Now the famine was severe in Samaria. 4
1:5 Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith, 12 was promoting himself, 13 boasting, 14 “I will be king!” He managed to acquire 15 chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. 16 1:6 (Now his father had never corrected 17 him 18 by saying, “Why do you do such things?” He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom. 19 ) 1:7 He collaborated 20 with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported 21 him. 22 1:8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s elite warriors 23 did not ally themselves 24 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, 25 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, 26 or his brother Solomon.
1:11 Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Has it been reported to you 27 that Haggith’s son Adonijah has become king behind our master David’s back? 28 1:12 Now 29 let me give you some advice as to how 30 you can save your life and your son Solomon’s life. 1:13 Visit 31 King David and say to him, ‘My master, O king, did you not solemnly promise 32 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 33 you are still there speaking to the king, I will arrive 34 and verify your report.” 35
1:15 So Bathsheba visited the king in his private quarters. 36 (The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) 1:16 Bathsheba bowed down on the floor before 37 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, 38 my master the king, are not even aware of it! 39 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, 40 my master, O king, all Israel is watching anxiously to see who is named to succeed my master the king on the throne. 41
1 tn The words “from the sky” are added for stylistic reasons.
2 tn Heb “the God” (the phrase occurs twice in this verse).
3 tn Or “slaughtered.”
4 map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.
5 tn Heb “said to.”
6 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).
7 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).
8 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.
9 tn Heb “and my master, the king, will be warm.”
10 tn Heb “through all the territory of Israel.”
11 tn Heb “did not know her.”
12 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.
13 tn Heb “lifting himself up.”
14 tn Heb “saying.”
15 tn Or “he acquired for himself.”
16 tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”
17 tn Or “disciplined.”
18 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.
19 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).
20 tn Heb “his words were.”
21 tn Heb “helped after” (i.e., stood by).
22 tn Heb “Adonijah.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
23 tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
24 tn Heb “were not.”
25 tc The ancient Greek version omits this appositional phrase.
26 tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
27 tn Heb “Have you not heard?”
28 tn Heb “and our master David does not know.”
29 tn Heb “now, come.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ.
30 tn Or “so that.”
31 tn Heb “come, go to.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ.
32 tn Or “swear an oath to.”
33 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.
34 tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will come after you.”
35 tn Heb “fill up [i.e., confirm] your words.”
36 tn Or “bedroom.”
37 tn Heb “bowed low and bowed down to.”
38 tc Instead of עַתָּה (’attah, “now”) many Hebrew
39 tn Heb “you do not know [about it].”
40 tc Many Hebrew
41 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.”