Bible Reading March 30 
1 Kings 1:1--4:34
Context1:1 King David was very old; 1 even when they covered him with blankets, 2 he could not get warm. 1:2 His servants advised 3 him, “A young virgin must be found for our master, the king, 4 to take care of the king’s needs 5 and serve as his nurse. She can also sleep with you 6 and keep our master, the king, warm.” 7 1:3 So they looked through all Israel 8 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. 9
1:5 Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith, 10 was promoting himself, 11 boasting, 12 “I will be king!” He managed to acquire 13 chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. 14 1:6 (Now his father had never corrected 15 him 16 by saying, “Why do you do such things?” He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom. 17 ) 1:7 He collaborated 18 with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported 19 him. 20 1:8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s elite warriors 21 did not ally themselves 22 with Adonijah. 1:9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened steers at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, 23 as well as all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 1:10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the elite warriors, 24 or his brother Solomon.
1:11 Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Has it been reported to you 25 that Haggith’s son Adonijah has become king behind our master David’s back? 26 1:12 Now 27 let me give you some advice as to how 28 you can save your life and your son Solomon’s life. 1:13 Visit 29 King David and say to him, ‘My master, O king, did you not solemnly promise 30 your servant, “Surely your son Solomon will be king after me; he will sit on my throne”? So why has Adonijah become king?’ 1:14 While 31 you are still there speaking to the king, I will arrive 32 and verify your report.” 33
1:15 So Bathsheba visited the king in his private quarters. 34 (The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) 1:16 Bathsheba bowed down on the floor before 35 the king. The king said, “What do you want?” 1:17 She replied to him, “My master, you swore an oath to your servant by the Lord your God, ‘Solomon your son will be king after me and he will sit on my throne.’ 1:18 But now, look, Adonijah has become king! But you, 36 my master the king, are not even aware of it! 37 1:19 He has sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab, the commander of the army, but he has not invited your servant Solomon. 1:20 Now, 38 my master, O king, all Israel is watching anxiously to see who is named to succeed my master the king on the throne. 39 1:21 If a decision is not made, 40 when my master the king is buried with his ancestors, 41 my son Solomon and I 42 will be considered state criminals.” 43
1:22 Just then, 44 while she was still speaking to the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 1:23 The king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” Nathan entered and bowed before the king with his face to the floor. 45 1:24 Nathan said, “My master, O king, did you announce, ‘Adonijah will be king after me; he will sit on my throne’? 1:25 For today he has gone down and sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. At this moment 46 they are having a feast 47 in his presence, and they have declared, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 48 1:26 But he did not invite me – your servant – or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your servant Solomon. 1:27 Has my master the king authorized this without informing your servants 49 who should succeed my master the king on his throne?” 50
1:28 King David responded, 51 “Summon Bathsheba!” 52 She came and stood before the king. 53 1:29 The king swore an oath: “As certainly as the Lord lives (he who has rescued me 54 from every danger), 1:30 I will keep 55 today the oath I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel: ‘Surely Solomon your son will be king after me; he will sit in my place on my throne.’” 1:31 Bathsheba bowed down to the king with her face to the floor 56 and said, “May my master, King David, live forever!”
1:32 King David said, “Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, 57 and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” They came before the king, 1:33 and he 58 told them, “Take your master’s 59 servants with you, put my son Solomon on my mule, and lead him down to Gihon. 60 1:34 There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint 61 him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet and declare, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 1:35 Then follow him up as he comes and sits on my throne. He will be king in my place; I have decreed 62 that he will be ruler over Israel and Judah.” 1:36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada responded 63 to the king: “So be it! 64 May the Lord God of my master the king confirm it! 65 1:37 As the Lord is with my master the king, so may he be with Solomon, and may he make him an even greater king than my master King David!” 66
1:38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites 67 went down, put Solomon on King David’s mule, and led him to Gihon. 1:39 Zadok the priest took a horn filled with olive oil 68 from the tent and poured it on 69 Solomon; the trumpet was blown and all the people declared, “Long live King Solomon!” 1:40 All the people followed him up, playing flutes and celebrating so loudly they made the ground shake. 70
1:41 Now Adonijah and all his guests heard the commotion just as they had finished eating. 71 When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he asked, “Why is there such a noisy commotion in the city?” 72 1:42 As he was still speaking, Jonathan 73 son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for 74 an important man like you must be bringing good news.” 75 1:43 Jonathan replied 76 to Adonijah: “No! 77 Our master 78 King David has made Solomon king. 1:44 The king sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites and they put him on the king’s mule. 1:45 Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed 79 him king in Gihon. They went up from there rejoicing, and the city is in an uproar. That is the sound you hear. 1:46 Furthermore, Solomon has assumed the royal throne. 80 1:47 The king’s servants have even come to congratulate 81 our master 82 King David, saying, ‘May your God 83 make Solomon more famous than you and make him an even greater king than you!’ 84 Then the king leaned 85 on the bed 1:48 and said 86 this: ‘The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because 87 today he has placed a successor on my throne and allowed me to see it.’” 88
1:49 All of Adonijah’s guests panicked; 89 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. 90 1:51 Solomon was told, “Look, Adonijah fears you; 91 see, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘May King Solomon solemnly promise 92 me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’” 1:52 Solomon said, “If he is a loyal subject, 93 not a hair of his head will be harmed, but if he is found to be a traitor, 94 he will die.” 1:53 King Solomon sent men to bring him down 95 from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon told him, “Go home.” 96
2:1 When David was close to death, 97 he told 98 Solomon his son: 2:2 “I am about to die. 99 Be strong and become a man! 2:3 Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you 100 by following his instructions 101 and obeying 102 his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish, 103 2:4 and the Lord will fulfill his promise to me, 104 ‘If your descendants watch their step 105 and live faithfully in my presence 106 with all their heart and being, 107 then,’ he promised, 108 ‘you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ 109
2:5 “You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me – how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. 110 During peacetime he struck them down like he would in battle; 111 when he shed their blood as if in battle, he stained his own belt and the sandals on his feet. 112 2:6 Do to him what you think is appropriate, 113 but don’t let him live long and die a peaceful death. 114
2:7 “Treat fairly 115 the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and provide for their needs, 116 because they helped me 117 when I had to flee from your brother Absalom.
2:8 “Note well, you still have to contend with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, 118 who tried to call down upon me a horrible judgment when I went to Mahanaim. 119 He came down and met me at the Jordan, and I solemnly promised 120 him by the Lord, ‘I will not strike you down 121 with the sword.’ 2:9 But now 122 don’t treat him as if he were innocent. You are a wise man and you know how to handle him; 123 make sure he has a bloody death.” 124
2:10 Then David passed away 125 and was buried in the city of David. 126 2:11 David reigned over Israel forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years, and in Jerusalem 127 thirty-three years.
2:12 Solomon sat on his father David’s throne, and his royal authority 128 was firmly solidified.
2:13 Haggith’s son Adonijah visited Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come in peace?” He answered, “Yes.” 129 2:14 He added, 130 “I have something to say to you.” She replied, “Speak.” 2:15 He said, “You know that the kingdom 131 was mine and all Israel considered me king. 132 But then the kingdom was given to my brother, for the Lord decided it should be his. 133 2:16 Now I’d like to ask you for just one thing. Please don’t refuse me.” 134 She said, “Go ahead and ask.” 135 2:17 He said, “Please ask King Solomon if he would give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, for he won’t refuse you.” 136 2:18 Bathsheba replied, “That’s fine, 137 I’ll speak to the king on your behalf.”
2:19 So Bathsheba visited King Solomon to speak to him on Adonijah’s behalf. The king got up to greet 138 her, bowed to her, and then sat on his throne. He ordered a throne to be brought for the king’s mother, 139 and she sat at his right hand. 2:20 She said, “I would like to ask you for just one small favor. 140 Please don’t refuse me.” 141 He said, 142 “Go ahead and ask, my mother, for I would not refuse you.” 2:21 She said, “Allow Abishag the Shunammite to be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.” 2:22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why just request Abishag the Shunammite for him? 143 Since he is my older brother, you should also request the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”
2:23 King Solomon then swore an oath by the Lord, “May God judge me severely, 144 if Adonijah does not pay for this request with his life! 145 2:24 Now, as certainly as the Lord lives (he who made me secure, allowed me to sit on my father David’s throne, and established a dynasty 146 for me as he promised), Adonijah will be executed today!” 2:25 King Solomon then sent 147 Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he killed Adonijah. 148
2:26 The king then told Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your property 149 in Anathoth. You deserve to die, 150 but today I will not kill you because you did carry the ark of the sovereign Lord before my father David and you suffered with my father through all his difficult times.” 151 2:27 Solomon dismissed Abiathar from his position as priest of the Lord, 152 fulfilling the decree of judgment the Lord made in Shiloh against the family of Eli. 153
2:28 When the news reached Joab (for Joab had supported 154 Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom), he 155 ran to the tent of the Lord and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. 156 2:29 When King Solomon heard 157 that Joab had run to the tent of the Lord and was right there beside the altar, he ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, 158 “Go, strike him down.” 2:30 When Benaiah arrived at the tent of the Lord, he said to him, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But he replied, “No, I will die here!” So Benaiah sent word to the king and reported Joab’s reply. 159 2:31 The king told him, “Do as he said! Strike him down and bury him. Take away from me and from my father’s family 160 the guilt of Joab’s murderous, bloody deeds. 161 2:32 May the Lord punish him for the blood he shed; 162 behind my father David’s back he struck down and murdered with the sword two men who were more innocent and morally upright than he 163 – Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. 2:33 May Joab and his descendants be perpetually guilty of their shed blood, but may the Lord give perpetual peace to David, his descendants, his family, 164 and his dynasty.” 165 2:34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and executed Joab; 166 he was buried at his home in the wilderness. 2:35 The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada to take his place at the head of 167 the army, and the king appointed Zadok the priest to take Abiathar’s place. 168
2:36 Next the king summoned 169 Shimei and told him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem 170 and live there – but you may not leave there to go anywhere! 171 2:37 If you ever do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die! You will be responsible for your own death.” 172 2:38 Shimei said to the king, “My master the king’s proposal is acceptable. 173 Your servant will do as you say.” 174 So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. 175
2:39 Three years later two of Shimei’s servants ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. Shimei was told, “Look, your servants are in Gath.” 2:40 So Shimei got up, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to find his servants; Shimei went and brought back his servants from Gath. 2:41 When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had then returned, 2:42 the king summoned 176 Shimei and said to him, “You will recall 177 that I made you take an oath by the Lord, and I solemnly warned you, ‘If you ever leave and go anywhere, 178 know for sure that you will certainly die.’ You said to me, ‘The proposal is acceptable; I agree to it.’ 179 2:43 Why then have you broken the oath you made before the Lord and disobeyed the order I gave you?” 180 2:44 Then the king said to Shimei, “You are well aware of the way you mistreated my father David. 181 The Lord will punish you for what you did. 182 2:45 But King Solomon will be empowered 183 and David’s dynasty 184 will endure permanently before the Lord.” 2:46 The king then gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada who went and executed Shimei. 185
So Solomon took firm control of the kingdom. 186
3:1 Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh, king of Egypt; he married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to the City of David 187 until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 188 3:2 Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places, 189 because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord. 190 3:3 Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following 191 the practices 192 of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.
3:4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for it had the most prominent of the high places. 193 Solomon would offer up 194 a thousand burnt sacrifices on the altar there. 3:5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared 195 to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell 196 me what I should give you.” 3:6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated 197 great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served 198 you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. 199 You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne. 200 3:7 Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced. 201 3:8 Your servant stands 202 among your chosen people; 203 they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 3:9 So give your servant a discerning mind 204 so he can make judicial decisions for 205 your people and distinguish right from wrong. 206 Otherwise 207 no one is able 208 to make judicial decisions for 209 this great nation of yours.” 210 3:10 The Lord 211 was pleased that Solomon made this request. 212 3:11 God said to him, “Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies, 213 3:12 I 214 grant your request, 215 and give 216 you a wise and discerning mind 217 superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you. 218 3:13 Furthermore, I am giving 219 you what you did not request – riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation. 220 3:14 If you follow my instructions 221 by obeying 222 my rules and regulations, just as your father David did, 223 then I will grant you long life.” 224 3:15 Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream. 225 He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings, 226 and held a feast for all his servants.
3:16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 3:17 One of the women said, “My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was with me in the house. 3:18 Then three days after I had my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one else in the house except the two of us. 227 3:19 This woman’s child suffocated 228 during the night when she rolled 229 on top of him. 3:20 She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your servant was sleeping. She put him in her arms, and put her dead son in my arms. 3:21 I got up in the morning to nurse my son, and there he was, 230 dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby.” 231 3:22 The other woman said, “No! My son is alive; your son is dead!” But the first woman replied, “No, your son is dead; my son is alive.” Each presented her case before the king. 232
3:23 The king said, “One says, ‘My son is alive; your son is dead,’ while the other says, ‘No, your son is dead; my son is alive.’” 3:24 The king ordered, “Get me a sword!” So they placed a sword before the king. 3:25 The king then said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other!” 3:26 The real mother 233 spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were aroused. 234 She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!” 235 But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him! Let them cut him in two!” 3:27 The king responded, “Give the first woman the living child; don’t kill him. She is the mother.” 3:28 When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected 236 the king, for they realized 237 that he possessed supernatural wisdom 238 to make judicial decisions.
4:1 King Solomon ruled over all Israel. 4:2 These were his officials:
Azariah son of Zadok was the priest.
4:3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, wrote down what happened. 239
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was in charge of the records.
4:4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of 240 the army.
Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
4:5 Azariah son of Nathan was supervisor of 241 the district governors.
Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to 242 the king.
4:6 Ahishar was supervisor of the palace. 243
Adoniram son of Abda was supervisor of 244 the work crews. 245
4:7 Solomon had twelve district governors appointed throughout Israel who acquired supplies for the king and his palace. Each was responsible for one month in the year. 4:8 These were their names:
Ben-Hur was in charge of the hill country of Ephraim.
4:9 Ben-Deker was in charge of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan.
4:10 Ben-Hesed was in charge of Arubboth; he controlled Socoh and all the territory of Hepher.
4:11 Ben-Abinadab was in charge of Naphath Dor. (He was married to Solomon’s daughter Taphath.)
4:12 Baana son of Ahilud was in charge of Taanach and Megiddo, 246 as well as all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah and on past Jokmeam.
4:13 Ben-Geber was in charge of Ramoth Gilead; he controlled the tent villages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan, including sixty large walled cities with bronze bars locking their gates.
4:14 Ahinadab son of Iddo was in charge of Mahanaim.
4:15 Ahimaaz was in charge of Naphtali. (He married Solomon’s daughter Basemath.)
4:16 Baana son of Hushai was in charge of Asher and Aloth.
4:17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah was in charge of Issachar.
4:18 Shimei son of Ela was in charge of Benjamin.
4:19 Geber son of Uri was in charge of the land of Gilead (the territory which had once belonged to King Sihon of the Amorites and to King Og of Bashan). He was sole governor of the area.
4:20 The people of Judah and Israel were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore; they had plenty to eat and drink and were happy. 4:21 (5:1) 247 Solomon ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River 248 to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms paid tribute as Solomon’s subjects throughout his lifetime. 249 4:22 Each day Solomon’s royal court consumed 250 thirty cors 251 of finely milled flour, sixty cors of cereal, 4:23 ten calves fattened in the stall, 252 twenty calves from the pasture, and a hundred sheep, not to mention rams, gazelles, deer, and well-fed birds. 4:24 His royal court was so large because 253 he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River from Tiphsah 254 to Gaza; he was at peace with all his neighbors. 255 4:25 All the people of Judah and Israel had security; everyone from Dan to Beer Sheba enjoyed the produce of their vines and fig trees throughout Solomon’s lifetime. 256 4:26 Solomon had 4,000 257 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. 4:27 The district governors acquired supplies for King Solomon and all who ate in his royal palace. 258 Each was responsible for one month in the year; they made sure nothing was lacking. 4:28 Each one also brought to the assigned location his quota of barley and straw for the various horses. 259
4:29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment; the breadth of his understanding 260 was as infinite as the sand on the seashore. 4:30 Solomon was wiser than all the men of the east and all the sages of Egypt. 261 4:31 He was wiser than any man, including Ethan the Ezrahite or Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. He was famous in all the neighboring nations. 262 4:32 He composed 263 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. 4:33 He produced manuals on botany, describing every kind of plant, 264 from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls. He also produced manuals on biology, describing 265 animals, birds, insects, and fish. 4:34 People from all nations came to hear Solomon’s display of wisdom; 266 they came from all the kings of the earth who heard about his wisdom.
[1:1] 1 tn Heb “was old, coming into the days” (i.e., advancing in years).
[1:2] 4 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).
[1:2] 5 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).
[1:2] 6 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.
[1:2] 7 tn Heb “and my master, the king, will be warm.”
[1:3] 8 tn Heb “through all the territory of Israel.”
[1:4] 9 tn Heb “did not know her.”
[1:5] 10 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.
[1:5] 11 tn Heb “lifting himself up.”
[1:5] 13 tn Or “he acquired for himself.”
[1:5] 14 tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”
[1:6] 16 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.
[1:6] 17 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).
[1:7] 18 tn Heb “his words were.”
[1:7] 19 tn Heb “helped after” (i.e., stood by).
[1:7] 20 tn Heb “Adonijah.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[1:8] 21 tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
[1:9] 23 tc The ancient Greek version omits this appositional phrase.
[1:10] 24 tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
[1:11] 25 tn Heb “Have you not heard?”
[1:11] 26 tn Heb “and our master David does not know.”
[1:12] 27 tn Heb “now, come.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ.
[1:13] 29 tn Heb “come, go to.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ.
[1:13] 30 tn Or “swear an oath to.”
[1:14] 31 tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which here draws attention to Nathan’s concluding word of assurance and support. For this use of the word, see HALOT 252 s.v. הִנֵּה.
[1:14] 32 tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will come after you.”
[1:14] 33 tn Heb “fill up [i.e., confirm] your words.”
[1:16] 35 tn Heb “bowed low and bowed down to.”
[1:18] 36 tc Instead of עַתָּה (’attah, “now”) many Hebrew
[1:18] 37 tn Heb “you do not know [about it].”
[1:20] 38 tc Many Hebrew
[1:20] 39 tn Heb “the eyes of all Israel are upon you to declare to them who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him.”
[1:21] 40 tn The words “if a decision is not made” are added for clarification.
[1:21] 41 tn Heb “lies down with his fathers.”
[1:21] 42 tn Heb “I and my son Solomon.” The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[1:21] 43 tn Heb “will be guilty”; NASB “considered offenders”; TEV “treated as traitors.”
[1:22] 44 tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) here draws attention to Nathan’s arrival and invites the audience to view the scene through the eyes of the participants.
[1:23] 45 tn Heb “ground.” Since this was indoors, “floor” is more appropriate than “ground.”
[1:25] 47 tn Heb “eating and drinking.”
[1:25] 48 tn Heb “let the king, Adonijah, live!”
[1:27] 49 tc Many Hebrew
[1:27] 50 tn Heb “From my master the king is this thing done, and you did not make known to your servants who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him?”
[1:28] 51 tn Heb “answered and said.”
[1:28] 52 sn Summon Bathsheba. Bathsheba must have left the room when Nathan arrived (see 1:22).
[1:28] 53 tn Heb “she came before the king and stood before the king.”
[1:29] 54 tn Or “ransomed my life.”
[1:30] 55 tn Or “carry out, perform.”
[1:31] 56 tn Heb “bowed low, face [to] the ground, and bowed down to the king.”
[1:32] 57 sn Summon…Nathan. Nathan must have left the room when Bathsheba reentered.
[1:33] 59 tn The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.
[1:33] 60 tn Heb “mount Solomon my son on the mule that belongs to me and take him down to Gihon.”
[1:34] 61 tn Or “designate” (i.e., by anointing with oil).
[1:36] 63 tn Heb “answered and said.”
[1:36] 65 tn Heb “So may the
[1:37] 66 tn Heb “and may he make his throne greater than the throne of my master King David.”
[1:38] 67 sn The Kerethites and Pelethites were members of David’s royal guard (see 2 Sam 8:18). The Kerethites may have been descendants of an ethnic group originating in Crete.
[1:39] 68 tn Heb “the horn of oil.” This has been specified as olive oil in the translation for clarity.
[1:40] 70 tn Heb “and all the people went up after him, and the people were playing flutes and rejoicing with great joy and the ground split open at the sound of them.” The verb בָּקַע (baqa’, “to split open”), which elsewhere describes the effects of an earthquake, is obviously here an exaggeration for the sake of emphasis.
[1:41] 71 tn Heb “And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard, now they had finished eating.”
[1:41] 72 tn Heb “Why is the city’s sound noisy?”
[1:42] 73 tn The Hebrew text has “look” at this point. The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), “look draws attention to Jonathan’s arrival and invites the audience to view the scene through the eyes of the participants.
[1:42] 75 tn Heb “you are a man of strength [or “ability”] and you bring a message [that is] good.” Another option is to understand the phrase אִישׁ חַיִל (’ish khayil) in the sense of “a worthy man,” that is “loyal.” See also 1 Kgs 1:52 and HALOT 311 s.v. חַיִל.
[1:43] 76 tn Heb “answered and said.”
[1:43] 77 tn For a similar use of אֲבָל (’aval), see Gen 17:19, where God rejects Abraham’s proposal and offers an alternative.
[1:43] 78 tn The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.
[1:45] 79 tn I.e., designated by anointing with oil.
[1:46] 80 tn Heb “And also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.”
[1:47] 82 tn The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.
[1:47] 83 tc Many Hebrew
[1:47] 84 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.
[1:47] 85 tn Or “bowed down; worshiped.”
[1:48] 86 tn The Hebrew text reads, “and the king said.”
[1:48] 87 tn Or “Blessed be the
[1:48] 88 tn Heb “and my eyes are seeing.”
[1:49] 89 tn Or “were afraid, trembled.”
[1:50] 90 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.
[1:51] 91 tn Heb “King Solomon.” The name and title have been replaced by the pronoun (“you”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[1:51] 92 tn Or “swear an oath to.”
[1:52] 93 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).
[1:52] 94 tn Heb “but if evil is found in him.”
[1:53] 95 tn Heb “sent and they brought him down.”
[1:53] 96 tn Heb “Go to your house.”
[2:1] 97 tn Heb “and the days of David approached to die.”
[2:2] 99 tn Heb “going the way of all the earth.”
[2:3] 100 tn Heb “keep the charge of the
[2:3] 101 tn Heb “by walking in his ways.”
[2:3] 103 tn Heb “then you will cause to succeed all which you do and all which you turn there.”
[2:4] 104 tn Heb “then the
[2:4] 105 tn Heb “guard their way.”
[2:4] 106 tn Heb “by walking before me in faithfulness.”
[2:4] 109 tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from upon the throne of Israel.”
[2:5] 110 tn Heb “what he did to the two commanders…and he killed them.”
[2:5] 111 tn Heb “he shed the blood of battle in peace.”
[2:5] 112 tn Heb “and he shed the blood of battle when he killed which is on his waist and on his sandal[s] which are on his feet.” That is, he covered himself with guilt and his guilt was obvious to all who saw him.
[2:6] 113 tn Heb “according to your wisdom.”
[2:6] 114 tn Heb “and do not bring down his grey hair in peace [to] Sheol.”
[2:7] 115 tn Heb “do loyalty with”; or “act faithfully toward.”
[2:7] 116 tn Heb “and let them be among the ones who eat [at] your table.”
[2:7] 117 tn Heb “drew near to.”
[2:8] 118 tn Heb “Look, with you is Shimei….”
[2:8] 119 tn Heb “and he cursed me with a horrible curse on the day I went to Mahanaim.”
[2:8] 120 tn Or “swore an oath to.”
[2:9] 122 tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek and the Vulgate have here “you” rather than “now.” The two words are homonyms in Hebrew.
[2:9] 123 tn Heb “what you should do to him.”
[2:9] 124 tn Heb “bring his grey hair down in blood [to] Sheol.”
[2:10] 125 tn Heb “and David lay down with his fathers.”
[2:10] 126 sn The phrase the city of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[2:11] 127 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[2:13] 129 tn Heb “[in] peace.”
[2:14] 130 tn Heb “and he said.”
[2:15] 132 tn Heb “set their face to me to be king.”
[2:15] 133 tn Heb “and the kingdom turned about and became my brother’s, for from the
[2:16] 134 tn Heb “Do not turn back my face.”
[2:16] 135 tn Heb “She said, ‘Speak!’”
[2:17] 136 tn Heb “Say to Solomon the king, for he will not turn back your face, that he might give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.”
[2:18] 137 tn Heb “[It is] good!”
[2:19] 139 tn Heb “he set up a throne for the mother of the king.”
[2:20] 140 tn Or “I’d like to make just one request of you.”
[2:20] 141 tn Heb “Do not turn back my face.”
[2:20] 142 tn Heb “and the king said to her.”
[2:22] 143 tn Heb “for Adonijah.”
[2:23] 144 tn Heb “So may God do to me, and so may he add.”
[2:23] 145 tn Heb “if with his life Adonijah has not spoken this word.”
[2:25] 147 tn The Hebrew text adds, “by the hand of.”
[2:25] 148 tn Heb “and he struck him and he died.”
[2:26] 150 tn Heb “you are a man of death.”
[2:26] 151 tn Heb “and because you suffered through all which my father suffered.”
[2:27] 152 tn Heb “Solomon drove out Abiathar from being a priest to the
[2:27] 153 tn Heb “fulfilling the word of the
[2:28] 154 tn Heb “turned after” (also later in this verse).
[2:28] 155 tn Heb “Joab.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[2:28] 156 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, Joab was seeking asylum from Solomon.
[2:29] 157 tn Heb “and it was related to King Solomon.”
[2:29] 158 tn Heb “so Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying.”
[2:30] 159 tn Heb “saying, “In this way Joab spoke and in this way he answered me.”
[2:31] 161 tn Heb “take away the undeserved bloodshed which Joab spilled from upon me and from upon the house of my father.”
[2:32] 162 tn Heb “The
[2:32] 163 tn Heb “because he struck down two men more innocent and better than he and he killed them with the sword, and my father David did not know.”
[2:33] 165 tn Heb “his throne.”
[2:34] 166 tn Heb “struck him and killed him.” The referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:35] 168 tc The Old Greek translation includes after v. 35 some fourteen verses that are absent from the MT.
[2:36] 169 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
[2:36] 170 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[2:36] 171 tn Heb “and you may not go out from there here or there.”
[2:37] 172 tn Heb “your blood will be upon your head.”
[2:38] 173 tn Heb “Good is the word, as my master the king has spoken.”
[2:38] 174 tn Heb “so your servant will do.”
[2:38] 175 tn Heb “many days.”
[2:42] 176 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
[2:42] 177 tn Heb “Is it not [true]…?” In the Hebrew text the statement is interrogative; the rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course it is.”
[2:42] 178 tn Heb “here or there.”
[2:42] 179 tn Heb “good is the word; I have heard.”
[2:43] 180 tn Heb “Why have you not kept the oath [to] the
[2:44] 181 tn Heb “You know all the evil, for your heart knows, which you did to David my father.”
[2:44] 182 tn Heb “The
[2:46] 185 tn “The king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada and he went out and struck him down and he died.”
[2:46] 186 tn “And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.”
[3:1] 187 sn The phrase City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[3:1] 188 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:2] 189 sn Offering sacrifices at the high places. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated.
[3:2] 190 tn Heb “for the name of the
[3:3] 191 tn Heb “Solomon loved the
[3:3] 192 tn Or “policies, rules.”
[3:4] 193 tn Heb “for it was the great high place.”
[3:4] 194 tn The verb form is an imperfect, which is probably used here in a customary sense to indicate continued or repeated action in past time. See GKC 314 §107.b.
[3:5] 195 tn Or “revealed himself.”
[3:6] 198 tn Heb “walked before.”
[3:6] 199 tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”
[3:6] 200 tn Heb “and you have kept to him this great loyalty and you gave to him a son [who] sits on his throne as this day.”
[3:7] 201 tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”
[3:8] 202 tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[3:8] 203 tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”
[3:9] 204 tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
[3:9] 206 tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”
[3:9] 207 tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
[3:9] 208 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
[3:9] 210 tn Heb “your numerous people.”
[3:10] 211 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[3:10] 212 tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”
[3:11] 213 tn Heb “because you asked for this thing, and did not ask for yourself many days and did not ask for yourself riches and did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for yourself understanding to hear judgment.”
[3:12] 214 tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows.
[3:12] 215 tn Heb “I am doing according to your words.” The perfect tense is sometimes used of actions occurring at the same time a statement is made.
[3:12] 216 tn This statement is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows. The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made (i.e., “right now I give you”).
[3:12] 217 tn Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
[3:12] 218 tn Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”
[3:13] 219 tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made.
[3:13] 220 tn Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.”
[3:14] 221 tn Heb “walk in my ways.”
[3:14] 224 tn Heb “I will lengthen your days.”
[3:15] 225 tn Heb “and look, a dream.”
[3:15] 226 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”
[3:18] 227 sn There was no one else in the house except the two of us. In other words, there were no other witnesses to the births who could identify which child belonged to which mother.
[3:19] 229 tn Heb “lay, slept.”
[3:21] 231 tn Heb “look, it was not my son to whom I had given birth.”
[3:22] 232 tn Heb “they spoke before the king.” Another option is to translate, “they argued before the king.”
[3:26] 233 tn Heb “the woman whose son was alive.”
[3:26] 234 tn Heb “for her compassions grew warm for her son.”
[3:26] 235 tn The infinitive absolute before the negated jussive emphasizes the main verb.
[3:28] 236 tn Heb “feared,” perhaps in the sense, “stood in awe of.”
[3:28] 238 tn Heb “the wisdom of God within him.”
[4:3] 239 tn Heb “were scribes”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “secretaries”; TEV, NLT “court secretaries.”
[4:5] 242 tn Heb “close associate of”; KJV, ASV, NASB “the king’s friend” (a title for an adviser, not just an acquaintance).
[4:6] 243 tn Heb “over the house.”
[4:6] 245 sn The work crews. This Hebrew word (מַס, mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.
[4:12] 246 map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.
[4:21] 247 sn Beginning with 4:21, the verse numbers through 5:18 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 4:21 ET = 5:1 HT, 4:22 ET = 5:2 HT, etc., through 5:18 ET = 5:32 HT. Beginning with 6:1 the numbering of verses in the English Bible and the Hebrew text is again the same.
[4:21] 248 tn Heb “the River” (also in v. 24). This is the standard designation for the Euphrates River in biblical Hebrew.
[4:21] 249 tn Heb “[They] were bringing tribute and were serving Solomon all the days of his life.”
[4:22] 250 tn Heb “the food of Solomon for each day was.”
[4:22] 251 tn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels.
[4:23] 252 tn The words “in the stall” are added for clarification; note the immediately following reference to cattle from the pasture.
[4:24] 253 tn Heb “because.” The words “his royal court was so large” are added to facilitate the logical connection with the preceding verse.
[4:24] 254 sn Tiphsah. This was located on the Euphrates River.
[4:24] 255 tn Heb “for he was ruling over all [the region] beyond the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kingdoms beyond the River, and he had peace on every side all around.”
[4:25] 256 tn Heb “Judah and Israel lived securely, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan to Beer Sheba, all the days of Solomon.”
[4:26] 257 tn The Hebrew text has “40,000,” but this is probably an inflated number (nevertheless it is followed by KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, CEV). Some Greek
[4:27] 258 tn Heb “everyone who drew near to the table of King Solomon.”
[4:28] 259 tn Heb “barley and straw for the horses and the steeds they brought to the place which was there, each according to his measure.”
[4:29] 260 tn Heb “heart,” i.e., mind. (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
[4:30] 261 tn Heb “the wisdom of Solomon was greater than the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.”
[4:31] 262 tn Heb “his name was in all the surrounding nations.”
[4:33] 264 tn Heb “he spoke about plants.”
