1 Kings 1

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1 Kings 1

1 Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.

2 Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

4 And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.

5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

6 And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.

7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.

8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

9 And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants:

10 But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

11 Wherefore 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?

12 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.

13 Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?

14 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.

15 And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.

16 And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou?

17 And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the Lord thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.

18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not:

19 And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.

20 And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

21 Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

22 And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.

23 And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

24 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?

25 For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah.

26 But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.

27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

28 Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king.

29 And the king sware, and said, As the Lord liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,

30 Even as I sware unto thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.

31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.

32 And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.

33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:

34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.

35 Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.

36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the Lord God of my lord the king say so too.

37 As the Lord hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.

38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon.

39 And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

40 And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.

41 And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?

42 And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.

43 And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.

44 And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule:

45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard.

46 And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.

47 And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed.

48 And also thus said the king, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.

49 And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.

50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

51 And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me today that he will not slay his servant with the sword.

52 And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.

53 So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house.

Notes

Cross Reference

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 1

<html>But he was not warmed. Our Rabbis said, “He who disgraces clothing will ultimately be deprived of their pleasures.”¹Maseches Berachos 62b. [Dovid’s clothing did not warm him] because he tore off the corner of Shaul’s robe.²See I Shmuel 24:5. The Midrash [Aggadah states], Rabbi Shmuel son of Nachmeni said, that as Dovid saw the angel standing in Yerusholayim with his sword drawn in his hand, his blood became cold from fear.³That terror of that experience remained with Dovid, and from then on he could never again find warmth.</html>

Verse 2

<html>Virgin girl. Her virginity warms her flesh. A warmer. “A warmer,”⁴Koheles 10:9. and similarly, “and he who chops wood will be warmed [יסכן] by them.”⁵Alternatively, סכנת means that she should be “near” to him.—Targum</html>

Verse 4

<html>Was not intimate with her. Because a virgin is more suitable for [the purpose] of warming than a non-virgin.⁶He therefore preferred that she remain a virgin. But our Rabbis said [he was not intimate with her] because “He shall not have too many wives,”⁷Devarim 17:17. See Rashi there. and he already had eighteen.⁸I.e., because Dovid already had eighteen wives, the maximum permitted for a king, he therefore did not marry her. See Maseches Sanhedrin 22a and Rashi there.</html>

Verse 5

<html>Exalted himself. He elevated himself.⁹The literal meaning is, “lifted himself.” And fifty men. Whose spleens had been removed, and whose soles of their feet had been carved.¹⁰See Maseches Sanhedrin 21b and Rashi there.</html>

Verse 6

<html>Had never angered him. He did not anger him.¹¹Throughout his life, Dovid had never gotten angry at Adoniyahu or punished him when he did something bad. Adoniyahu therefore incorrectly assumed that his father would not reprimand him for proclaiming himself king. This [episode] teaches you that he who refrains from rebuking his child causes his death.¹²See Mishlei 13:24. And he was also very handsome. [He was as handsome] as Avsholom,¹³“He too,” infers that there was another individual who was also very handsome. about whom it is written, “And as Avsholom there was no one as handsome.”¹⁴II Shmuel 14:25. This caused them to be proud. She gave birth to him. [“She” refers to] his mother. After Avsholom. I.e., his mother reared him in the same spoiled manner that Avsholom’s mother reared him.¹⁵Rashi does not translate “after Avsholom” because it implies that she bore both Adoniyahu and Avsholom, which is not true, for Avsholom’s mother was Ma’acha, and Adoniyahu’s mother was Chagis.</html>

Verse 7

<html>With Yoav ben Tseruyah. Because he knew that Dovid bore a grudge against him for having killed Avner, Amasa, and Avsholom; and that he would eventually charge his son, who would reign in his place, to deal with him. He [Yoav] therefore wanted that this one [Adoniyahu] should reign through his assistance so that he would favor him. And with Evyosor the kohein. He was dismissed from the priesthood at the time when Dovid escaped from Yerusholayim on account of Avsholom, when he [Evyosor] consulted the Urim and Tumim and was unsuccessful as it is stated, “And Evyosor went up.”¹⁶II Shmuel 15:24. He [Evyosor] was a descendant of Eili. And he knew that he would not serve in the days of Shlomo, for it was stated to Eili, “And I will appoint for Myself a faithful kohein… and he will serve before My anointed one…”¹⁷I Shmuel 2:35. He [Evyosor] wanted that this one [Adoniyah become king] through his assistance.¹⁸So that Adoniyahu would listen to him when he became king and would restore him to his previous position of Kohein Gadol.</html>

Verse 8

<html>And Noson the prophet. Who prophesied to Dovid that Shlomo would reign, as it is stated in Divrei Hayomim, “ his name will be Shlomo.”¹⁹I Divrei Hayomim 22:9. The verse reads, “Behold a son will be born to you, he will be a man of rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies around, his name will be Shlomo.”</html>

Verse 9

<html>And fattened [oxen]. Oxen which are [fattened by being] fed forcefully. The stone of Zocheles. A huge stone used by the young men to test their strength by moving or dragging it. An expression similar to “moving [זוחלין]”²⁰See Misnayoy Mikvaos 5:4,5. water, or, “those that creep [זוחלי] on the earth.”²¹Devarim 32:24. [Targum] Yonoson rendered [אבן זוחלת as] אבן סכותא [=a lookout stone], upon which people stand and look far into the distance. Ein-Rogel. [Targum] Yonoson rendered [עין רוגל as] עין קצרא, which is [a well]²²It was customary to anoint kings near a well or another source of running water to symbolize continuity and prolonged rule. See Rashi 1:33 below. used by a clothes washer who would press the woolen clothes with his feet [=רגליו], by trampling [on them].</html>

Verse 10

<html>And his brother Shlomo, he did not invite. For he knew that the prophet had prophesied about him that he would reign.</html>

Verse 12

<html>And you will save your life. From the rivalry which will follow the death of the king, for your son will wish to reign, as the Holy One Blessed Is He, had promised him.</html>

Verse 21

<html>Sinners. [They will be] lacking²³Literally, חטאים means “offenders.” and restrained from any greatness,²⁴Alternatively, חטאים means “banished.”—Targum, or will be treated as sinners. as in, “[Sling a stone] at a hair, and not miss [יחטיא].”²⁵Shoftim 20:16.</html>

Verse 24

<html>Did you say. In the interrogative.²⁶I.e., “Did you say that Adoniyahu will reign after me?” Literally, “אמרת” means, “you said” [in the affirmative.]</html>

Verse 25

<html>For he has gone down this very day. The city was situated on higher ground and the אבן הזוחלת was below in a valley.</html>

Verse 33

<html>On my personal mule. This will be a sign that he will reign and the beginning of [his] greatness, because a commoner is forbidden to ride on the king’s horse. To Gichon. [Gichon] is the well of Shilo’ach. From this [episode is derived the custom] not to anoint the kings except at the well, to symbolize thereby that his kingship shall continue on and on.²⁷As the waters of a well do.</html>

Verse 34

<html>And he shall be anointed. He places the oil between his eyelids in the form of a crown.²⁸See Maseches Horiyos 12a.</html>

Verse 36

<html>Amein. [Long] live Shlomo.²⁹“Amein” serves as an affirmation to this proclamation.</html>

Verse 37

<html>Than the throne of my lord Dovid Hamelech. From this [we derive] that a father is not envious of his son.³⁰See Maseches Sanhedrin 105b.</html>

Verse 38

<html>And the archers and the sling shooters. [Targum] Yonoson rendered, “the archers and the sling shooters.”³¹Alternatively, כרתי ופלתי refers to the Sanhedrin.—Ralbag But our Rabbis maintained [that it refers to] the Urim and Tumim.³²The Urim and Tumim are called “כרתי ופלתי”; כרתי because their words are “cut” [כרת], i.e., they render irrevocable decisions and פלתי because they are “wondrous” [פלא] in revealing the future. See Maseches Berachos 4a.</html>

Verse 39

<html>The horn of oil. [Tzadok took] of the anointment oil compounded by Moshe.³³See Shemos 30, 31. From the Tent. Since the Holy Ark was in the City of Dovid [Yerusholayim], and the jug of oil of anointment was before the Ark. as we have learned in [Maseches] Yoma.³⁴ 52b.</html>

Verse 40

<html>The flutes. Flute in O.F. And the earth [seemed to] split. Prophets spoke in terms of exaggeration as [is common] among people.³⁵see Maseches Chulin 90b.</html>

Verse 43

<html>But our lord. I.e., “Now, my report is not of good [tidings] for you.”</html>

Verse 50

<html>Of the horns [of the corners] of the Altar. Which was in Givon.³⁶Alternatively, he grabbed on to the corners of the altar that was in Yerushalayim.—Radak. In those days it was permissible to build an altar and bring certain sacrifices outside of the Mishkan. He said, “Those who are executed by Beis Din are buried in the graves of Beis Din. I will die here, and be buried in the graves of my forefathers.” Thus did Rabbi Tanchuma expound.</html>

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Table of Contents

1 Kings 1

1 Kings 1

Notes

Cross Reference

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 1

Verse 2

Verse 4

Verse 5

Verse 6

Verse 7

Verse 8

Verse 9

Verse 10

Verse 12

Verse 21

Verse 24

Verse 25

Verse 33

Verse 34

Verse 36

Verse 37

Verse 38

Verse 39

Verse 40

Verse 43

Verse 50