Add parallel Print Page Options

Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith,[a] was promoting himself,[b] boasting,[c] “I will be king!” He managed to acquire[d] chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard.[e] (Now his father had never corrected[f] him[g] by saying, “Why do you do such things?” He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom.[h]) He collaborated[i] with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported[j] him.[k] But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s elite warriors[l] did not ally themselves[m] with Adonijah. Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened steers at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons,[n] as well as all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the elite warriors,[o] or his brother Solomon.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 1:5 tn Heb “son of Haggith,” but since this formula usually designates the father (who in this case was David), the translation specifies that David was Adonijah’s father.sn Haggith was one of David’s wives (2 Sam 3:4; 2 Chr 3:2).
  2. 1 Kings 1:5 tn Heb “lifting himself up.”
  3. 1 Kings 1:5 tn Heb “saying.”
  4. 1 Kings 1:5 tn Or “he acquired for himself.”
  5. 1 Kings 1:5 tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”
  6. 1 Kings 1:6 tn Or “disciplined.”
  7. 1 Kings 1:6 tn Heb “did not correct him from his days.” The phrase “from his days” means “from his earliest days,” or “ever in his life.” See GKC 382 §119.w, n. 2.
  8. 1 Kings 1:6 tn Heb “and she gave birth to him after Absalom.” This does not imply they had the same mother; Absalom’s mother was Maacah, not Haggith (2 Sam 3:4).
  9. 1 Kings 1:7 tn Heb “his words were.”
  10. 1 Kings 1:7 tn Heb “helped after” (i.e., stood by).
  11. 1 Kings 1:7 tn Heb “Adonijah.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  12. 1 Kings 1:8 tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
  13. 1 Kings 1:8 tn Heb “were not.”
  14. 1 Kings 1:9 tc The ancient Greek version omits this appositional phrase.
  15. 1 Kings 1:10 tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).

Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King

Now (A)Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” (B)And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, (C)and he was born next after Absalom. He conferred with (D)Joab the son of Zeruiah and with (E)Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. But (F)Zadok the priest and (G)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and (H)Nathan the prophet and (I)Shimei and Rei and (J)David's mighty men were not with Adonijah.

Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent's Stone, which is beside (K)En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or (L)Solomon his brother.

Read full chapter