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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 1
Abishag cherishes David in his extreme age—Adonijah aspires to be
king—Bath-sheba and Nathan advise David of Adonijah's
plotting—David names Solomon as king, and he is anointed by
Zadok—Adonijah's cause fails.
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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 acherish him, and let her lie in
thy bosom, that my lord the king may get
heata.
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2a and let her lie in thy bosom, that my
lord the king may get heat As properly noted, this was not some
sexual spectical for the term 'cherish' was but to 'wait upon' and take care
of the failing old king. Yet with that now said, it ought to be fully
understood that this young beautiful virgin was not just brought to just be a
house maid unto the king. She, if the king had it left in him, was to be
a wife or concubine unto him. And there seems to be a hope in it on the part
of certain of the king's servants that a child might be born of this last
union to resolve a growing dilemma and controversy in the house of David and
the powers to be. But, the king knew her not, being completely beyond that
stage and ability, though she did lie with and sleep with him, and thus and
only then did Adonijah seek to usurp to the throne and proceded to make
himself to be the next king. For it does seem that the temperment of the
people, and Joab a high leader of the house of David, as well as Adonijah the
next son of David in succession by defalt, was such that they had no respect
toward or intention upon allowing Solomon, son of Bath-sheba, to be king due
to the scandal of that union between Bath-sheba and David. And there does
appear to be consideration as stated by the prophet, that after king David's
death, that if Adonijah and his supports would have come to be in power,
Bath-sheba would have been condemned and her and her son Solomon put to death
for having been party to the breaking of the law of Moses.
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2a
IE wait upon
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3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the
acoasts of Israel, and found bAbishag 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.
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5a
1 Kgs 9:2
b
1 Kgs 11:9;
2 Chr. 1:7 (7-12)
D&C 110:8 (7-8)
c
TG
Dreams
7a
1 Chr. 22:5;
1 Chr. 29:1
3 Ne. 9:22;
3 Ne. 11:37-38;
8a
2 Sam. 7:23
b
Gen. 13:16;
Abr. 3;14
9a
TG
Understanding
b
TG
Heart
c
TG
Discernment, Spiritual
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5 ¶ Then aAdonijah 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
agoodly man; and his mother bare him after
bAbsalom.
7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and
with aAbiathar the priest: and they following
bAdonijah helped him.
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5a
1 Kgs 9:2
b
1 Kgs 11:9;
2 Chr. 1:7 (7-12)
D&C 110:8 (7-8)
c
TG
Dreams
7a
1 Chr. 22:5;
1 Chr. 29:1
3 Ne. 9:22;
3 Ne. 11:37-38;
8a
2 Sam. 7:23
b
Gen. 13:16;
Abr. 3;14
9a
TG
Understanding
b
TG
Heart
c
TG
Discernment, Spiritual
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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 En-rogel, 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.
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5a
1 Kgs 9:2
b
1 Kgs 11:9;
2 Chr. 1:7 (7-12)
D&C 110:8 (7-8)
c
TG
Dreams
7a
1 Chr. 22:5;
1 Chr. 29:1
3 Ne. 9:22;
3 Ne. 11:37-38;
8a
2 Sam. 7:23
b
Gen. 13:16;
Abr. 3;14
9a
TG
Understanding
b
TG
Heart
c
TG
Discernment, Spiritual
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11 ¶ Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba 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.
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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 aSolomon 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.
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15 ¶ And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.
16 And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou?
17 And she said unto him, My lord, thou
aswarest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid,
saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall
sit upon my throne.
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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.
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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?
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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, aGod 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?
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28 ¶ Then king David answered and said, Call me Bath-sheba. 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 Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.
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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 aGihon:
34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet
aanoint him there bking over Israel: and
blow ye with the trumpet, and say, cGod save king
Solomon.
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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.
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38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the aCherethites, and the
bPelethites, 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
aoil out of the btabernacle, 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.
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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,
aJonathan 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.
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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.
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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 abed.
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.
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50 ¶ And Adonijah feared because of
Solomona, and
arose, and went, and caught hold on the ahorns 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 to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword.
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50a Adonijah feared because of
Solomon Now Adonijah's fear was that of a guilty man, for indeed
he, Joab, Shimei and Abiathar the priest had conspired as to what they would
do unto Bath-sheba and Solomon after coming into power after king David's
death. And their intent and purpose was to 'cleanse' the house of David by
the killing or murder of Bath-sheba and Solomon just as Nathan the prophet
has disclosed (1 Kings 1:11-12).
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52 And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a
worthy mana, there shall not an
hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him,
he shall diea.
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.
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52a If he will shew himself a worthy man
... but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die Some
consider that Solomon promised Adonijah that he would not kill him and then
later that Solomon broke his word and had him put to death. Solomon made no
such flat promise. What Solomon stated is that 'if' he would prove himself
a worthy man then he would not suffer any consequences, 'but if' he would be
found guilty of 'wickedness' then he would so die. That the conspiracy of
Joab, Adonijah and Shimei, as well as the priest Abiathar's part in it would
be brought to light, perhaps with the confirming testimony of Nathan the
prophet and others against them, is evident, for it does eventuate that they
are put to death for their wickedness. That the Jewish record records that
Adonijah 'was a very goodly man (1 Kings 1:6) seems to be more of a
'political' apraisal from the Jewish perspective than that of actual fact in
the matter as revealed by the Lord's prophet Nathan (1 Kings 1:11-12). For in
deed the plot of death to certain of the house of David was already afoot on
the part of Joab, Adonijah and Shimei, as well as others. It was not Solomon
who had that original intent and purpose. It was the intent and purpose of
Adonijah against Solomon which would eventual into full light after Solomon
was made king by David.
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