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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.

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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 The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.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 Claims the Throne

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. 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.

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

Adonijah went to the Stone of Zoheleth[a] 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.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:9 Or to the Serpent’s Stone; Greek version supports reading Zoheleth as a proper name.