# 1 Kings 01 đ: Solomon Becomes King
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[[-1 Kings Overview]] | [[1 Kings 02]]
> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đ Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đ Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#đ¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#đ§ Chapter Summary]]
> [[#âď¸ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#đ Key Principles / đ Life Application]]
> [[#đŹ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#âď¸ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đ Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#đ Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đ Internal Notes]]
## đ Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
## Adonijah Tries to Seize the Throne
[[#Verse 01.]] King David was very old; even when they covered him with blankets, he could not get warm.Â
[[#Verse 02.]] His servants advised him, âA young virgin must be found for our master, the king, to take care of the kingâs needs and serve as his nurse. She can also sleep with you and keep our master, the king, warm.âÂ
[[#Verse 03.]] So they looked through all Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.Â
[[#Verse 04.]]Â The young woman was very beautiful; she became the kingâs nurse and served him, but the king was not intimate with her.
[[#Verse 05.]] Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith, was promoting himself, boasting, âI will be king!â He managed to acquire chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard.
[[#Verse 06.]] (Now his father had never corrected him by saying, âWhy do you do such things?â He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom.)Â
[[#Verse 07.]] He collaborated with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported him.Â
[[#Verse 08.]] But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and Davidâs elite warriors did not ally themselves with Adonijah.Â
[[#Verse 09.]] Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened steers at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the kingâs sons, as well as all the men of Judah, the kingâs servants.Â
[[#Verse 10.]] But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the elite warriors, or his brother Solomon.
[[#Verse 11.]] Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomonâs mother, âHas it been reported to you that Haggithâs son Adonijah has become king behind our master Davidâs back?
[[#Verse 12.]] Now let me give you some advice as to how you can save your life and your son Solomonâs life.Â
[[#Verse 13.]] Visit King David and say to him, âMy master, O king, did you not solemnly promise your servant, âSurely your son Solomon will be king after me; he will sit on my throneâ? So why has Adonijah become king?âÂ
[[#Verse 14.]] While you are still there speaking to the king, I will arrive and verify your report.â
[[#Verse 15.]] So Bathsheba visited the king in his private quarters. (The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.)Â
[[#Verse 16.]] Bathsheba bowed down on the floor before the king. The king said, âWhat do you want?â
[[#Verse 17.]] She replied to him, âMy master, you swore an oath to your servant by the Lord your God, âSolomon your son will be king after me and he will sit on my throne.â
[[#Verse 18.]] But now, look, Adonijah has become king! But you, my master the king, are not even aware of it!Â
[[#Verse 19.]]Â He has sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the kingâs sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab, the commander of the army, but he has not invited your servant Solomon.Â
[[#Verse 20.]] Now, my master, O king, all Israel is watching anxiously to see who is named to succeed my master the king on the throne.Â
[[#Verse 21.]] If a decision is not made, when my master the king is buried with his ancestors, my son Solomon and I will be considered state criminals.â
[[#Verse 22.]] Just then, while she was still speaking to the king, Nathan the prophet arrived.Â
[[#Verse 23.]]Â The king was told, âNathan the prophet is here.â Nathan entered and bowed before the king with his face to the floor.Â
[[#Verse 24.]]Â Nathan said, âMy master, O king, did you announce, âAdonijah will be king after me; he will sit on my throneâ?Â
[[#Verse 25.]] For today he has gone down and sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the kingâs sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. At this moment they are having a feast in his presence, and they have declared, âLong live King Adonijah!â
[[#Verse 26.]]Â But he did not invite meâyour servantâor Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your servant Solomon.Â
[[#Verse 27.]] Has my master the king authorized this without informing your servants who should succeed my master the king on his throne?â
### David Picks Solomon as His Successor
[[#Verse 28.]] King David responded, âSummon Bathsheba!â She came and stood before the king.Â
[[#Verse 29.]] The king swore an oath: âAs certainly as the Lord lives (he who has rescued me from every danger),Â
[[#Verse 30.]] I will keep today the oath I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel: âSurely Solomon your son will be king after me; he will sit in my place on my throne.ââÂ
[[#Verse 31.]] Bathsheba bowed down to the king with her face to the floor and said, âMay my master, King David, live forever!â
[[#Verse 32.]] King David said, âSummon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.â They came before the king,Â
[[#Verse 33.]] and he told them, âTake your masterâs servants with you, put my son Solomon on my mule, and lead him down to Gihon.Â
[[#Verse 34.]] There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet and declare, âLong live King Solomon!âÂ
[[#Verse 35.]] Then follow him up as he comes and sits on my throne. He will be king in my place; I have decreed that he will be ruler over Israel and Judah.âÂ
[[#Verse 36.]] Benaiah son of Jehoiada responded to the king: âSo be it! May the Lord God of my master the king confirm it!Â
[[#Verse 37.]] As the Lord is with my master the king, so may he be with Solomon, and may he make him an even greater king than my master King David!â
[[#Verse 38.]] So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites went down, put Solomon on King Davidâs mule, and led him to Gihon.Â
[[#Verse 39.]] Zadok the priest took a horn filled with olive oil from the tent and poured it on Solomon; the trumpet was blown and all the people declared, âLong live King Solomon!âÂ
[[#Verse 40.]]Â All the people followed him up, playing flutes and celebrating so loudly they made the ground shake.
[[#Verse 41.]] Now Adonijah and all his guests heard the commotion just as they had finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he asked, âWhy is there such a noisy commotion in the city?âÂ
[[#Verse 42.]] As he was still speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, âCome in, for an important man like you must be bringing good news.âÂ
[[#Verse 43.]] Jonathan replied to Adonijah: âNo! Our master King David has made Solomon king.Â
[[#Verse 44.]]Â The king sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites and they put him on the kingâs mule.Â
[[#Verse 45.]] Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him king in Gihon. They went up from there rejoicing, and the city is in an uproar. That is the sound you hear.Â
[[#Verse 46.]]Â Furthermore, Solomon has assumed the royal throne.Â
[[#Verse 47.]] The kingâs servants have even come to congratulate our master King David, saying, âMay your God make Solomon more famous than you and make him an even greater king than you!â Then the king leaned on the bedÂ
[[#Verse 48.]] and said this: âThe Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because today he has placed a successor on my throne and allowed me to see it.ââ
[[#Verse 49.]]Â All of Adonijahâs guests panicked;Â they jumped up and rushed off their separate ways.Â
[[#Verse 50.]]Â Adonijah feared Solomon, so he got up and went and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar.Â
[[#Verse 51.]] Solomon was told, âLook, Adonijah fears you; see, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, âMay King Solomon solemnly promise me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.ââÂ
[[#Verse 52.]] Solomon said, âIf he is a loyal subject, not a hair of his head will be harmed, but if he is found to be a traitor, he will die.âÂ
[[#Verse 53.]] King Solomon sent men to bring him down from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon told him, âGo home.â
## đ Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
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###### Verse 06.
- Since this prince had never been disciplined, he had no respect for anything other than his own will. This is one of the many reasons why all people need discipline and direction. Discipline is not intended to break people. It is intended to mold people and steer them in the right direction.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
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###### Verse 26.
###### Verse 27.
###### Verse 28.
- A leader is a problem solver. Even in old age, that is part of the calling to leadership.
###### Verse 29.
###### Verse 30.
###### Verse 31.
###### Verse 32.
###### Verse 33.
###### Verse 34.
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###### Verse 39.
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###### Verse 47.
###### Verse 48.
###### Verse 49.
###### Verse 50.
###### Verse 51.
###### Verse 52.
###### Verse 53.
## đ¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Abishag came from Shunem (1:3), a town in the territory of Issachar.
2. Adonijah was David's fourth son, born to Haggith in Hebron (2 Samuel 3:4). With Amnon and Absalom dead, he was likely the oldest surviving son.
3. Like Absalom before him, Adonijah gathered chariots, horsemen, and fifty men to run ahead of him (1:5; 2 Samuel 15:1).
4. Joab and Abiathar backed Adonijah, while Zadok, Benaiah, Nathan, and David's warriors stayed loyal to Solomon (1:7-8).
5. Adonijah held his feast by the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel (1:9), a spring just south of Jerusalem.
6. Solomon was anointed at the Gihon spring (1:33, 38), Jerusalem's main source of fresh water.
7. Riding the king's own mule (1:33) was a public sign that David approved Solomon as his successor.
8. The Kerethites and Pelethites (1:38) were David's royal bodyguard, often linked with Crete and the Philistine coastland.
9. Zadok used the horn of oil from the sacred tent (1:39), connecting Solomon's anointing to Israel's worship.
10. Grabbing the horns of the altar (1:50) was a way to seek sanctuary, though the Law did not protect deliberate murderers this way (Exodus 21:14).
## đ§ Chapter Summary
> [!note] đą Still growing. This section is on its way.
## âď¸ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the true Son of David and rightful King. Solomon rode David's mule to be anointed at Gihon (1:33-39), and Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as the promised King (Matthew 21:5).
## đ Key Principles / đ Life Application
> [!note] đą Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đŹ Discussion Questions
1. David never once corrected Adonijah or asked why he acted as he did (1:6). What does this chapter teach about the cost of avoiding discipline?
2. Nathan and Bathsheba acted quickly and wisely to keep God's promise from being pushed aside (1:11-27). When is it right to speak up to a leader?
3. Adonijah ran to the altar for mercy, and Solomon spared him on the condition of good behavior (1:50-53). What does true repentance look like compared to simply avoiding consequences?
## âď¸ Key Verses to Remember
- đ verse 6: David had never corrected Adonijah, and the result was a son who exalted himself.
- đ verses 29-30: David keeps his oath that Solomon will sit on his throne.
- đ verse 39: Zadok anoints Solomon, and the people shout, "Long live King Solomon!"
## đ Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đ [[2 Samuel 07#Verse 12.|2 Samuel 7:12-13]] - God promises David a son whose throne will be established.
- đ [[1 Chronicles 28#Verse 05.|1 Chronicles 28:5]] - God chose Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord's kingdom.
- đ [[Proverbs 29#Verse 15.|Proverbs 29:15]] - A child left to himself brings shame.
- đ [[Zechariah 09#Verse 09.|Zechariah 9:9]] - Your King comes to you, riding on a donkey.
- đ [[Matthew 21#Verse 05.|Matthew 21:5]] - Jesus enters Jerusalem as the humble King.
## đ Devotional Reflection
đ SOAP: [[1 Kings 01 - SOAP|Godâs Plan Takes Many Turns]]
## đ Internal Notes