1 Kings 1:1–53

1:5 “Adonijah the son of Haggith” is David’s fourth son (cf. 2 Sam. 3:2–5). By this stage, sons one and three have been killed (Amnon and Absalom). Chileab, the son of Abigail, widow of Nabal, is not mentioned again, which makes it likely that David’s second son died young. This leaves Adonijah as the eldest surviving son and therefore the presumptive heir to the throne. Nothing else is known of his mother, Haggith. It is the manner of Adonijah’s actions that are inappropriate. This is revealed by the irony of verse 5: “Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, ‘I will be king.’” The one whose name means “My Lord is Yahweh” emphatically proclaims that he himself will assume the throne. Adonijah’s pride is remarkably blatant—it is highly unusual for anyone to “exalt himself” in the OT. There is nothing subtle about this bid for power. Up to this point, Israel’s kings (Saul and David) have been appointed by God (and affirmed by popular acclaim). Adonijah makes the first genuine grab for power in the kingdom era.

Adonijah assembles “for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him” (as Absalom does in 2 Sam. 15:1). This is the first allusion to the laws for Israelite kings in Deuteronomy 17:14–20, establishing the fact that gathering “chariots and horsemen” is the mark of a king who, like the kings of the nations, trusts in military and political power rather than in the name of Yahweh. It may be that Adonijah is even suggesting that he comes in divine power and with divine sanction (cf. 2 Kings 2:11–12). What is clear is that he functions like a second Absalom.

1:6 David, it seems, has not learned the painful lessons of the previous rebellion. There is something badly wrong with the statement in this verse. Rather than the child pleasing the parent, the order is reversed: “His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, ‘Why have you done thus and so?’” This is a criticism not merely of David’s parenting but of his rule as God’s anointed king. It is hard to miss the implication that, for all his godliness, David had been a disaster as a father—particularly with Adonijah and his brother Absalom. Lest we miss the connection with David’s much-loved third son, the link is made explicit: “He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom.”

1:7–8 Adonijah shrewdly enlists both Joab and Abiathar. Joab, one of the infamous sons of Zeruiah, is David’s (former?) right-hand man. However, on at least three occasions Joab has taken matters into his own hands, killing Abner (for which David curses him; 2 Sam. 3:28–30) and Amasa (2 Sam. 20:8–14) and, even more pertinently, thrusting three javelins into the suspended Absalom’s heart (2 Sam. 18:14). The text is silent concerning Joab’s motives for throwing in his lot with Adonijah, although it seems reasonable to surmise that the king’s weakness and inactivity may well have driven the brutal Joab into the arms of Adonijah. His swift action, often verging on rash cruelty, is completely at odds with the inertia of the aging king. Abiathar the priest, like Joab, had been with David from the early days (1 Sam. 23:6–12; 30:7–8; 2 Sam. 8:17; 15:24–29, 35–36; 19:11–12). His defection is equally significant, given the fact that the ephod used by David to make decisions had been in his care, as had the ark of the covenant.¹ The fact that Abiathar has defected makes it doubly clear that David has lost his way.

It seems that the kingdom has already divided along party lines. Adonijah is careful not to involve anyone whom he considers loyal to David. This list includes “Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei.” Benaiah is another of David’s mighty men (along with Joab; 2 Sam. 23:20–23) and will replace Joab as David’s primary military commander in due course. The identity of Shimei and Rei is uncertain (although Shimei may well be the son of Gera; 2 Sam. 16:5–12; 19:18–20). David’s “mighty men” also remain loyal to their former commander, with whom they have seen out many previous crises.

1:9–10 In offering sacrifices “by the Serpent’s stone, which is beside En-rogel,” Adonijah continues to follow the precedent set by his half-brother Absalom (2 Sam. 15:12). This stone is unknown elsewhere in Scripture. One suspects that the writer has included this detail because of the allusion to the Serpent in Eden, hell-bent on destroying God’s promised line. Adonijah also involves “all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah.” He announces to his half-brothers in the royal family and the civil service that he is now in charge.

1:11–14 The appearance of Nathan for the first time since the events of 2 Samuel 11–12 is striking, adding to the sense that the future of the kingdom is at stake. As before, Nathan’s role is to enable David to come to terms with a situation of which he is not yet aware. By asking “Have you not heard . . . ?” Nathan may be testing the waters as he seeks an ally in Bathsheba as he raises the matter with the king. In addition, Nathan may well be playing on either Bathsheba’s maternal ambition or her sense of self-preservation. This would explain the recurrence of the epithet “Adonijah the son of Haggith,” as well as the reasons he presents to Bathsheba in verse 12. There is some debate over the origin of Nathan’s statement in verse 13: “Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”?’” Is this a clever invention of Nathan, designed to manipulate the failing powers of King David? In light of 1:29–30, it seems better to take this as a genuine reminder of an oft-made Davidic statement. It is not clear whether David simply assumes that all is on track for Solomon’s accession in due course or has lost interest entirely in the matter of succession. Either way, the writer presents David as having lost control of events in his own kingdom.

1:15–21 The emphasis on David’s decline at this period is now underlined for us as Bathsheba enters the royal chamber: “Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to the king” (v. 15). The writer does not draw attention to the potential awkwardness of this situation, with David’s wife (perhaps his great love?) being confronted by the sight of her husband in bed with the beautiful Abishag! Instead, these personal and relational complexities are overshadowed by the emphasis on “the king.” The fact that David is repeatedly called simply “the king” is probably intended to highlight, in an ironic way, how unkingly his behavior has become. Instead of acting in a “kingly” way (leading, commanding, speaking), he simply grunts tersely (the expression “What do you desire?” is very blunt in the Hebrew). Moreover, as the king he should be proactive. Instead David is unaware of what is going on, allowing a succession crisis to develop under his nose.

David’s relationship with Bathsheba is intriguing. There is little apparent warmth or affection. Bathsheba’s characteristic stance is “bowed” (with her face to the ground) in order to give “homage to the king.” Despite being the mother of the future king, she seems to have limited contact with David, who seems motivated more by a desire to be seen as acting to protect his rights and reign than by anything else. “And now, behold, Adonijah is king, although you, my lord the king, do not know it. . . . And now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.” There is surely some implied criticism of David in all of this. It is his responsibility to protect his kingdom, his succession, and his (beloved?) Bathsheba and Solomon. If David does not act, Bathsheba insists, “I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders” (or “sinners”). In other words, their very lives will be in grave danger.

1:22–27 When the second half of the team, Nathan, shows up in a carefully choreographed move, the narrative continues in the same vein. The word “king” is used four times in verses 22–23 alone. Nathan’s approach, however, is much less direct than that he had suggested to Bathsheba, captured by the two questions bracketing his speech in verses 24 and 27. In each case Nathan simply asks David if he has chosen Adonijah as king without telling anyone (cf. v. 27); “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’?” (v. 24). The language Nathan uses, asking not only if Adonijah should reign but also if he “should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him” deliberately highlights the issue not merely of succession but also of the realization of the promises made in 2 Samuel 7 (cf. 2 Sam. 7:13).

Nathan carefully describes the scene in a way guaranteed to rouse David to action: after making extravagant sacrifices, presumably designed both to demonstrate his piety and to win people over by inviting them to the feasting that followed, Adonijah has also revealed his supporters. The fact that Nathan has to explain to David that “all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest” have sided with Adonijah is deeply worrying, exposing the extent to which David has lost his grip on the kingdom. Reassuringly, Nathan can say that “your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon” have been excluded from the invitation list because they remain loyal to David. Nathan’s approach in concert with Bathsheba is a political masterstroke.

Nathan and Bathsheba see that David has lost the plot. The silence suggests that David has become either complacent, assuming that all is on course, or disinterested in the outworking of the promises made concerning his line of succession and the kingdom of Israel in 2 Samuel 7. So what do they do? Whatever it takes! No comment is made on their motives or their own focus on the promise. The whole scene is riddled with ambiguity. But whatever the motives behind it, their intervention does set things up beautifully for David to spring into action once more.

1:28–31 Finally David acts with something approaching his former decisiveness, taking the initiative to resolve the crisis. It is as if David has awoken when he finally pronounces, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.” Finally King David speaks like the one who has towered over the narrative to this point. “As I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel” makes clear that Nathan is not attempting to manipulate a king who is losing his faculties. Bathsheba’s parting shot seems ironic: “May my lord King David live forever!” There has been quite a transformation from the sleepy old man of verses 1–4.

1:32–37 Despite David’s apparent lack of political awareness earlier in the chapter, he now acts quickly to enlist those he knows he can trust (Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah) and dispatches them with his own servants, forming a suitable entourage for Solomon. The list of instructions opens with a command to “have Solomon my son ride on my own mule” (as a sign of royal favor) and “bring him down to Gihon.” This spring is also mentioned in connection with Hezekiah’s waterworks in 2 Chronicles 32:30; 33:14 and is probably the brook referenced in Psalm 110:7. According to Genesis 2:13, one of the original rivers in Eden was called Gihon, which may have led to Edenic overtones surrounding this stream. In any case, David is eager to have Solomon anointed there rather than the short distance away at the “Serpent’s Stone.” At Gihon, David says, “Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel.” It is slightly puzzling why David himself does not accompany them. It could possibly be frailty or simply a matter of speed—the king now sees the need to act immediately. As soon as the deed is done, he instructs them to “blow the trumpet” so that word will spread instantly that the king has acted and Solomon is the new king.

Benaiah’s response is an impressive statement of faith in Yahweh’s ability to fulfill his dynastic promises, made all the more remarkable by David’s neglect of these categories: “As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.” The promises of 2 Samuel 7 are suddenly front and center.

1:38–40 The striking reality concerning the company making their way to Gihon is that the men under Benaiah’s command (“Cherethites” and “Pelethites”) are most likely of Philistine origin (2 Sam. 15:16–22; 20:6–7; see also 1 Sam. 30:14). The ingathering of the Gentiles is not a major theme in Kings, but it does appear with sufficient regularity to seem to be a deliberate part of the writer’s presentation.

When Zadok takes the “horn of oil” from the tabernacle (cf. 1 Sam. 16:13, where David is anointed by Samuel), “all the people” affirm the appointment of God. The initiative has been snatched back from Adonijah and victory claimed in the words “Long live King Solomon!” In stating that “all the people” say these words, the writer clearly does not intend the reader to take this literalistically (e.g., those who were siding with Adonijah were clearly not present), but the statement does emphasize that Solomon’s accession does lead to “great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise.” The metaphor has been connected by some to passages such as Zechariah 14:4, but it is best simply to take it as evidence that the masses welcome Solomon as their king.

It is striking how passive Solomon himself is during these events. He is virtually faceless and characterless. The important thing is that God is working out his purposes through this mess.

1:41–48 The sound of the trumpet is genuinely shattering to the aspirations of Adonijah. The festivities are in full swing, with a smooth regime change having seemingly been achieved, when Joab asks, “What does this uproar in the city mean?” The answer turns out to be bad news for both the pretender and his backers. Adonijah’s initial optimism is based on an illogical assumption that good people bring good news: “While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, ‘Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news.’”

Unfortunately for Adonijah, Jonathan then makes the announcement that effectively ends his bid for power: “Our lord King David has made Solomon king.” As the events are carefully narrated once again, it dawns on Adonijah that the game is very definitely up. Jonathan’s closing words settle the matter: “This is the noise that you have heard. Solomon sits on the royal throne.” Adonijah’s bid for power has been thwarted. This becomes even clearer when it is related that “the king’s servants” have already bowed before the new king, asking God to bless Solomon even more lavishly than he has David. King David, now seemingly back upright and fully functional, proclaims, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has granted someone to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.” Suddenly David is rejoicing once more in the fulfillment of the promises of God.

1:49–53 Very quickly it seems that, like the Prodigal Son, Adonijah discovers that a change in fortunes can translate into a very lonely life. “Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and rose, and each went his own way.” Adonijah is afraid. To be more precise, he is afraid of Solomon (see both vv. 50 and 51), so “he arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar” (cf. Ex. 27:2). It is not entirely clear how the idea of the altar (or its horns) as a place of sanctuary develops. It may simply be a matter of superstition. However, what is clear is that the pretender who does not fear Yahweh now fears Solomon, his appointed king.

In the narrative, the focus has now shifted rapidly to the question of the trustworthiness (or not) of Solomon. What kind of king will Solomon prove to be? Solomon shows himself to be a shrewd operator straight away. Concerning Adonijah he asks, “If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” To be “worthy” here is tantamount to supporting Solomon’s right to rule (in the same way that Adonijah assumed the “worthy” Jonathan would bring good news for his reign). “Wickedness” is tantamount to any political ambition that would threaten Solomon’s rule. The chapter closes with Solomon dismissing Adonijah, after he “paid homage” to Solomon, with the words “Go to your house.” This could imply a kind of house arrest but more likely simply refers to Adonijah’s returning home to enjoy life after politics. No hint is yet given as to how this plot will unfold.