And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife. [For the construction ( אֵת with a nominative, or, as some think, יֻתַּן used impersonally— man gebe ), cf. Genesis 27:42 ; Exodus 10:8 ; and especially Numbers 32:5 ; and see Gesen; Lex. s.v. אֵת , and Ewald, Syntax, 295 b.] read more
And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? [Professor Plumptre (Dict. Bib; art. "Solomon") says this "narrative is not a little perplexing." He then specially remarks on the strangeness of Bathsheba's interceding for Adonijah, and also on Solomon's "flashing into fiercest wrath" at her request. He explains the facts, however, by "Mr. Grove's ingenious theory identifying Abishag with the Shulamite ( Song of Solomon 6:13 ... read more
The Brothers. It may be instructive if, after the manner of ancient writers, we draw out a comparison between the two brothers whose history is recorded in part in this section, and who here appear as rivals. Their careers were very different. The one reigned with almost unparalleled magnificence for forty years; the other fell in the very May-morn of his life by the sword of the executioner. What were the causes which produced such different results? Let us consider some few of them. ... read more
Then king Solomon sware by the Lord, saying, God do so to me, and more also [a common form of adjuration ( Ruth 1:17 ; 1 Samuel 14:44 ; 1 Samuel 20:13 ; 2 Samuel 3:9 ; 2 Samuel 19:13 , etc.) = Gott soil mich fort und fort strafen. Bähr], if [or "that." כִי constantly follows formulae of swearing, as in all the passages just cited. Cf. the use of ὅτι in New Testament. The order of the next words in the Hebrew is noticeable] against his life spake Adonijah this word. ... read more
Now therefore [Heb. and now ] , as the Lord liveth, which hath established me, and set me [a י has here crept into the text; obviously owing to the fact that this same letter both precedes and follows] on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house [Keil and Wordsworth understand by this expression, "hath given me issue." "Solomon," says Keil, "had already one son, viz; Rehoboam, about a year old." But some doubt seems to attach to the "forty and one years"... read more
And King Solomon sent by the hand [ i.e; the instrumentality; not necessarily eigenhandig, as Thenius. Cf. Exodus 4:13 ; 1 Samuel 16:20 , Hebrews; 1 Kings 12:15 ; 1 Kings 14:18 ; Jeremiah 37:2 ("which he spake by the hand of Jeremiah"), etc. The same expression is found in verse 46 of this chapter] of Benaiah [in the East the captain of the king's bodyguard has always been the "chief of the executioners," the title given to Potiphar, Genesis 37:36 , Hebrews; in 2 Kings... read more
A seat - Or, “a throne.” We have here a proof of the high dignity of the Queen-mother. Compare also 1Ki 15:13; 2 Kings 11:1-3. In the Persian court the Queen-mother had often the chief power. read more
Ask for him the kingdom also - Bath-sheba had not seen anything dangerous or suspicious in Adonijah’s request. Solomon, on the contrary, takes alarm at once. To ask for Abishag was to ask for the kingdom. To the Oriental mind a monarch was so sacred, that whatever was brought near to him was thenceforth separate from common use. This sacred and separate character attached especially to the Royal harem. The inmates either remained widows for the rest of their lives, or became the wives of the... read more
Against his own life - Adonijah had forfeited his life by his former conduct, and his pardon had been merely conditional 1 Kings 1:52. read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 2:20
Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee. [So it seemed, no doubt, to her, in her inexperience and ignorance of Adonijah's real motives. She thought she held the threads of a love story in her hands, and that it would be a small thing for Solomon to make these handsome lovers happy]: I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay. [The readiness of the king to grant whatever she asked proves that the reasons which induced... read more