2:17 give me Abishag the Shunammite. In the ancient Near East, a large court and family was a sign of royal status. Abishag remained a virgin while she stayed with David (1:1–4) and so Adonijah would not be technically breaking the law by marrying her (Deut. 22:30). Nonetheless, should Adonijah prove successful in marrying Abishag from David’s harem, this would constitute a claim to the throne and an open affront to Solomon’s power (cf. 2 Sam. 3:6, 7; 12:7, 8; 16:20–24).