Text -- 1 Kings 1:47-53 (NET)

1:47 The king’s servants have even come to congratulate our master King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon more famous than you and make him an even greater king than you!’ Then the king leaned on the bed 1:48 and said this: ‘The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because today he has placed a successor on my throne and allowed me to see it.’” 1:49 All of Adonijah’s guests panicked; they jumped up and rushed off their separate ways. 1:50 Adonijah feared Solomon, so he got up and went and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. 1:51 Solomon was told, “Look, Adonijah fears you; see, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘May King Solomon solemnly promise me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’” 1:52 Solomon said, “If he is a loyal subject, not a hair of his head will be harmed, but if he is found to be a traitor, he will die.” 1:53 King Solomon sent men to bring him down from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon told him, “Go home.”

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:47

¹ tn Heb “to bless.”

² tn The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.

³ tc Many Hebrew mss agree with the Qere in reading simply “God.”

⁴ tn Heb “make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne.” The term שֵׁם (shem, “name”) is used here of one’s fame and reputation.

⁵ tn Or “bowed down; worshiped.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:48

¹ tn The Hebrew text reads, “and the king said.”

² tn Or “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who….” In this blessing formula אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “who; because”) introduces the reason why the one being blessed deserves the honor.

³ tn Heb “and my eyes are seeing.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:49

¹ tn Or “were afraid, trembled.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:50

¹ sn Grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. The “horns” of the altar were the horn-shaped projections on the four corners of the altar (see Exod 27:2). By going to the holy place and grabbing hold of the horns of the altar, Adonijah was seeking asylum from Solomon.

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:51

¹ tn Heb “King Solomon.” The name and title have been replaced by the pronoun (“you”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

² tn Or “swear an oath to.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:52

¹ tn Heb “if he is a man of strength [or ability].” In this context, where Adonijah calls himself a “servant,” implying allegiance to the new king, the phrase אִישׁ חַיִל (’ish khayil) probably carries the sense of “a worthy man,” that is, “loyal” (see HALOT 311 s.v. חַיִל).

² tn Heb “but if evil is found in him.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 1:53

¹ tn Heb “sent and they brought him down.”

² tn Heb “Go to your house.”