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 cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat. |
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. |
4 And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not. |
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. |
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. |
7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. |
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. |
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. |
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? |
14 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words. |
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 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. |
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. |
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? |
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. |
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? |
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. |
1 David declines in health, Ki1 1:1-4.
Adonijah aspires to the kingdom, Ki1 1:5-10.
Nathan and Bathsheba procure an order for the succession of Solomon, Ki1 1:11-31.
The anointing of Solomon, and the peoples joy, Ki1 1:32-40.
The dispersion of Adonijah's party, Ki1 1:41-49.
Solomon dismisses Adonijah, Ki1 1:50-53.
1:1 Old - Being in the end of his seventieth year. No heat - Which is not strange in a person who had been exercised with so many hardships inwar, and with such tormenting cares, and fears, and sorrows, for his own sins(as divers of his Psalms witness) and for the sins and miseries of hischildren and people. Besides, this might be from the nature of his bodilydistemper.
1:2 Servants - His physicians. Virgin - Whose natural heat is fresh and wholesome, and not impaired with bearing or breeding of children.The same counsel doth Galen give for the cure of some cold and drydistempers. Stand - That is, minister unto him, or wait upon him, in hissickness, as occasion requires. Lie in his bosom - As his wife: for thatshe was so, may appear by divers arguments. First, otherwise this had beena wicked course; which therefore neither his servants durst have prescribed,nor would David have used, especially being now in a dying condition.Secondly, it appears from this phrase of lying in his bosom, which iseverywhere in scripture mentioned as the privilege of a wife. Thirdly,this made Adonijah's crime in desiring her to wife, so heinous inSolomon's account, because he saw, that by marrying the king's wife hedesigned to revive his pretence to the kingdom.
1:4 Knew her not - Which is mentioned to note the continuance and progress of the king's malady.
1:5 Then - Upon notice of the desperateness of the king's disease, and the approach of his death. Exalted - Entertained high thoughts anddesigns. I will - As the right of the kingdom is mine, ver. Ki1 1:6, so Iwill now take possession of it. Prepared - As Absalom had done uponthe like occasion, Ki1 15:1.
1:6 Displeased him - This is noted as David's great error, and the occasion of Adonijah's presumption. Saying - He neither restrainedhim from, nor reproved him for his miscarriages: which David well knewwas a great sin. Goodly man - This was a second ground of his confidence,because his great comeliness made him amiable in the peoples eyes.
1:7 They helped - Either because they thought the right of the crown was his: or to secure and advance their own interest. It seems God leftthem to themselves, to correct them for former miscarriages, with a rod oftheir own making.
1:10 Called not - Because he knew they favoured Solomon his competitor.
1:11 Nathan spake - Being prompted to it both by his piety in fulfilling the will of God declared to him, concerning Solomon'ssuccession, Ki1 7:13, and by his prudence, knowing thatAdonijah hated him for being the principal instrument of Solomon'sadvancement. Bathsheba - Who being retired and private in her apartment,was ignorant of what was done abroad: and, who was likely to be mostzealous in the cause, and most prevalent with David.
1:26 But me - Whom he knew to be acquainted with thy mind, and with the mind of God in this matter: and therefore his neglect of me hereingives me cause to suspect that this is done without thy privity.
1:27 Shewed thy servant - Who, having been an instrument in delivering God's message to thee concerning thy successor, might reasonably expect thatif the king had changed his mind, thou wouldest have acquainted me with it,as being both a prophet os the Lord, and one whom thou hast always foundfaithful to thee.
1:28 Call Bathsheba - Who, upon Nathan's approach to the king had modestly withdrawn.
1:29 Out of all distress - The words contain a grateful acknowledgement of the goodness of God to him, in bringing him safe throughthe many difficulties, which had lain in his way, and which he now mentionsto the glory of God, (as Jacob when he lay a dying) thus setting to hisseal, from his own experience that the Lord redeemeth the souls of hisservants.
1:31 Live for ever - Though I desire thy oath may be kept, and the right of succession confirmed to my son, yet I am far from thirsting afterthy death, and would rather rejoice, if it were possible for thee to liveand enjoy the crown for ever.