1 Kings 1:5

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 have no notice in Scripture, so that he seems to have died young. Adonijah stands fourth in the list; of his mother's parentage or connexion no mention is made.

chariots and horsemen&c. Compare the similar conduct of Absalom (2 Samuel 15:1) at the time of his conspiracy against his father. The words refer not to the preparation of an armament for war, but to a kingly retinue which should attend him wherever he went. The runnerswere a body-guard, and the word is applied (1 Kings 14:27) to those guards who kept the door of the king's house. See note there. By such a step Adonijah let his intention be known and found out who were likely to be on his side.