And she said, let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife. For so Adonijah was by his father's side; and Bathsheba makes use of the relation, the more to move upon him to grant the request. read more
And King Solomon answered and said unto his mother ,.... With as much gentleness and mildness as he could, but inwardly fired at her request, and amazed at it, and could not forbear using some degree of tartness and resentment: and why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah ? is this a small petition? is this a fit and lawful one? ask for him the kingdom also ; for this is what he means by it, that by marrying the king's widow he may step into the throne whenever any... read more
Then King Solomon sware by the Lord ,.... To prevent his mother pressing him to have her petition granted: saying, God do so to me, and more also ; lay such and such evils upon me, and more than I care to express: if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life ; to his own prejudice, and even to the loss of his life; in which Solomon suggests it would issue, being a fresh overt act of treason; he knew, from what Bathsheba said, that this was his petition, and that he had... read more
Now therefore, as the Lord liveth ,.... Which is another oath; and one may easily perceive hereby in what a temper and disposition Solomon was, how warm, earnest, and vehement, how resolute against the petition, and how determined he was to punish Adonijah and his confederates: which hath established me, and set me upon the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised ; who had placed him on his father's throne, and established him there, in spite of all his... read more
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
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 2:12-25
Here is, I. Solomon's accession to the throne, 1 Kgs. 2:12. He came to it much more easily and peaceably than David did, and much sooner saw his government established. It is happy for a kingdom when the end of one good reign is the beginning of another, as it was here. II. His just and necessary removal of Adonijah his rival, in order to the establishment of his throne. Adonijah had made some bold pretensions to the crown, but was soon obliged to let them fail and throw himself upon Solomon's... read more