The First Book of Kings


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The First Book of Kings
Chapter One

Abishag and David
Adonijah Attempts a Coup
Nathan to the Rescue and the Coronation of Solomon



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Abishag and David
[1-Kings 1:1] NOW KING DAVID WAS OLD AND STRICKEN IN YEARS; AND THEY COVERED HIM WITH CLOTHES, BUT HE GAT NO HEAT.
He about 70 which is old enough but not always that old in Biblical Times nor in modern ones. Nevertheless age affects different people in different ways.
David had lead a hard life and it could be that everything began to catch up with him all at once.                    
 
[1-Kings 1:2] 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.
This is a strange passage and difficult for our modern intellects to properly fathom.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:3] SO THEY SOUGHT FOR A FAIR DAMSEL THROUGHOUT ALL THE COASTS OF ISRAEL, AND FOUND ABISHAG A SHUNAMMITE, AND BROUGHT HER TO THE KING.  
ABISHAG: One source says, Means "my father strays" in Hebrew http://www.behindthename.com/name/abishag. 
This is presuming that the name is derived from "Abi" (my father) and "ShaGeH" connoting "err".
This explanation is not convincing.
A related toot is "Sh-G-eL" meaning sexual intercourse.
In Australian slang  (possibly of Irish origin) "shag" also means sexual intercourse. 
                
 A FAIR DAMSEL: The Commentators say that a beautiful woman warms the constitution.  Some extremly pious characters are against the consideration of  beauty in women.  This is unnecessary. The only problem exists is when the attractiveness of a female causes a male to lust and transgress when otherwise he may not have done so.  The situation also changes from one Era to another, one climate to another, and different stages in life.
A young woman who is healthy,  conscious of her feminity,  preferably exercises in moderation, and has good character in nearly every case will be attractive. Make-up also helps.  Even girls who are skinny or fat can look good and they should be aware of it.
A SHUNAMMITE:  Possibly from Shunem (Joshua 19:18) in the territory of Issachar.  Shunem may have been located a little south of the present-day city of Afula.
 
[1-Kings 1:4] AND THE DAMSEL WAS VERY FAIR, AND CHERISHED THE KING, AND MINISTERED TO HIM: BUT THE KING KNEW HER NOT. 
The Commentators all agree that the reason the David did not have intercourse  with Abishag was not because he was impotent. He was not.  There was another reason behind the abstinence of David.
Different suggestions have been made by the Sages , e.g.  She was betrothed to another OR David already had 18 wives and a king is not allowed to have more than that.  Whatever the reason Yigal Ariel ("Mikdash Melech") points out that his self-restraint in this matter should be seen as balancing out to some degree his lack of it in the case of Bath-Sheba when she was still married to Uriah the Hittite.                  
 
Adonijah Attempts a Coup
[1-Kings 1:5] 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.
The tale of Adonijah follows straight after that of Abishag since as we shall see Abishag was to be the undoing of Adnijah.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:6] 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. 
The Bible hints that David had erred in not rectifying the behaviour of Adonijah when it had been necessary to do so.  Adonijah looked good. So had his brother Abshalom who had rebelled against David as related in the Book of  Samuel (2-Samuel chapter 15).  Yigal Ariel points out that Adonijah was not rebelling against David but rather against the projected choice of Solomon to succeed David. Adonijah was older than Solomon who at that time may have been little more than 12 years old (Rashi).  Adonijah already commadned a troop of fifty of his own. He was acquainted with the leaders of the nation such as Joab the military leader and Abiathar the Priest. Adonijah was the brother of Absalom who had lead a rebellion that for a while had rendered the nation in two. The rebellion had been suppressed but it stands to reason that its former supporters still harbored grudges of their own. Adonijah could be porject as representing the sides of both David and Absalom. What is more Adonijah would have been considered more "kosher" whereas a question existed concerning the mother of Solomon and former wife of Uriah the Hittite.  David had committed adultery with Bath-Sheba and caused her husband to be killed. Their first child had died and Solomon was born afterwards.   The whole affair had become public and Solomon was living evidence of what David had done.                
 
[1-Kings 1:7] AND HE CONFERRED WITH JOAB THE SON OF ZERUIAH, AND WITH ABIATHAR THE PRIEST: AND THEY FOLLOWING ADONIJAH HELPED HIM.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:8] 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.   
There must have been something about Adonijah that caused these men to instinctively keep their distance.                 
 
[1-Kings 1:9] 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:                     
 
Nathan to the Rescue and the Coronation of Solomon
[1-Kings 1:10] BUT NATHAN THE PROPHET, AND BENAIAH, AND THE MIGHTY MEN, AND  SOLOMON HIS BROTHER, HE CALLED NOT.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:11] 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?     
Nathan had prophesied to David that Solomon would rule after him and that the Almighty would be with  Solomon (2-Samuel 11:7-13).               
 
[1-Kings 1:12] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:13] 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? 
The Bible tells us that Nathan had prophesied to David that Solomon would rule after him. It does not tell us, prior to now, that David had promised Bath-Sheba that such would be the case.  It says that after the death of her first child David "comforted" her and she then bore Solomon.
AND DAVID COMFORTED BATHSHEBA HIS WIFE (2-Samuel 12:24).                
The Radak takes this comforting to be the promise that Solomon would reign after him.                    
 
[1-Kings 1:14] BEHOLD, WHILE THOU YET TALKEST THERE WITH THE KING, I ALSO WILL COME IN AFTER THEE, AND CONFIRM THY WORDS.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:15] AND BATHSHEBA WENT IN UNTO THE KING INTO THE CHAMBER: AND THE KING WAS VERY OLD; AND ABISHAG THE SHUNAMMITE MINISTERED UNTO THE KING.
BathSheba came unto the king while he was with another woman. It is true that the kind did not have intercause with Abishag yet she was still ministering unto him and there may have been some tension between the two women because of that.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:16] AND BATHSHEBA BOWED, AND DID OBEISANCE UNTO THE KING. AND THE KING  SAID, WHAT WOULDEST THOU?                     
 
[1-Kings 1:17] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:18] AND NOW, BEHOLD,
ADONIJAH REIGNETH; AND NOW, MY LORD THE KING, THOU KNOWEST IT NOT:                     
 
[1-Kings 1:19] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:20] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:21] 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. 
Solomon was a contended for the throne. BathSheba the mother of Solomon was evidently a dominant woman in her own right (as we shall see) and a backer of Solomon. They would have been considered challengers of the right of Adonijah to reign  and therefore treacherous elements to be dealt with accordingly.                 
 
[1-Kings 1:22] AND, LO, WHILE SHE YET TALKED WITH THE KING, NATHAN THE PROPHET ALSO CAME IN.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:23] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:24] AND NATHAN SAID, MY LORD, O KING, HAST THOU SAID,
ADONIJAH SHALL REIGN  AFTER ME, AND HE SHALL SIT UPON MY THRONE?                     
 
[1-Kings 1:25] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:26] BUT ME, EVEN ME THY SERVANT, AND
ZADOK THE PRIEST, AND BENAIAH THE  SON OF JEHOIADA, AND THY SERVANT SOLOMON, HATH HE NOT CALLED.  
Nathan in his own way tells David of the alignments that had been drawn. On one side Joab and Abiathar and leading military officers. On the other side Nathan, Solomon, Zadok, and Benaiah who had replaced Joab as Leader of the Army. Roughly speaking on the ide of Solomon stood those forces that were close to David whereas on the other side stood those of leading functionaries in the Kingdom.                
 
[1-Kings 1:27] 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?                     
 
[1-Kings 1:28] THEN KING DAVID ANSWERED AND SAID, CALL ME BATHSHEBA. AND SHE CAME INTO THE KING'S PRESENCE, AND STOOD BEFORE THE KING.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:29] AND THE KING
SWARE, AND SAID, AS THE LORD LIVETH, THAT HATH  REDEEMED MY SOUL OUT OF ALL DISTRESS,                     
 
[1-Kings 1:30] 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.                     
 <<THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL was as real to David as real could be.

[1-Kings 1:31] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:32] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:33] 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
GHON:                     
 MULE: Hebrew "Pirdah".  A mule is  the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse.  According to the simple Biblical injunction it is forbidden to deliberatedly produce such creatures.  There is also the question as to why David chose a mule and not a horse.  Archaeologists have found evidence of different horse-like creatures ("equids") that existed in the past but are now extinct.  The "Pirdah" may actually have been one of those.  At all events this beast (Yehudah Kiel, Daat Mikra, "Sefer Melacim") would have been recognisable as belonging to the King.  Only the successor to a King can use the appurtenances of the monarch and Solomon riding on the "mule" would have signified that David had appointed him to do so and to reign after him.
GHON: In Hebrew "Gichon". It is a spring that gives forth its water in spurts, located near the Temple Mount a little bit down the hill from Dung Gate to the east.  Henceforth it became a Law that Kings should be appointed by the Spring of Gihon whenever the sucession was in dispute.

[1-Kings 1:34] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:35] 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.
Old King David on his deathbed sits in his chamber and knows exactly what to do. No need for a military operation, or a public assembly or demonstration; just go with the right people, to the right place, do the right thing and everything will fall into place and the opposition evaporate, and so it did.     

              
 [1-Kings 1:36] AND BENAIAH THE SON OF JEHOIADA ANSWERED THE KING, AND SAID, AMEN:   THE LORD GOD OF MY LORD THE KING SAY SO TOO.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:37] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:38] 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.                     
 THE CHERETHITES, AND THE PELETHITES:  These were the bodyguard of the King. Opinions are divided as to their identity. We incline to the opinion (see the Commentary KARA Joseph ben Simeon Kara c. 1065?c. 1135, France) that they were foreign mercenaries in the service of King David and dedicated un to him.

[1-Kings 1:39] 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.                     
 <<OIL OUT OF THE TABERNACLE.  This oil of consecration was ONLY used to consecrate Temple Vessels and Monarchs of the Line of David.  All other kings (e.g. Kings of the House of Israel at a later date) when they were consecrated used a different substance.

[1-Kings 1:40] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:41] 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?                     
 
[1-Kings 1:42] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:43] AND JONATHAN ANSWERED AND SAID TO
ADONIJAH, VERILY OUR LORD KING  DAVID HATH MADE SOLOMON KING.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:44] 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:                     
 
[1-Kings 1:45] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:46] AND ALSO SOLOMON
SITTETH ON THE THRONE OF THE KINGDOM.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:47] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:48] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:49] AND ALL THE GUESTS THAT WERE WITH
ADONIJAH WERE AFRAID, AND ROSE UP, AND WENT EVERY MAN HIS WAY.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:50] AND
ADONIJAH FEARED BECAUSE OF SOLOMON, AND AROSE, AND WENT, AND  CAUGHT HOLD ON THE HORNS OF THE ALTAR.
The principle of the Altar granting sanctuary at least until his plea be heard  is hinted at in the Bible (Exodus 21:14).  The question is where was this Altar. In those days the Tabernacle stood at Gibeon outside of Jerusalem so it may have been there as Rashi says. Alternately  it may have been in Jerusalem since before the Temple were built private and semi-private altars were allowed to be set up anywhere. This is the explanation of the Radak.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:51] 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.                     
 
[1-Kings 1:52] 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.
Solomon let Adonijah go but he put a condition on it. This is apparently more than Adonijah would have done for  Solomon if the situation had been reversed.  If Adonijah had have succeeded both Solomon and his mother may well have been done away with without more ado!                   
 
[1-Kings 1:53] 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.                     
 

 
1-Kings Contents
harp 1-Kings ch.2