TEXT [Commentary]

2. Adonijah claims the throne (1:5-27)

5 About that time David’s son Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, began boasting, “I will make myself king.” So he provided himself with chariots and charioteers and recruited fifty men to run in front of him. 6 Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, “Why are you doing that?” Adonijah had been born next after Absalom, and he was very handsome.

7 Adonijah took Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest into his confidence, and they agreed to help him become king. 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s personal bodyguard refused to support Adonijah.

9 Adonijah went to the Stone of Zoheleth[*] near the spring of En-rogel, where he sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened calves. He invited all his brothers—the other sons of King David—and all the royal officials of Judah. 10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the king’s bodyguard or his brother Solomon.

11 Then Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, and asked her, “Haven’t you heard that Haggith’s son, Adonijah, has made himself king, and our lord David doesn’t even know about it? 12 If you want to save your own life and the life of your son Solomon, follow my advice. 13 Go at once to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, didn’t you make a vow and say to me, “Your son Solomon will surely be the next king and will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 And while you are still talking with him, I will come and confirm everything you have said.”

15 So Bathsheba went into the king’s bedroom. (He was very old now, and Abishag was taking care of him.) 16 Bathsheba bowed down before the king.

“What can I do for you?” he asked her.

17 She replied, “My lord, you made a vow before the LORD your God when you said to me, ‘Your son Solomon will surely be the next king and will sit on my throne.’ 18 But instead, Adonijah has made himself king, and my lord the king does not even know about it. 19 He has sacrificed many cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and he has invited all the king’s sons to attend the celebration. He also invited Abiathar the priest and Joab, the commander of the army. But he did not invite your servant Solomon. 20 And now, my lord the king, all Israel is waiting for you to announce who will become king after you. 21 If you do not act, my son Solomon and I will be treated as criminals as soon as my lord the king has died.”

22 While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23 The king’s officials told him, “Nathan the prophet is here to see you.”

Nathan went in and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. 24 Nathan asked, “My lord the king, have you decided that Adonijah will be the next king and that he will sit on your throne? 25 Today he has sacrificed many cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and he has invited all the king’s sons to attend the celebration. He also invited the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. They are feasting and drinking with him and shouting, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But he did not invite me or Zadok the priest or Benaiah or your servant Solomon. 27 Has my lord the king really done this without letting any of his officials know who should be the next king?”

NOTES

1:5 chariots and charioteers . . . fifty men to run in front of him. This is similar to the royal escort Absalom had procured (2 Sam 15:1; cf. 1 Sam 8:11). Other parallels to ­Absalom include being described as “very handsome” (1:6b; cf. 2 Sam 14:25-26) and having an indulgent father (1:6a; cf. 2 Sam 13:21, LXX [see NLT mg there]; and Joab’s comments in 2 Sam 19:5-8). As Seow (1999:17-18) notes, Nathan’s prediction that trouble would arise from within David’s own household (2 Sam 12:11-12) had, sadly, once again, come to pass.

1:7 Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest. Joab was David’s nephew and veteran commander of the army (2 Sam 2:18; 8:16; 1 Chr 2:16); he was the one who had killed Absalom against David’s expressed wish (2 Sam 18:14-17). Abiathar was a son of the priest Ahimelech (cf. 1 Sam 22:20-23; 23:6) and a brave supporter of David in his struggles with Saul. Seow (1999:18; also cf. Cogan 2001:168) describes these individuals as representing the “old guard,” conservative elements dating back to David’s days in Hebron (2 Sam 2).

1:8 Zadok the priest. He was the ancestor of a very important priestly family in Israel, and one of two priests on David’s palace staff (2 Sam 8:17; cf. 2 Sam 20:25). Often considered Jebusite in origin, thus not Israelite (the Jebusites were the original Canaanite inhabitants of Jerusalem [2 Sam 5:6; cf. DeVries 1985:14 for references]), he was possibly also from Hebron (see Cogan 2001:158; Cross 1973:207-215). In any case, he likely would have been a natural rival of Abiathar.

Benaiah son of Jehoiada. He was one of David’s “Thirty Mighty Men” (see 2 Sam 23:20-23), captain of David’s bodyguard (see 1:38).

Shimei, Rei, and David’s personal bodyguard. Shimei and Rei are otherwise unknown and oddly, their fathers’ names are not given. “Shimei” is not the Benjamite Shimei son of Gera mentioned in 2 Sam 16:5-14 (cf. 1 Kgs 2:8-9). Some, however, do equate the present Shimei with the “Shimei son of Ela” of 4:18. “Rei,” in fact, may be a corruption of the similar term for “friend” (for possible emendations of this difficult text, see DeVries 1985:14). The “personal bodyguard” is made up of David’s “mighty men” (haggibborim [TH1368A, ZH1475]), probably remnants of the famous “Three” and the “Thirty” listed in 2 Sam 23:8-39. Seow (1999:18) plausibly suggests that David’s fragile coalition of old guards from Hebron (see note on 1:7) and new personnel from various locations connected with Jerusalem was apparently breaking down (cf. Jones 1984:91-92).

1:9 Stone of Zoheleth near the spring of En-rogel. Cogan (2001:159) connects this with the major spring called Bir Ayyub (“Job’s well”) some 500 meters south of the “City of David” (see note on 3:1), where the Kidron and the Hinnom valleys meet; he also discusses the possible rendering “Serpent’s Stone” (cf. NLT mg). This location, on the boundary between the tribal territories of Benjamin and Judah (cf. Josh 15:7; 18:16), would have been well known (cf. 2 Sam 17:17), and the open area around the spring could easily accommodate the crowd commemorating the hasty coronation.

sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened calves. Adonijah and his confederates were ready for a public celebration, costly but savory to the smell. Modern Western culture often forgets how delightful such a “barbecue” would have been to the average Israelite, who would probably eat meat only three times a year (during the pilgrim feasts of Passover, etc.). It was not only Yahweh who would enjoy the “pleasing aroma” of the sacrifices placed on the altar. Cogan (2001:158) makes the important observation that all the action through the end of this chapter takes place on a single day—and what a momentous day it was.

1:10 did not invite Nathan . . . Benaiah . . . king’s bodyguard . . . Solomon. The invited crowd, though large, was exclusive, as the narrator takes pains to note. Solomon in particular, who was born later in Jerusalem (cf. the separate lists found in 2 Sam 3:2-5; 5:13-16; cf. 1 Chr 3:1-9), could not be trusted. Not inviting “Nathan the prophet,” however, would soon prove to be a tactical error (even though inviting him would probably have precluded any later hostile action against him and his interests, under the laws of Middle Eastern hospitality; cf. Wiseman 1993:70).

1:12 follow my advice. What follows is a carefully choreographed procedure, designed to awaken even the most uninvolved monarch. Nathan quickly made plans to bring about, as it were, the promised succession he himself seemingly prophesied back in 2 Sam 7. Believers in any age stand amazed at the remarkably contingent nature of God’s will being accomplished. Note that Nathan scarcely exaggerates when he states that both Solomon’s and Bathsheba’s lives hang in the balance.

1:13 didn’t you make a vow . . . “Your son Solomon will surely be the next king”? We have no previous record of this vow (but see below on 1:29-30 for apparent confirmation). We were told back in 2 Sam 12:24-25 that “[Yahweh] loved the child [named Solomon],” and that Nathan the prophet declared that David and Bathsheba name him Jedidiah, which meant “beloved of [Yahweh].” Cogan (2001:167) makes much of biblical storytelling describing “the wily ways of heroes” (here Nathan and Bathsheba) and how they, against all odds, outsmart the competition (cf. Seow 1999:19). Certainly such is the case in Genesis, especially in the stories about Jacob (see Gen 25–33; also the commentary on 1:28-53). But I suspect that what is particularly celebrated in the present passage is Nathan’s quick thinking—his ability to turn a sudden crisis into a remarkable opportunity to wake up a king (the aged David), who was now sadly immune even to the charms of an extraordinarily beautiful woman (Abishag). Surely David had already given some thought to who would succeed him to the throne and brought up the subject in Bathsheba’s presence. Walsh (1996:11) points out the hidden irony in Bathsheba’s question about the vow inasmuch as her name probably means “Daughter of an Oath.” However, Harvey (IDB 1.366) prefers the etymology “Daughter of Abundance.”

1:14 I will come and confirm everything. In classical biblical style, Nathan’s actual speech (1:24-27) “confirms” something quite different, seemingly asking the very aged King David (see the way the hearer/reader is reminded of this once again in 1:15) if he had peradventure authorized Adonijah’s coronation without letting his officials in on the decision. A clever stratagem indeed!

1:15 the king’s bedroom. This was surely a bittersweet location for Solomon’s mother to enter. “Bathsheba, who had been desired by David even though she was in the bosom of another man, now speaks to the old king in front of the young and beautiful Abishag, who was brought to lie in his bosom” (Seow 1999:18).

1:20 all Israel is waiting for you to announce who will become king after you. Surely one of the most basic decisions any king would make is who will succeed him on the throne. David recognized (or at least once did recognize) the court intrigue such a decision (or the postponing of such a decision) could lead to. But again, for the hearer/reader of 1–2 Kings, this is not just another petty kingdom in the ancient Near East—rather, this is the vehicle of salvation for all humanity (see 2 Sam 7, especially David’s own words of praise in 2 Sam 7:18-19).

1:21 treated as criminals. This is scarcely hyperbolic in the present context (see note on 1:12). As will be amply illustrated in the next chapter (2:1-12), the penalty for being on the losing side of this royal contest could well be sudden death, or at least banishment. Apart from such measures, the “losers” would represent a clear and abiding potential for usurpation, and at this time in history there had never been a successful transfer of power from father to son in Israel.

1:24 have you decided that Adonijah will be the next king? As noted above, Nathan took an independent tack in his speech to the king. He got to the gist of the matter: Had David really decided that Adonijah would sit on his throne? If David had avoided this decision in the past, he could avoid it no longer.

1:25 Long live King Adonijah! This is standard rhetoric for the occasion. The Hebrew reads, “May King Adonijah live!”—that is, “May Adonijah prosper.” For the same statement concerning Solomon, see 1:34. (For Saul, this acclamation was given in 1 Sam 10:24; and for Joash, see 2 Kgs 11:12.) Bathsheba will soon use an even stronger expression (see 1:31).

1:27 Has my lord the king really done this without letting any of his officials know who should be the next king? This is a powerful conclusion to Nathan’s speech (see note on 1:14). Here we see that “Nathan takes up the guise of the offended loyal servant” (Cogan 2001:160).

COMMENTARY [Text]

In this section we see Adonijah claiming to be king (1:5). He was David’s fourth son (cf. 2 Sam 3:3-4); his name means “Yah(weh) is my Lord.” Absalom, David’s third son, had previously killed Amnon, David’s first son, for raping Tamar (see 2 Sam 13; Tamar was Absalom’s full sister and Amnon’s half sister). Absalom had been killed for fomenting rebellion against his own father. The fate of the second son, Kileab/Daniel (see NLT mg at 2 Sam 3:3), is unknown; he perhaps died in childhood. Therefore, Adonijah presumably was the oldest surviving heir to the throne; he would naturally expect to inherit the throne by primogeniture (cf. 2:15). As for his mother, Haggith (whose name probably means “born on a feast day”; cf. the name “Haggai”), nothing further is known about her. Cogan (2001:157) cautions against interpreting the repeated references to her name in the present chapter as indicating a rivalry between her and Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother.

Nathan went to Bathsheba to tell her that Adonijah had proclaimed himself king. He was the brave prophetic critic of David’s adultery with Bathsheba and subsequent arrangement for the murder of her husband, Uriah the Hittite (2 Sam 11). He also was the prophet who announced Yahweh’s blessing on David’s dynasty (2 Sam 7:5-16), with repercussions both international and eternal. I think a remarkable amount of focus should be placed on Nathan the prophet at this juncture in the narrative. As Cogan has noted (see note on 1:9), all these actions and reactions occurred on a single day—and Nathan was equal to the task of “crisis management.” The same prophet who gave David a message clearly out of God’s will back in 2 Samuel 7:3 (although probably unintentionally so) and bravely in God’s will in 2 Samuel 12:1-12, addressed the current crisis with masterful strategy and probing questions. Some time ago, ­Halpern (1981:59-96) studied the relationship between prophet and king in the early monarchical period, and his conclusions are germane here. Following his (and my) mentor, Frank Moore Cross Jr., he developed Cross’s observation that “the institution of prophecy arose and declined with monarchy” (1981:83). It was the prophet who appointed the nagid [TH5057, ZH5592] (Hebrew for “designee for kingship” according to Halpern—the term is traditionally translated “prince” or “leader”), the candidate for king, and anointed him as designated king (e.g., Saul in 1 Sam 10:1, and David in 1 Sam 16:13). It was the prophet who denounced the king’s excesses, and it was the prophet who initiated holy war. As Halpern (1981:83) concludes,

Thus the prophet in the monarchy imposed a sacral restraint—in theory—on the king’s secular power. Such an office represents precisely the concession one would expect the priestly establishment to extract from the [tribal] assembly in return for the erection of a monarchy.

Concerning the issue of “holy war,” we will have much to say below (see especially ch 22). But my point here is more basic: It is the prophet who takes the initiative, who indeed is expected to take the initiative in reference to things monarchical. And Nathan certainly did not shrink from the challenge. Nathan was unafraid of confronting the king—speaking truth to power—that we already know (see 2 Sam 12). That is the bravery of reaction. He addressed a crisis others had caused. But here Nathan does more than react—he is proactive. Yes, he reacted to Adonijah’s coronation party, but he also “pro-acted” to force David to react to the crisis. This will not be the last time that a godly prophet acts decisively to save the monarchy. (Some commentators, perhaps of a more cynical bent, suggest that Nathan fabricated the story of David’s oath concerning Solomon as chosen successor, preying on the aged king’s mental frailty. But I doubt that such a blatant falsehood could have successfully stood the test of time—not to mention the clear will of God [cf. 2 Sam 12:24-25; but note that God can effect division and strife, too; cf. 2 Sam 12:11-12; 1 Kgs 12:23-24].)