THE FIRST BOOK OF THE KINGS, commonly called, THE THIRD BOOK OF THE KINGS Ch. 1 Kings 1:1-4. David's Feeble Age (Not in Chronicles) 1. _Now_ The Hebrew has only the conjunction usually rendered _And_. This sentence is not to be regarded as the commencement of a new history, but a continuation of... [ Continue Reading ]
_his servants_ The word, though primarily applied to those who were occupied in servile work, had come by this time to be used regularly of those who were about a royal person, and in such a position as to venture on giving him counsel. Josephus (_Ant._vii. 15.3) says they were the king's physicians... [ Continue Reading ]
_a fair damsel_ Such as might be fitted to be one of the royal wives. A similar direction is given when Vashti has been deposed, and a new queen is to be sought for Ahasuerus (Esther 2:2). _all the coasts_ In the English of the Bible this word has no necessary reference to sea-board land, as it has... [ Continue Reading ]
_cherished the king_ Being always at hand to perform, as his nurse, such duties as the weak condition of king David needed. _knew her not_ These words seem added to explain how it came to pass that Adonijah afterwards could ask her for his wife. (1 Kings 2:17.)... [ Continue Reading ]
Adonijah attempts to make himself king (Not in Chronicles) 5. _Adonijah, the son of Haggith_ He seems now to have been the eldest of David's living sons. See the list of them 2 Samuel 3:2-5. Amnon and Absalom we know were dead, and of the second son, Chileab (called Daniel 1 Chronicles 3:1), we hav... [ Continue Reading ]
_had not displeased him at any time_ Had never administered a rebuke whatever wrong act he might have done. We may almost judge that Absalom was in like manner a spoilt child, brought under no correction. _a very goodly_man] A fine and commanding figure was no small recommendation for an aspirant t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joab the son of Zeruiah_ Zeruiah was David's sister, and Joab the eldest of her three sons, and a man of much authority and influence during David's reign. He became captain of the host (as we should say, commander in chief) after the conquest of Jebus (1 Chronicles 11:6), and served David faithful... [ Continue Reading ]
_But Zadok the priest_ He was the son of Ahitub, and descended from Eleazar, the son of Aaron. He joined David after the death of Saul, and there were thus two priests, perhaps one being highpriest and the other second priest, through the whole of David's reign. Zadok's duties appear (1 Chronicles 1... [ Continue Reading ]
_Adonijah slew_&c. The verb is that which is constantly used for _sacrificing_. And here there was no doubt intended to be a certain solemnity connected with the feast held in honour of Adonijah's proclamation. Beside its use in this chapter, where it is rendered -to slay" in 1 Kings 1:19; 1 Kings 1... [ Continue Reading ]
_Solomon his brother_ Doubtless Adonijah was well acquainted with David's intention that Solomon should be his successor. But in those early times in most countries but especially in the East the right of hereditary succession was not thought of, the reigning monarch selecting for his successor that... [ Continue Reading ]
Nathan's counsel to Bath-sheba (Not in Chronicles) 11. _Bath-sheba_ She who had before been the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Nathan's zeal for Solomon's cause may be well understood, because it was by his message (2 Samuel 12:25) that Solomon was specially called the -beloved of the Lord." _doth rei... [ Continue Reading ]
_save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon_ Because it has ever been the policy of an Oriental usurper, as soon as ever he had power enough, to put out of the way those who were likely to oppose him, and so make his throne more secure.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Didst not thou … swear unto thine handmaid_ She uses terms of great humility, even though she be pleading the king's former solemn promise. We have no record of the oath to which Bath-sheba alludes, but we may be sure that the king had imparted to her the promise which God had made to him that Solo... [ Continue Reading ]
_and confirm thy words_ Lit. -fill up" thy words. This Nathan could most fitly do because he knew of the expressions of God's will which had been communicated unto David. Thus he could dwell more fully than Bath-sheba on the king's previous intentions, and knowing better than she what was going on a... [ Continue Reading ]
Bath-sheba before King David (Not in Chronicles) 15. _and the king was very old_ This sentence is in explanation why Bath-sheba went into the bedchamber of the king. David was too feeble to go forth, and those who would see him must come there for audience.... [ Continue Reading ]
_bowed and did obeisance_ After the fashion of Orientals in the presence of a monarch.... [ Continue Reading ]
_and he shall sit_ The pronoun in the original is emphatically expressed.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Adonijah reigneth_ i.e. Is being set up for king, and will be accepted, unless some word from David go forth to prevent it. With the commander-in-chief, and the highpriest Abiathar on his side Adonijah's following might well seem powerful. _and now, my lord the king, thou knowest_it _not_ The Hebr... [ Continue Reading ]
_And thou, my lord_, &c. Here the variation is the other way, and _now_is read for _thou_. Both these changes seem to render the sentences more emphatic, especially as in this verse the queen is coming to the close of her argument and wishes to move David to take action in the matter at once.... [ Continue Reading ]
_counted offenders_ The Heb. word is literally -sinners." Bath-sheba does not go so far as Nathan, and say that the lives of herself and her son are in peril, but leaves the king to think what the lot of those offenders would be whom Adonijah knew to have aspired to the throne.... [ Continue Reading ]
Nathan confirms the statements of Bath-sheba (Not in Chronicles) 22. _Nathan the prophet also came in_ Apparently at first into an outer room, whence he was announced to king David, and Bath-sheba went out before his coming into the bedchamber. She was clearly not present during Nathan's address to... [ Continue Reading ]
_hast thou said_ There is nothing in the Hebrew to mark the question. It must have been indicated by the tone. It would come with much force from Nathan, as he knew all the circumstances of God's promise that Solomon should be king after David. He shews by his language in 1 Kings 1:27 that any chang... [ Continue Reading ]
_For he is gone down_ The site of the fountain, near which Adonijah's banquet was made, was in the valley below Jerusalem. _God save king Adonijah_ The Heb. is -Let king Adonijah live" i.e. live long and happily; and similarly in all cases where A. V. has -God save, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
_shewed_it _unto thy servant_ There is a various reading, -thy servants," but the A. V. gives the better sense. There was a special reason why Nathan should know of all that was done in respect of the succession, which did not apply to the rest of David's court.... [ Continue Reading ]
David causes Solomon to be proclaimed and anointed king (Not in Chronicles) 28. _Call me Bath-sheba_ The queen had not been present during Nathan's interview, and no doubt both she and the prophet desired to appear as much as possible independent of each other in their tidings.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the king sware_ i.e. Solemnly renewed the oath which he had before (see 1 Kings 1:13) made unto Bath-sheba. As _the Lord liveth_ The expression is equivalent to -As surely as the Lord liveth," though in the Hebrew there is no word for _as_. God is frequently spoken of as -the living God" and t... [ Continue Reading ]
_the Lord God of Israel_ R.V. -the Lord, THE God of Israel," as demanded by the Hebrew construction, here and elsewhere.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let my lord king David live for ever_ On this common Oriental hyperbole, compare Daniel 2:4; Daniel 3:9; Daniel 5:10, &c. It was the common Eastern formula. Bath-sheba implied thereby that in her zeal for Solomon's succession there was no desire for David's death but only that the promise made to h... [ Continue Reading ]
_Zadok the priest_ Who must anoint king Solomon, and it is probably with this thought that David names him first. _and Nathan the prophet_ Who had gone aside when Bath-sheba was called.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Take with you the servants of your lord_ Judging from a similar order given by David (2 Samuel 20:6-7) these words imply a considerable body of armed men. For there it is said that the servants comprised Joab's men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men. Where Joab was of th... [ Continue Reading ]
_anoint him there_ The anointing was the most solemn portion of the ceremonies connected with the installation of a new king. We only read of its being done on some very marked occasions. Thus Saul, the first king, was anointed (1 Samuel 10:1), and David, the king of God's own choice (1 Samuel 16:13... [ Continue Reading ]
_come up after him_ That is, as his supporters and body-guard, just as in 1 Kings 1:7 above, the conspirators -helped after Adonijah." Cf. also below, 1 Kings 1:40. _to be ruler over Israel_ A better rendering is -prince". The title was that given by God specially to those who should lead His people... [ Continue Reading ]
_and said, Amen_ Expressing as usual a prayer -So let it be"; but at the same time expressing concurrence with all the king had said and a determination to carry his orders into effect. Thus the word implies also -So it shall be." But there is immediately subjoined -the Lord God of my lord the king... [ Continue Reading ]
_so be he_ i.e. -So let him be." The Massoretic note corrects into -so shall he be," which makes nonsense of the verse. _make his throne greater than the throne of my lord_ No doubt David's faithful servants knew of the large promises which God had made to Solomon already, and that the heart of the... [ Continue Reading ]
_the Cherethites and the Pelethites_ The former of these names is found 1 Samuel 30:14 as the name of a people to the south of the Philistines. Hence it has been held by some that the second name, Pelethites, must also be of the same character, and that probably it is connected with the word -Philis... [ Continue Reading ]
_a horn of oil_ The Hebrew has THE _horn_. The -holy anointing oil" was no doubt preserved for occasions like this, and for the anointing of the priests. Zadok having the care of the tabernacle at Gibeon (1 Chronicles 16:39) would have this under his charge. And as Gibeon was -the great high place... [ Continue Reading ]
_piped with pipes_ The LXX. adopting some slight alteration of the Hebrew, renders -danced in dances." And Josephus speaks of the people (_Antiq_. vii. 14, 5) as -dancing and playing on pipes"; thus shewing a desire to combine both readings. That the Israelites were likely to have _pipes_on such an... [ Continue Reading ]
Alarm and submission of Adonijah (Not in Chronicles) 41. _as they had made an end of eating_ Such a banquet would naturally last a good while; and if we suppose Nathan to have heard of it as the festivity began, or he even may have known as they left Jerusalem, there will be seen to be time enough... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jonathan the son of Abiathar_ They had left in the city some who should bring them word of any stir which their doings might cause. Jonathan had discharged the same office of watchman and newsbringer at the time of Absalom's revolt. See 2Sa 15:27; 2 Samuel 17:17. But then he was to bring word to Da... [ Continue Reading ]
_Verily our lord_, &c. The adverb implies some such sense as -Nay but". Jonathan wishes to say -It is not as you hoped, but on the contrary Solomon is proclaimed and anointed." Comp. Genesis 17:19, where the word is rendered in A. V. -indeed," but the sense is - _Nay but_Sarah thy wife shall bear th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Solomon sitteth on the throne_ Jonathan had seen the complete ceremony of installation, for on their return from Gihon the aged king had commanded that Solomon should shew himself seated in state on the royal throne.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the king's servants_ i.e. The general public of Jerusalem who gathered themselves to offer congratulations to David on the commencement of the reign of his son. That a son should begin to reign during his father's lifetime was no uncommon occurrence in the East. _the king bowed himself upon the be... [ Continue Reading ]
_the Lord God_ See on 1 Kings 1:30. _given_one _to sit_ Of course he means -one of my own family and the one whom I specially wished." The LXX. adds here the words -of my seed" and a like addition is made in some of the other versions. There can however be no misunderstanding of the king's meaning... [ Continue Reading ]
_caught hold on the horns of the altar_ In his terror Adonijah takes sanctuary, apparently at the altar which had been erected when the ark was brought to Mt. Zion. That an altar was set up there is clear from 2 Samuel 6:17-18, where we have an account of the burnt offerings and peace offerings pres... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let king Solomon swear unto me to day_ The word translated _to day_signifies rather -first of all," i.e. before I will venture to come away from my place of safety. The same word is found twice in the narrative of the sale of Esau's birthright, Genesis 25:31; Genesis 25:33. When Esau has asked for... [ Continue Reading ]
_not a hair of him fall to the earth_ The expression is common and proverbial to express that no harm of any kind shall befall. Cf. 1 Samuel 14:45; 2 Samuel 14:11. _if wickedness shall be found in him_ Josephus gives the sense: -If he shall again be caught with any new plots.... [ Continue Reading ]
_and they brought him down from the altar_ The expression refers perhaps to the steps on which Adonijah must have gone up to cling to the sides of the altar, or it may be to the elevation of the whole situation as the altar stood before the ark on Mt. Zion. _bowed himself_ The same word as in 47 is... [ Continue Reading ]