Text -- 1 Kings 1:1-8 (NET)

Adonijah Tries to Seize the Throne

1:1 King David was very old; even when they covered him with blankets, he could not get warm. 1:2 His servants advised him, “A young virgin must be found for our master, the king, to take care of the king’s needs and serve as his nurse. She can also sleep with you and keep our master, the king, warm.” 1:3 So they looked through all Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 1:4 The young woman was very beautiful; she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king did not have sexual relations with her. 1:5 Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith, was promoting himself, boasting, “I will be king!” He managed to acquire chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. 1:6 (Now his father had never corrected him by saying, “Why do you do such things?” He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom.) 1:7 He collaborated with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported him. 1:8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s elite warriors did not ally themselves with Adonijah.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:1

¹ tn Heb “was old, coming into the days” (i.e., advancing in years).

² tn Or “garments.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:2

¹ tn Heb “said to.”

² tn Heb “let them seek for my master, the king, a young girl, a virgin.” The third person plural subject of the verb is indefinite (see GKC 460 §144.f). The appositional expression, “a young girl, a virgin,” is idiomatic; the second term specifically defines the more general first term (see IBHS 230 §12.3b).

³ tn Heb “and she will stand before the king.” The Hebrew phrase “stand before” can mean “to attend; to serve” (BDB 764 s.v. עָמַד).

⁴ tn Heb “and she will lie down in your bosom.” The expression might imply sexual intimacy (see 2 Sam 12:3 [where the lamb symbolizes Bathsheba] and Mic 7:5), though v. 4b indicates that David did not actually have sex with the young woman.

⁵ tn Heb “and my master, the king, will be warm.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:3

¹ tn Heb “through all the territory of Israel.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:4

¹ tn Heb “did not know her.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:5

¹ 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 tn Heb “lifting himself up.”

³ tn Heb “saying.”

⁴ tn Or “he acquired for himself.”

⁵ tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:6

¹ tn Or “disciplined.”

² 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.

³ 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).

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:7

¹ tn Heb “his words were.”

² tn Heb “helped after” (i.e., stood by).

³ tn Heb “Adonijah.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:8

¹ tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).

² tn Heb “were not.”