1 Kings 1:3-8

1:3 So they looked through all Israel ¹  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. ² 

1:5 Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith, ³  was promoting himself, ⁴  boasting, ⁵  “I will be king!” He managed to acquire ⁶  chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. ⁷  1:6 (Now his father had never corrected ⁸  him ⁹  by saying, “Why do you do such things?” He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom. ¹⁰ ) 1:7 He collaborated ¹¹  with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported ¹²  him. ¹³  1:8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s elite warriors ¹⁴  did not ally themselves ¹⁵  with Adonijah.

[1:3]  ¹ tn Heb “through all the territory of Israel.”

[1:4]  ² tn Heb “did not know her.”

[1:5]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Heb “lifting himself up.”

[1:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “saying.”

[1:5]  ⁶ tn Or “he acquired for himself.”

[1:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”

[1:6]  ⁸ tn Or “disciplined.”

[1:6]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ tn Heb “his words were.”

[1:7]  ¹² tn Heb “helped after” (i.e., stood by).

[1:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “Adonijah.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:8]  ¹⁴ tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).

[1:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “were not.”