1 Kings 1:11

NATHAN MASTERMINDED A PLAN TO THWART ADONIJAH

"Then Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thy handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign? Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee and confirm thy words."

"Adonijah the son of Haggith" (1 Kings 1:11). Nathan's mention here of `Haggith' the mother of Adonijah was a skillful appeal by Nathan to arouse in Bathsheba that jealousy and hatred common in every harem. He certainly knew how to motivate Bathsheba.

"Save thine own life ... and the life of ... Solomon" (1 Kings 1:12). This was no false alarm. Unless Adonijah's kingship could be prevented, there was no way that Bathsheba and Solomon would have been spared alive.

"Didst thou not sware that Solomon shall reign?" (1 Kings 1:13). The fact of this oath by David not having previously been mentioned in the Bible is the inadequate premise upon which Montgomery accused Nathan in this passage of having made, "An impromptu invention of such a promise."[4] However, as we pointed out above, Adonijah's failure to invite Solomon and his partisans to his impressive feast is the only proof needed that he knew full well of David's intentions regarding Solomon.