. All this is brought out when we peruse the names of those who were not invited to his feast, for those who were excluded were those who were closest to the king and would want to see that his will was done, while the only one who was excluded of the king’s sons was Solomon, a significant fact. It was a pre-emptive strike which was being attempted in view of the king’s illness, but it was mainly nipped in the bud because of Nathan’s astuteness.
Adonijah had no real grounds for thinking that he was especially due to inherit the throne, apart possibly from considering the example of nations round about. There was no established tradition in Israel’s history which could have caused him to expect it. And it is significant that at no stage is he said to have sought the will of YHWH about it. It was simply that, as often happened in the Ancient Near East, he considered that there was a vacancy and was determined to make a push to obtain it, and this because no official declaration had been made. And he did it even though he knew what the king’s real intentions were.
He was supported in his endeavor by Joab, commander of the armies of all Israel (but not of David’s bodyguard and of the mighty men in Jerusalem), Abiathar, who was probably High Priest at the Tabernacle at Hebron/Gibeon in contrast with Zadok who presided at the Sacred Tent in Jerusalem, and the leading people of Judah, who were seen as separate from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Jerusalem being David’s private possession. His support was thus from outside Jerusalem. Within a certain area he was the popular candidate, and we may note that it was the people of Judah who had initially supported Absalom, who now supported Adonijah.
We see that the people invited were all ones whose absence would not necessarily be noticed by the king. The king’s close attendants were excluded.
In contrast Solomon was supported by Nathan, the prophet of Yahweh in Jerusalem, Zadok, the High Priest in Jerusalem, Benaiah the commander of the king’s bodyguard, and the mighty men who lived in Jerusalem. It would have required huge popular support from all Israel (which Adonijah may have felt that he could obtain) to supplant such a powerful combination.
5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
Having determined to become king, Adonijah’s first step towards obtaining the kingship was to improve on what Absalom had done before him and prepare for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. This act should have raised the red flag which should in itself have been seen as a danger signal to all concerned. He was seeking to win the people of Jerusalem over by his magnificence and open authority. The ‘fifty’ men would also act as his bodyguard and be the foundation for his attempt on the kingdom.
6 (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, “Why have you done so?” He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.)
The fact that David had foolishly not questioned his intentions when he had done this had probably encouraged him. A wise word from David might well have nipped his action in the bud. Perhaps David considered that he had lost Absalom and gave him the excessive spoiling.
Adonijah was further encouraged in his ambitions by his good looks, and by the fact that he was now the eldest
7 Then he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed and helped Adonijah.
So he began to sound out what support he could raise, and was no doubt delighted to discover that both Joab, the commander-in-chief of the army of Israel, and Abiathar, one of the High Priests, were prepared to support him. Joab was probably aware that he was out of favor with David over the affairs of Abner and Amasa, and was also not in Solomon’s favor, and was as ever trying to establish his own position. Abiathar was possibly won over by Adonijah’s grandeur, or even by the promise that he would be given precedence over Zadok, the other High Priest. He was probably aware that Solomon favored Zadok, the High Priest in Jerusalem. Both Joab and Abiathar had their main spheres of influence outside Jerusalem, Joab being over the host of Israel/|Judah and Abiathar being Priest at the Tabernacle.
8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah.
When you think about this list then Adonijah should have known that this group of men were the death knell to his hopes. Benaiah, over the king’s bodyguard, and the mighty men, who were the main officers over the standing army, represented the power base present in Jerusalem which had always upheld David. They were a formidable combination. Adonijah’s only hope was to speedily win the confidence and support of the people outside Jerusalem by a coup. This was now what he attempted to do.
Nathan the prophet followed in the line of prophets who in Israel had great influence. They were the spokesmen of Yahweh and the king’s conscience, and even ‘evil’ kings listened to them, although they did not always do what they said. Other nations had ‘prophets’ but they did not have the same status as those in Israel. This sidelining of Nathan by Adonijah was a clear indication that Adonijah was not seeking the will of Yahweh. He was thus minimizing the importance of the covenant. And it is this fact that underlies this first chapter of Kings, that Yahweh finally ensured that the man of His choice became king.
9 And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fattened cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En Rogel; he also invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or Solomon his brother.
With the intention of pre-empting the matter of the kingship Adonijah held a great feast at the stone of Zoheleth (‘the serpent’s stone’, or ‘stone of slipping’), which was at En-rogel to which he invited all the king’s sons (who thus appear to have favored his becoming king) apart from Solomon, and all the prominent men (the king’s servants) of Judah (or possibly the Judean military leaders). He was clearly aware that Solomon was the heir apparent, and that Solomon was supported by the mighty men and the establishment in Jerusalem because he was David’s choice. Adonijah’s idea would appear to have been the obtaining of the kingship by popular acclamation in Judah while David was out of action without any thought as to whether it was the will of Yahweh. If he could turn the tide in his favor it would be difficult for a sick David to stop his efforts.
The purpose of the feast was in order that men might demonstrate their loyalty to Adonijah, and their oneness with him in his endeavor, by eating together, so cementing their union. The hope then being that all Israel would hear and respond. It was not necessarily a sacrificial meal. The slaughter of sheep and oxen could take place without their being sacrificed as long as the proper ritual was observed. The exclusion of Solomon was an act of open hostility, and a declaration of the fact that he was not seeking to make peace with him.
11 So Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it?
Meanwhile news of what Adonijah was attempting to do inevitably arrived in Jerusalem, but it took a brave man to do something about it, for if Adonijah succeeded in his attempt to become king such a person knew that he would be a marked man. He was aware of the sworn promises that David had made to Bathsheba that Solomon was to be the heir, and himself knew of Yahweh’s special seal put on Solomon at his birth (2 Samuel 12.25).
Nathan also knew that David never broke his sworn oath. Thus, he would see himself as, by his action, seeking to bring about the will of Yahweh. That is why he approached Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, and asked her if she had heard that Adonijah had pronounced himself as prospective king without the knowledge of David.
12 Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.
He then urged her to listen to his advice if she was to avoid certain death for herself and Solomon at the hands of Adonijah. He knew that Adonijah could never allow Solomon to live once he had taken the throne simply because so many knew that Solomon was David’s choice as heir, and Adonijah had in fact indicated his hostile intentions by excluding Solomon from his list of invited guests. While Solomon was alive Adonijah would know that his throne could never be secure.
13 Go immediately to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, “Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’
Nathan then urged Bathsheba to go to the sick king and point out that David had sworn that Solomon would be his heir and would resign after him and sit on the throne, and to ask him if he was aware of Adonijah’s attempt on the throne.
14 Then, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.”
Then he promised that while she was thus speaking with the king, he himself would enter and confirm her words. It is apparent that Nathan was acting in order that the king might be crowned whom he knew to have been appointed by Yahweh (2 Samuel 12.24-25.
15 So Bathsheba went into the chamber to the king. (Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.)
So, Bathsheba approached the inner chambers of the sick king. She would be one of the few who had easy access. We are then reminded that the king was very old, and that he was being ministered to by Abishag. It is noteworthy that Abishag was permitted to be present at all the audiences sought with the king.
16 And Bathsheba bowed and did homage to the king. Then the king said, “What is your wish?”
Despite her position Bathsheba had to make a formal approach. And when she entered the inner chamber she bowed and did obeisance. The king then asked her what it was that she wanted.
17 Then she said to him, “My lord, you swore by the LORD your God to your maidservant, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’
Bathsheba then reminded the king that he had sworn by Yahweh his God that Solomon would rule after him, and would sit on his throne. The serious form of the oath excludes the idea that Bathsheba was making it up.
18 So now, look! Adonijah has become king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know about it. 19 He has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army; but Solomon your servant he has not invited.
She then explained why she was disturbed. It was because Adonijah was basically taking the co-regency for himself, without the king’s knowledge, and had made clear his intentions by a special feast to which he had called all those who were supporting his cause, including all the sons of the king apart from Solomon. This latter fact was pregnant with significance, as David would immediately realize. He was not senile. Déjà vu was happening. All of this was a flash back to his son Absalom. The special mention of Abiathar and Joab would also make clear who was not supporting him (Nathan, Zadok and Benaiah).
20 And as for you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
Then she urged him to make the true position about who was to succeed him crystal clear, in view of the fact that all Israel were awaiting his instruction as to who should be his heir and be king after him.
21 Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted as offenders.”
Most importantly she drew attention to Adonijah’s clear indication that once he became king, and David was dead, Solomon, and therefore his mother, would be liquidated as ‘offenders, lawbreakers, sinners’. In other words, some technicality would be utilized so as to put them to death. She was thus playing on the affection and loyalty that she knew that David had for her, and for all his sons, including Solomon. We must not play down the situation. She was fully aware that she and Solomon (the one whom Yahweh loved and to whom He had given a special, unique name - 2 Samuel 12.24-25) undoubtedly faced elimination if Adonijah became king.
22 And just then, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. 23 So they told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.
While Bathsheba was talking with David he was informed that Nathan had come to see him. Such an important visitor had to be given preference and at this point Bathsheba was required to leave, prior to Nathan being invited in to David’s inner chamber. David recognised the right of Nathan to both precedence and privacy. And when Nathan came in he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. Even prophets had to abase themselves before the king when on normal visits.
24 And Nathan said, “My lord, O king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’?
Nathan then asked the king to confirm whether it was genuinely his intention that Adonijah would resign after him, and sit on his throne, and whether he had stated the fact?
25 For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, and the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and look! They are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’
Then he explained that Adonijah was giving precisely that impression. Did David know that ‘this day’ he had gone down and had slain oxen, fatlings and sheep, and had invited the king’s sons, the captains of the host of Israel, and Abiathar the Priest, to a feast. And they were eating and drinking in his presence and saying, ‘Let king Adonijah live’, which was a regular way of acclaiming a new king. The idea of ‘live’ was of a full and successful life, not simply of a long life.
26 But he has not invited me—me your servant—nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon.
He also explained that as well as Solomon, he, Zadok and Benaiah had not been called to the feast. Was this also of the king?
27 Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
Then he politely asked the king whether this thing had been done by the king himself. Was it that he had simply omitted to tell his servants what he was doing, and had failed to inform them who it was who was to sit on his throne after him? The implication was, ‘or was there more to it than that?’ He was probably perfectly well satisfied in his own mind that David knew nothing about it, but that was not for him to say. That was for the king to say.
28 Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So, she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.
David’s reply was quick and firm. Let his servants call Bathsheba to come back into his presence. And the result was that Bathsheba came back into his presence and stood before the king.
A major lesson behind this story lies in the warning it gives against the dangers of prevarication. If David had only made his intentions known earlier all this might never have happened. But while he himself knew that Solomon was Yahweh’s choice as king he had failed to make that clear to His people or establish him as his heir. (Like many powerful men he did not want to appear unable to fulfil his responsibilities and did not therefore wish to delegate supreme power to anyone else). And where a vacuum is left, someone or something will always come in to fill it. We should therefore learn from this that, once we know the will of God, we should put it into effect and make sure that all know about it. For if we delay we can be certain that something that is not the will of God will take its place. And that will cause problems for everyone.
What David has learned had got the adrenalin flowing in his old body and had awoken him out of his lethargic state with the result that he confirmed his vow to Bathsheba and then called on his faithful servants Zadok the Priest, Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah, commander of the king’s bodyguard, to arrange for the anointing and coronation of Solomon in all splendor.
29 And the king took an oath and said, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress, 30 just as I swore to you by the LORD God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so I certainly will do this day.”
Once Bathsheba came back into David’s presence he swore to her by the living God YHWH that what he had sworn to her would be done. The oath was strengthened by his indication that Yahweh was the One Who had redeemed his life out of all adversity, and was thus of prime significance to him. The idea of ‘redemption’ always involves some ‘cost’ being involved. The idea was that Yahweh had expended His energy on David’s behalf, as against others, at some cost to Himself, and in spite of David’s unworthiness and undeserving.
David then confirmed that what he had sworn was that Solomon would reign after him, and would sit on his throne in his place, and that he would ensure that it would happen that very day.
31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and paid homage to the king, and said, “Let my lord King David live forever!”
At his words Bathsheba, no doubt both grateful and relieved, bowed with her face to the earth and did obeisance to the king, crying, “Let my lord king David live forever.” In view of his advanced age and medical condition her words may well simply be seen as the kind of platitude expected by the king, but she may have also been intending to convey her hope for the everlasting continuance of his house (initially through her son) as a reminder of Yahweh’s covenant with him.
32 And King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king.
Then David told her to call to him the powers in Jerusalem, Zadok, the Priest in Jerusalem, serving at the Tent containing the Ark, Nathan the prophet who was the king’s close adviser and conscience, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, who commanded David’s large bodyguard and his standing army. And they came in before the king.
33 The king also said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon 34 There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the horn, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’
Then he gave instructions that they were to take with them the high officials of the court and his own personal bodyguard (‘the servants of your lord’), and were to cause Solomon to ride on his own mule. This last would indicate the favor of the king. No one could ride the king’s mule without the king’s express permission. The mule was the favorite peace time mount of the king and his sons.
Then, mounted on the king’s mule, they were to bring Solomon to the spring Gihon and there he was to be anointed as king over Israel by the two prime representatives of Yahweh, at which point the ram’s horn would be blown and the cry go out, “Let King Solomon live”. The High Priest would perform the actual anointing, but the involvement of the combination of High Priest and acknowledged Prophet in the anointing by Yahweh would confirm to the people that here was Yahweh’s choice for the kingship. The blowing of a ram’s horn would indicate that a significant official event was taking place.
The main idea behind anointing was of being totally separated to Yahweh and set apart for Him. Both the priests (Exodus 29.7, 21) and the Tabernacle furniture and instruments (Exodus 30.30) were anointed. The king thus by this became ‘the Anointed of YHWH’ and therefore sacrosanct. It signified that he was a servant of Yahweh, and therefore under His protection.
35 Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”
Once the anointing was completed they were to come up with Solomon to the throne room, and there Solomon was to sit on his throne, indicating that he was king in David’s place. Once this enthronement had taken place at the king’s command the matter would be settled. If Adonijah now continued with his attempt to gain the throne, what had initially been a bold but not illegal attempt to assert his position would become high treason.
36 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! May the LORD God of my lord the king say so too. 37 As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”
Benaiah then made clear his agreement with the king and expressed his desire that Yahweh would see things in the same way as David did, and conjoin His voice with David’s, adding to it his desire that Yahweh would be with Solomon as He had been with David, and would make him even greater than his father had been.
38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and took him to Gihon. 39 Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!”
David’s commands were carried out exactly as David had demanded.
Zadok, the High Priest in Jerusalem, Nathan, the Prophet, and Benaiah and the king’s bodyguard made a powerful combination and they did precisely what David asked.
40 And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound.
Then they all went back up into Jerusalem, and the people came up after them, and the people played on their pipes, no doubt hastily collected from their houses, and they greatly rejoiced to such an extent that the earth shook This very fact indicated the large number of people who had come together from Jerusalem and its surrounds. It indicated that there could be no doubt about ‘the people’s choice’.
The first thing that we learn from this passage is God’s faithfulness to His promises. What God had promised in 2 Samuel 7 had now begun to come about. God’s Kingly Rule was being established in the person of Solomon, and this brought with it the assurance that his line would go on as God had promised, until that glorious day when the everlasting King would come and take His throne. Solomon’s enthronement was a preview of the anointing of the Coming King.
The second lesson that we learn is that if, once we know God’s will, we do it, we will not only bring blessing to ourselves but to everyone connected with us as well.
The third lesson is that nothing can thwart the will of God. Adonijah had tried his best with a view to his own self-interest, but in the end, God had ensured that, in what mattered most, His will was done. Thus, we learn that whatever happens we can rest in the will of God, while at the same time ensuring that we ourselves do all that we can to bring it about. (It would humanly speaking not have happened if David had not stirred himself to action)
In view of the silence about the succession those who had gone with Adonijah had not yet committed any specific offence. They had simply been guilty of presumption. (It was not an attempt to dethrone David, but to make clear who was suitable to be his successor). But now that Solomon had been officially anointed as king with the clear confirmation of David himself any further proceedings would have been high treason. Thus, on hearing the celebrations from the city, and learning what their significance was, the party broke up. No one wanted to be a traitor. Adonijah, however, no doubt feeling that Solomon would do the same thing that he had intended to do to Solomon, fled for sanctuary at the altar, presumably at the Tabernacle (probably by now in Gibeon), for he would not have wanted to take the risk of entering Jerusalem. But Solomon was not seeking vengeance and assured him that if he remained fully loyal in the future no harm would come to him.
41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. And when Joab heard the horn, he said, “Why is the city in such a noisy uproar?”
The noise being caused by the celebrations was so loud that it reached the ears of Adonijah and his guests as they were coming towards the end of their period of feasting. Joab’s trained ear, however, picked out the sound of the ram’s horn. This caused him to make a general query as to what might be going on. Why should the ram’s horn be sounding in the citadel? And why should there be such an uproar there? It was a question to which they all wanted an answer.
42 While he was still speaking, there came Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest. And Adonijah said to him, “Come in, for you are a prominent man, and bring good news.”
But then at that very moment they received the answer to their questions, for Jonathan, Abiathar’s son, arrived, bringing news. The fact that, as Abiathar’s son, he had not been at the feasting suggests either that he had been on duty with the king and unable to get away, or that he had been asked to remain in Jerusalem as a kind of spy to keep his ear open to what was happening. The latter seems more likely as, had he been on official duty, absenting himself from the celebrations would have been heavily frowned on. This would suggest some apprehension on Adonijah’s part right from the start.
The fact that he arrived himself rather than sending a servant suggested to Adonijah that he brought good news. People usually only delivered news in person when it was good.
43 Then Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule. 45 So Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at 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 Also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.
Jonathan described in some detail the essential elements of his news, and of the reason for the noise. The make-up of the powerful group who had been involved, combined with the fact that Solomon had ridden on the king’s own mule, and had been anointed by Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet (Zadok would of course have done the anointing, but Nathan was there as adding prophetic authority), said all that needed to be said. Solomon’s was not an attempt at a counter-coup carried out at his own instigation (as Adonijah’s had been) but was something carried out on the personal orders of the king.
47 And moreover the king’s servants have gone to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.’ Then the king bowed himself on the bed.
When the king’s servants (Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah and all the court officials) had arrived back, they had entered the king’s presence in order to bring blessing on David by praying that God would make the name of Solomon (his position and reputation, and recognition of his person) even greater than David’s, and Solomon’s throne even greater than David’s throne. This was an expression of approval of David’s choice,
48 Also the king said thus, ‘Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see it!’
David himself had praised Yahweh, the God of Israel, because He had Himself provided someone to sit on David’s throne while David was alive to see it. He had fulfilled His promise to David of a trueborn seed who would follow him (2 Samuel 7.12), thus establishing a dynasty.
49 So all the guests who were with Adonijah were afraid, and arose, and each one went his way.
The news shattered the party spirit and filled the guests with apprehension. What they were now doing had taken on a new perspective. And they all with one accord left the feast and slunk away. They no longer wanted to be involved with Adonijah.
50 Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.
Meanwhile Adonijah was terrified. He was fully aware of what he had intended to do with Solomon, and now it would be open to Solomon to do the same to him. For what he had been doing could now be given the appearance of being high treason. Everything would depend on how Solomon looked at it. He arose and went to the Tabernacle at Gibeon and took hold of the horns of the altar in order to claim ‘sanctuary’.
51 And it was told Solomon, saying, “Indeed Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; for look, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’ ”
The news of what Adonijah had done was brought to Solomon along with Adonijah’s assertion that he would not leave his place of sanctuary until ‘king Solomon’ had sworn that he would not have him executed. Please note the reference to Solomon as ‘king Solomon’. He was thereby acknowledging Solomon as his king.
52 Then Solomon said, “If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.”
Solomon’s reply was to the effect that he would be given a pardon with a sting in its tail. While he showed himself loyal and behaved honorably as a ‘worthy and free man’ he would be safe from harm. Should he, however, at any stage act dishonorably or prove disloyal he could be sure that he would die.
53 So King Solomon sent them to bring him down from the altar. And he came and fell down before King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
With these words Solomon sent escorts and had Adonijah brought to the palacewhere Adonijah made obeisance to the king. Peace was restored between them and Solomon then sent him ‘to his house’.
We have to notice that Solomon did not add the words ‘in peace’. That was a reminder that questions still hung in the air. He was on probation. Adonijah was being restored to his former position, conditionally on good behavior, but he would from now on have to avoid even a whiff of treachery. That he was fully restored comes out in that he was later easily able to approach Bathsheba and receive a comparatively friendly welcome.
One obvious lesson from this passage is, ‘be sure your sin will find you out’. It is a reminder that if we involve ourselves in things that are chancy we must not be surprised if we get our fingers burnt. And this is especially so if they are contrary to the will of God. If only Adonijah and his friends had sought to ascertain God’s will before acting in the first place, they would not have found themselves in this situation.
A second lesson is that God ever provides for us a place of sanctuary where we can flee when we have sinned. In our case we do not cling to the horns of an altar, but to our Lord Jesus Christ Who Is our Altar, and our Sacrifice (Hebrews 13.10, 12). In Him we can find a perfect refuge and find cleansing from all our sins (1 John 1.7).
