1 Kings 1:8

But Zadok the priest,.... Who bid fair to be the high priest on Solomon's coming to the throne as he was: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; who was near David's person, and over his bodyguards, the

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. But Zadok the priest.

His great and famous commanders, and the guards and soldiers under them.

1 Kings 1:8 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.Ver. 8. But Zadok the priest.] So Cranmer and Ridley, and some few other conscientious persons, afterwards ill rewarded by Queen Mary, refused to subscribe the letters patent for Lady Jane Gray’ s succession to the crown, after the death of King Edward VI; which yet were subscribed by the most of the statesmen, who were guided with respect to their particular interest, for that they were possessed of various lands which once pertained to monasteries, chanteries, &c., which they foresaw they should lose, in case religion should change under Queen Mary.

(8) Zadok the priest (son of Ahitub) was the representative of the family of Eleazar, elder son of Aaron, as Abiathar of the family of Ithamar, the younger son (1 Chronicles 24:3). As a “young man of valour,” under “Jehoiada, leader of the Aaronites,” he joined David at Hebron with 3,700 men (1 Chronicles 12:28), and had been left in charge of the Tabernacle at Gibeon (1 Chronicles 16:39) after the removal of the Ark to Jerusalem. On his relation to Abiathar, see 1 Kings 2:35.Benaiah, the son of “Jehoiada, a chief priest,” and therefore of Levitical origin. (See 2 Samuel 8:18; 2 Samuel 23:20-23; 1 Chronicles 27:5-6.) His rank is given in 2 Samuel 23:23, as intermediate between the “three mighty men” and “the thirty,” and in 1 Chronicles 27:5, as “the third captain of the host for the third month”; but his command of the bodyguard gave him special importance, second only to that of Joab (2 Samuel 20:23), and perhaps of even greater importance for immediate action. (It is notable that there is no mention of Abishai, who is named as prior to Benaiah among “the mighty men” in 2 Samuel 23:18-22. It may be inferred that he was dead; otherwise he could hardly have been omitted here.)Nathan the prophet.—See 2 Samuel 7:2; 2 Samuel 12:1; 2 Samuel 12:25. In the whole chapter he appears rather as a chief officer and counsellor of David, than in the loftier aspect of the prophetic character. He was also the royal chronicler of the reigns of David and Solomon (1 Chronicles 29:29; 2 Chronicles 9:29).Shimei, and Rei.—Ewald conjectures that these were two brothers of David, called Shimma and Raddai in 1 Chronicles 2:13-14. These, however, being older than David, would now be in extreme old age. Of Rei, we have no mention elsewhere; but there is a Shimei (in 1 Kings 4:18), a high officer of Solomon; a “Shimea,” brother of Solomon (in 1 Chronicles 3:5), and a “Shammah,” one of the “mighty men” (in 2 Samuel 23:11).The mighty men.—See 2 Samuel 23:8-39. The name Gibbôrim is a technical name, and is thought to designate a picked body of troops, the standing nucleus of the armies of Israel. It is commonly inferred that they were the successors of the six hundred men of David’s band during his life of wandering and exile, and that “the three” and “the thirty” (2 Samuel 23) were their officers. They are mentioned as attached to the person of David in 2 Samuel 10:7; 2 Samuel 16:6; 2 Samuel 20:7.

Verse 8. And Nathan] Some suppose that he was the preceptor of Solomon.

8. But Zadok the priest] He was the son of Ahitub, and descended from Eleazar, the son of Aaron. He joined David after the death of Saul, and there were thus two priests, perhaps one being highpriest and the other second priest, through the whole of David’s reign. Zadok’s duties appear (1 Chronicles 16:39) to have been at the Tabernacle in Gibeon, and Abiathar had charge of the ark in Jerusalem. But in consequence of the events described in this chapter Abiathar was thrust out of his office and banished to Anathoth, and Zadok became the sole highpriest. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada] This man, though of the tribe of Levi, became captain of David’s body-guard of Cherethites and Pelethites (see below on 1 Kings 1:38), and was made, when Joab was dead, commander in chief of Solomon’s army. Nathan the prophet] He was prominent in David’s reign, giving the king advice concerning the building of the Temple, bringing God’s rebuke after David’s adultery and the message of forgiveness when he had repented. He appears also in connexion with the birth of Solomon and now as the adviser and helper of Bath-sheba. After Solomon was proclaimed king we hear no more of Nathan. and Shimei] There is a person so called mentioned afterwards as one of the twelve officers who provided victuals for king Solomon and his household. But whether that be the Shimei here mentioned there is no means of deciding. It was conjectured by Ewald that it was another way of writing the name of Shimeah, David’s brother. and Rei] Rei is not mentioned elsewhere, and there is nothing to guide us to any opinion concerning his identity. Several conjectures have been made, but none that deserves much attention. the mighty men which belonged to David] Of these champions a list is given 2 Samuel 23:8-39, with which may be compared 1 Chronicles 11:10-47.

There is some difficulty in understanding how Zadok and Abiathar came to be both “priests” at this time, and in what relation they stood to one another.

8. Zadok — This priest probably still officiated at Gibeon. See note on 2 Samuel 6:17; 2 Samuel 8:17.