1 Kings 1:1-12

SECTION 1. The Last Days Of David (1:1-2:12).

The ‘and' with which the book begins is clearly intended to link the book to the earlier books. The writer wanted it to be seen that he was carrying on the sacred history of YHWH. And he commenced his narrative by describing the events which established the kingship of Solomon, the one whom God especially loved (2 Samuel 12:24), as David's life was coming to its close. But there is no direct continuation of any previous incident in Samuel. The ‘and' is very general. What he was about to describe were the necessary events that would lead up to Solomon's coronation. There are no real grounds for suggesting that 2 Samuel 11-20 were specifically a ‘succession narrative' which is being rounded off here, even though what they describe may possibly, at least theoretically, have affected the succession. For the writer of Samuel the stories of Amnon and Absalom had more to do with the consequences of David's gross sins being reflected in his sons than with explaining a succession which was already clear in his mind, although undoubtedly any death of a king's son would appear to some extent to affect the succession. But the Chapter s certainly do not read like a succession narrative might be expected to read, while they do very much read like a judgment on David's sins, and in fact the Book of Samuel almost certainly saw Solomon as YHWH's appointed heir from the time of his birth, something which comes out from 2 Samuel 7:12 with 2 Samuel 12:24. YHWH could have given no broader hint to David, as David (and probably Absalom and Adonijah) recognised. (A succession narrative may, of course, have been one of his sources, but if so he has carefully selected his material).

Analysis.

a David's Condition In Old Age And His Association With Abishag (1 Kings 1:1).

b Adonijah's Attempt To Seize The Kingship (1 Kings 1:5).

c David Arranges For The Crowning Of Solomon (1 Kings 1:29).

b The Conspirators Disperse And Adonijah Obtains Mercy (1 Kings 1:41).

a David's Final Dying Exhortation (1 Kings 2:1).

Note that in ‘a' David is clearly dying, and in the parallel we have hid dying exhortation. In ‘b' Adonijah seeks to seize the kingship, and in the parallel he obtains mercy from the true king. Centrally in ‘c' we have the crowning of YHWH's chosen king.

Chapter 1.

The chapter begins with the delineation of the king's sad situation, and what was done about it, and continues by describing Adonijah's attempt at a pre-emptive coup carried out in a way which makes quite clear that he knew in his heart that Solomon was destined to be king, something which resulted in Solomon himself being crowned at David's command. Adonijah then sought, and was granted, Solomon's pardon.