1 Kings 1

This chapter begins with the aging King David, who is nearing the end of his life. His son Adonijah attempts to seize the throne by proclaiming himself king without David’s approval. Meanwhile, Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, and the prophet Nathan work to ensure that Solomon, whom David promised would be his successor, is properly crowned as king. The chapter sets up a dramatic power struggle within David’s family over who will inherit the throne.

1 Kings 1:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Now King David was old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm.
2 Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman, a virgin, be sought for our lord the king, and let her stand before the king, and let her care for him; and let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may be warm.”
3 So they sought for a lovely young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
4 The young woman was very lovely; and she cared for the king, and served him, but the king did not know her.
5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

David, now quite elderly and frail, is unable to stay warm. His attendants suggest finding a young woman to care for him, and Abishag the Shunammite is chosen. She serves David but has no intimate relationship with him. Meanwhile, Adonijah, one of David’s sons, sees an opportunity to declare himself king, assembling a display of power with chariots and horsemen, positioning himself as David's successor without permission.

1 Kings 1:6-10 (NKJV)
6 (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, “Why have you done so?” He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.)
7 Then he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed and helped Adonijah.
8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah.
9 And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fattened cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En Rogel; he also invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants.
10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or Solomon his brother.

Adonijah's rebellion is fueled by David’s failure to confront him. He forms alliances with key figures like Joab, the commander of David’s army, and Abiathar, a priest, to strengthen his claim to the throne. However, important loyalists of David, such as Nathan the prophet, Zadok the priest, and Benaiah, do not join Adonijah’s cause. Adonijah hosts a sacrificial feast to celebrate his kingship but excludes Solomon and those loyal to David.

1 Kings 1:11-14 (NKJV)
11 So Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it?
12 Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.
13 Go immediately to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, “Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’
14 Then, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.”

Nathan, realizing the gravity of the situation, warns Bathsheba of Adonijah’s actions. He urges her to approach David and remind him of his promise to make Solomon king. Nathan devises a plan for Bathsheba to confront David first, while he will come later to confirm her words, creating a strong case for Solomon’s kingship and preventing Adonijah's claim.

1 Kings 1:15-21 (NKJV)
15 So Bathsheba went into the chamber to the king. (Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.)
16 And Bathsheba bowed and did homage to the king. Then the king said, “What is your wish?”
17 Then she said to him, “My lord, you swore by the Lord your God to your maidservant, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’
18 So now, look! Adonijah has become king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know about it.
19 He has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army; but Solomon your servant he has not invited.
20 And as for you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
21 Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted as offenders.”

Bathsheba follows Nathan's advice and approaches the aging David. She reminds him of his solemn promise to make Solomon king and informs him of Adonijah’s self-declaration as king. She highlights the urgency of the matter, warning that if Adonijah's claim is not challenged, she and Solomon would be in danger after David’s death. This plea aims to push David into action before it's too late.

1 Kings 1:22-27 (NKJV)
22 And just then, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.
23 So they told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.
24 And Nathan said, “My lord, O king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’?
25 For he has gone down today, and has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, and the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and look! They are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’
26 But he has not invited me—me your servant—nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon.
27 Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

Nathan enters at the right moment, confirming everything Bathsheba said. He tactfully questions David, asking if he approved Adonijah’s reign. He points out that key loyal figures, including himself, were excluded from Adonijah’s plans, subtly indicating that this was done without David’s consent. Nathan’s words strengthen Bathsheba’s plea, urging David to clarify the rightful successor.

1 Kings 1:28-31 (NKJV)
28 Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.
29 And the king took an oath and said, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress,
30 just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so I certainly will do this day.”
31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and paid homage to the king, and said, “Let my lord King David live forever!”

David finally responds, affirming his promise that Solomon would be king. He swears by the Lord that Solomon will take his place on the throne without delay. Bathsheba, reassured, pays homage to David, expressing her gratitude and respect. David’s decision is firm, setting the stage for Solomon’s anointing as king.

1 Kings 1:32-35 (NKJV)
32 And King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king.
33 The king also said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon.
34 There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the horn, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’
35 Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”

King David, nearing the end of his life, calls on his trusted allies—Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, a military leader—to establish Solomon as his successor. David commands them to place Solomon on his royal mule and lead him to Gihon, a public site where he will be anointed as king. By having the priest and prophet perform the anointing and blowing a horn to proclaim Solomon’s kingship, David ensures divine and public recognition of Solomon as the rightful ruler. To solidify his authority, David instructs that Solomon sit on the royal throne, marking him as the legitimate ruler over both Israel and Judah, thereby securing a peaceful transition of power.

1 Kings 1:36-40 (NKJV)
36 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! May the Lord God of my lord the king say so too.
37 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.”
38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and took him to Gihon.
39 Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!”
40 And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound.

Benaiah affirms David’s decision, calling for God’s blessing upon Solomon’s reign. He prays for Solomon’s rule to be even greater than David’s. Following David’s instructions, Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and David’s royal guards take Solomon to Gihon on the king’s mule, a symbolic gesture of kingship. Solomon is then anointed by Zadok, officially making him king. The people rejoice exuberantly, celebrating Solomon's ascension with such excitement that it shakes the ground.

1 Kings 1:41-48 (NKJV)
41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said, “Why is the city in such a noisy uproar?”
42 While he was still speaking, there came Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest. And Adonijah said to him, “Come in, for you are a prominent man, and bring good news.”
43 Then Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king.
44 The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule.
45 So Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon; and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard.
46 Also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.
47 And moreover the king’s servants have gone to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.’ Then the king bowed himself on the bed.
48 Also the king said thus, ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see it!’”

Adonijah and his followers, still feasting, hear the celebration from the city. Joab, concerned, asks about the commotion. Jonathan, son of Abiathar, arrives with the shocking news that David has officially crowned Solomon as king. Jonathan describes how Solomon was anointed by Zadok and Nathan, riding the king’s mule in a public display of his royal status. This declaration causes a stir, as David’s loyal servants also bless Solomon’s future reign, recognizing it as ordained by God.

1 Kings 1:49-53 (NKJV)
49 So all the guests who were with Adonijah were afraid, and arose, and each one went his way.
50 Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.
51 And it was told Solomon, saying, “Indeed Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; for look, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’”
52 Then Solomon said, “If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.”
53 So King Solomon sent them to bring him down from the altar. And he came and fell down before King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

Upon hearing of Solomon’s anointing, Adonijah’s supporters panic and abandon him, leaving Adonijah fearing for his life. He flees to the altar, seeking sanctuary by grasping its horns, a symbolic plea for mercy. Solomon is informed of Adonijah’s request for his life to be spared. Solomon, demonstrating wisdom and restraint, promises Adonijah mercy as long as he remains loyal. Adonijah is released, sent home, and given a chance to live peacefully under Solomon’s reign, marking a peaceful transition of power.