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1 Kings 2:21 — Word Study

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WLCוַתֹּ֕אמֶר יֻתַּ֖ן אֶת־ אֲבִישַׁ֣ג הַשֻּׁנַמִּ֑ית לַאֲדֹנִיָּ֥הוּ אָחִ֖יךָ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃

BSASo [Bathsheba] saidʼâmar Let AbishagʼĂbîyshag [the Shunammitess, a young woman] the ShunammiteShûwnammîyth [from the city of Shunem] be givennâthan [to put, or set something] to your brotherʼâch [male sibling, close relative] AdonijahʼĂdônîyâh [son of David] as his wifeʼishshâh [female partner, companion]

Word
Listen & take away1 Kings 2
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 21 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (le.'i.Shah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Kings 2:21quick helps
In a sentenceBathsheba requests that Abishag be given to her son Adonijah as his wife.
Who is speakingBathsheba, the mother of Solomon.
Where we areIn a conversation between Bathsheba and King Solomon.
The hard wordיֻתַּ֖ן
Take awayBathsheba is making a specific request regarding her son's future.
4 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbאָמַר The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — 1 Kings 2:21

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — Bathsheba's Request to Solomongenerated

20“I have just one small request of you,” she said. “Do not deny me.” “Make your request, my mother,” the king replied, “for I will not deny you.”
21So Bathsheba said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as his wife.”
22King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my older brother, you might as well request the kingdom for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”
23Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life.

1 Kings 2:21 shows Bathsheba making a request to King Solomon about Abishag, a young woman who cared for David. This request is significant as it highlights the political dynamics and familial relationships during Solomon's rise to power. Bathsheba's plea reflects her concern for her son Adonijah's position and future, as well as the complexities of royal succession.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
12 Samuel 16:21–22Ahithophel replied, “Sleep with your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the palace. When all Israel hears that you have become a stench to your father, then the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יֻתַּ֖ן, yu.Tangenerated

The verb יֻתַּ֖ן (yu.Tan) is a Hophal form of the root נָתַן (natan), meaning 'to give' or 'to put.' The Hophal aspect indicates a passive voice, suggesting that something is to be given by someone else. This construction emphasizes the act of giving as a request rather than a command.

In this context, Bathsheba is requesting that Abishag be given to Adonijah, which carries implications of political maneuvering and familial loyalty. The use of the passive form indicates that Bathsheba is not asserting authority but rather appealing to Solomon's decision-making as king.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb in the sentence is וַתֹּ֕אמֶר, and she said, which governs the entire statement. The structure includes a noun phrase as the subject, followed by a verb phrase indicating the action of giving, and then a series of noun phrases that clarify the object of the request.

The sentence is constructed with a clear subject-verb-object order, emphasizing Bathsheba's role as the speaker and the request being made to Solomon regarding Abishag.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יֻתַּ֖ן as δοθήτω, which means 'let it be given.' This choice retains the passive sense of the Hebrew, indicating that the action of giving is to be performed by another, in this case, Solomon.

This translation aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, reflecting the request's nature without altering the original intent of Bathsheba's plea.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Kings 2:21 shows Bathsheba asking King Solomon to give Abishag, a young woman who cared for David, to her son Adonijah as his wife. This request highlights the family dynamics and political implications of royal succession during Solomon's reign.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Who is Abishag?

Abishag was a young woman who cared for King David in his old age, and she is mentioned in the context of Bathsheba's request.

What does Bathsheba's request signify?

Bathsheba's request indicates her concern for her son Adonijah's position and the political maneuvering surrounding the royal succession.

Why is the word יֻתַּ֖ן important?

The word יֻתַּ֖ן emphasizes the act of giving as a request, highlighting the dynamics of power and authority in the royal court.

What role does Bathsheba play in this narrative?

Bathsheba acts as an advocate for her son Adonijah, seeking to secure his future through her request to Solomon.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What can we learn about the relationships within David's family from this request?
  2. How does Bathsheba's request reflect the political landscape of the time?
  3. In what ways do we see the theme of loyalty and familial bonds in this passage?
  4. How might this request have impacted the future of Solomon's reign?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Kings 2:21 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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 John Gill on 1 Kings 2 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Kings 2 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Thy brother, by the father’ s side, whom brotherly affection and relation obligeth thee to gratify, at least, in small things.

Read Matthew Poole on 1 Kings 2 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Kings 2:21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife. Ver. 21. Let Abishag … be given to Adonijah to wife.] Overcome by Adonijah’ s fair words and her own melting thoughts of compassion towards him, Bathsheba, not considering the consequents, proposeth the suit, and presseth it by the relation that was betwixt Solomon and Adonijah his brother. But was not David Adonijah’ s father also? and will none serve his turn but his father’ s concubine was not this to attempt against natural honesty and common decency? What if Abishag were καληκαισοφη - as Aelian saith Aspasia Milesia, Cyrus’ s concubine, was - both fair and discreet, which is a rare mixture…

Read John Trapp on 1 Kings 2 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

So Bathsheba said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as his wife.”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

She said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as wife.”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

So Bathsheba said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as his wife.”

NETBNew English Translation2006

She said, “Allow Abishag the Shunammite to be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And she said, Let Abishag the Shunamite be given to Adonijah thy brother for a wife.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

She sayd then, Let Abishag the Shunammite be giuen to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother as wife.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And she saith, 'Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother for a wife.'

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And she says, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah for a wife.”

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adoniyah thy brother for wife.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

She said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as his wife.”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And she said: Let Abisag the Sunamitess be given to Adonias thy brother to wife.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

“Please give Abishag from Shunem to your brother Adonijah as his wife,” she replied.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother for a wife.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbתֹּ֕אמֶרshe.saidclauseverbיֻתַּ֖ןlet.it.be.givennoun phrase · subjectאֶת(et)noun phraseאֲבִישַׁ֣גAbishagnoun phraseהַtheשֻּׁנַמִּ֑יתShunammiteprepositional phrase · prepositionalלַtonoun phraseאֲדֹנִיָּ֥הוּAdonijahnoun phraseאָחִ֖יbrotherךָyourprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtoאִשָּֽׁהa.wife

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint are largely in agreement, with 7 of the 8 words matched. The Septuagint's word order differs, but the essential meaning of Bathsheba's request remains intact.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַתֹּ֕אמֶר יֻתַּ֖ן אֶת־ אֲבִישַׁ֣ג הַשֻּׁנַמִּ֑ית לַאֲדֹנִיָּ֥הוּ אָחִ֖יךָ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַתֹּ֕אמֶרεἶπενיֻתַּ֖ןδοθήτωאֲבִישַׁ֣גαβισακהַשֻּׁנַמִּ֑יתσωμανῖτιςלַאֲדֹנִיָּ֥הוּαδωνιαאָחִ֖יךָσουלְאִשָּֽׁה׃γυναῖκα

7 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

1 Kings 2:21אָמַרand she saiand she saidאָמַרנָתַןlet it be glet it be givenנָתַןאֵתthe object the object markאֵתאֲבִישַׁגAbishagAbishagאֲבִישַׁגשׁוּנַמִּיתthe Shunammthe Shunammiteשׁוּנַמִּיתאֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּto Adonijahto Adonijahאֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּאָחbrother youbrother yourאָחאִשָּׁהto a wifeto a wifeאִשָּׁהאָבfatherfatherאָבאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתשׁוּנֵםShunemShunemשׁוּנֵםאָדוֹןlordlordאָדוֹןאִישׁmanmanאִישׁאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁאֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּAdonijahAdonijahאֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוהנַחֲלָהinheritancinheritanceנַחֲלָהזֶ֫רַעseedseedזֶ֫רַעמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁשׁוּנַמִּיתShunammiteShunammitesשׁוּנַמִּיתאֲבִישַׁגAbishagAbishagאֲבִישַׁגחַגִּיתHaggithHaggithחַגִּיתטוֹבטוֹבעֵשָׂו(Mount) Es(Mount) EsauעֵשָׂויוֹסֵףJosephJosephיוֹסֵף
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in 1 Kings 2:21

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and she said let it be given the object marker Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah brother your to a wife
וַתֹּ֕אמֶרva.To.mer and she said H559 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
Hc/Vqw3fs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and she said let it be given the object marker Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah brother your to a wife
יֻתַּ֖ןyu.Tan let it be given H5414 Verb · Hophal · imperfect third person masculine singular
2,011× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Amplified meaning
to put, or set something
Tyndale gloss
to give: give
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set

Qal 1917

give

Put, set

Make, constitute

Niph.

82be given

Be put, set

Hoph.

be given, bestowed

= be given to one for wife

be put upon

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give

. Put, set

. Make, constitute

. . be given

. Be put, set

. . . be given, bestowed

. = be given to one for wife

. be put upon

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5414 nathan naw-than'

a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of

application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,

assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,

hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +

cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X

without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),

grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),

(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,

occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X

pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send

(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,

strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,

turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)

God, yield.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.

: give/deliver/send/produce

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend

1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate

1a3) to make, constitute

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned

1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up

1c2) to be put upon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.

: put/set/apppoint

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Q-Juss-3ms — Verb · Hophal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVHi3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and she said let it be given the object marker Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah brother your to a wife
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and she said let it be given the object marker Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah brother your to a wife
אֲבִישַׁ֣ג'a.vi.Shag Abishag H49 Noun proper feminine
5× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Abishag was a young woman who took care of King David in his old age. Her name means my father is a wanderer, and she is mentioned in 1 Kings 1:3 as a beautiful nurse. Abishag played an important role in David's life.
Amplified meaning
the Shunammitess, a young woman
Tyndale gloss
Abishag
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲבִישַׁג (Abiyshag) refers to a woman mentioned in the Old Testament, specifically as a concubine of King David. The name is interpreted to mean 'my father is a wanderer.' The entries indicate that the name is built from elements meaning 'father' and 'error' or 'blundering,' though the exact derivation is not clear.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲבִישַׁג n.pr.f. (my father is a wanderer (שׁגג) ?) a handmaid of David

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H49 אֲבִישַׁג

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

49 'Abiyshag ab-ee-shag'

from 1 and 7686; father of error (i.e. blundering); Abishag,

a concubine of David:--Abishag.

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 07686

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲבִישַׁג (a.vi.shag) — Abishag.

A woman living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.1.3

§ Abishag = "my father is a wanderer"

David's beautiful young nurse

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper feminine
HNpf
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ab'-i-shag, a-bi'-shag ('abhishagh, apparently, "father of wandering," that is, "cause of wandering," or "my father wanders"): The Shunammite woman who became nurse to King David (1Ki 1-4,15; 2:17,21,22). She was chosen for the service with great care on account of her youth and beauty and physical vigor. She ministered to the king, that is, waited on him as personal attendant and nurse. She also "cherished" him in his feebleness--gave to him through physical contact the advantage of her superabundant vitality. This was a mode of medical treatment recommended by the servants of the king, and it appears to have been not wholly unsuccessful. She had an intimate knowledge of the condition of David, and was present at the interview of Bathsheba with David which resulted in the placing of Solomon on the throne. If that act had been questioned she would have been a most important witness. By…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Abishag

Father of (i.e., “given to”) error, a young woman of Shunem, distinguished for her beauty. She was chosen to minister to David in his old age. She became his wife (1 Kings 1:3,4,15). After David’s death Adonijah persuaded Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, to entreat the king to permit him to marry Abishag. Solomon suspected in this request an aspiration to the throne, and therefore caused him to be put to death (1 Kings 2:17-25).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

a beautiful Shunammite (from Shunem, in the tribe of Issachar), taken into David’s harem to comfort him in his extreme old age. (1 Kings 1:1-4)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A beautiful virgin of Shunem, in Issachar, chosen to marry David in his old age and cherish him. After his death, Adonijah sought her hand to promote his treasonable aspirations, and was punished by death, 1Ki 1:1-2:46.

and she said let it be given the object marker Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah brother your to a wife
הַשֻּׁנַמִּ֑יתha.shu.na.Mit the Shunammite H7767 Particle · noun gentilic feminine singular absolute
8× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A Shunammitess was a woman from the city of Shunem, a place in Issachar. The Shunammite is first mentioned in 1 Kings 1:3, referring to a female inhabitant of this city.
Amplified meaning
from the city of Shunem
Tyndale gloss
Shunammites
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שׁוּנַמִּית (Shuwnammiyth) refers to a female inhabitant of Shunem, known as a Shunamite. It is derived from the root word for Shunem, which means 'double resting place.' The term is used in the context of people descended from Shunam, first mentioned in 1 Kings 1:3.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שׁוּנַמִּית adj.gent. f. of foregoing [v.bu.ah]

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7767 שׁוּנַמִּית

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7767 Shuwnammiyth shoo-nam-meeth'

patrial from 7766; a Shunammitess, or female inhabitant of

Shunem:--Shunamite.

see HEBREW for 07766

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שׁוּנַמִּית (shu.nam.mit) — Shunammites.

People descended from Shunam(?), first mentioned at 1Ki.1.3

§ Shunammite, of Shunen "double resting place"

an inhabitant of Shunem

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Ngfsa — Particle · noun gentilic feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ngfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

shoo'-na-mit (shunammith, shunammith; Codex Vaticanus Somaneitis; Codex Alexandrinus Soumanites): Applied to natives of Shunem.

(1) Abishag, who was brought to minister to the aged king David, love for whom led Adonijah to his doom (1Ki 1:3,15; 2:17, etc.).

(2) The woman, name unknown, whose son Elisha raised from the dead (2Ki 4:12, etc.). Later when apparently she had become a widow, after seven years' absence on account of famine, in the land of the Philistines, she returned to find her property in the hands of others. Elisha's intervention secured its restoration (2Ki 8:1-6).

(3) The Shulammite (So 6:13). In this name there is the exchange of "l" for "n" which is common.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Shunammite

A person of Shunem (1 Kings 1:3; 2 Kings 4:12). The Syr. and Arab. read “Sulamite.”

Nave's Topical Bible

1. A person from the city of Shunem

Abishag, the girl who took care of David 1Ki 1:3

Desired by Adonijah as wife 1Ki 2:13-25

2. A woman who gave hospitality to Elisha, and whose son he raised to life 2Ki 4:8-37

Thompson Chain Reference topics

an inhabitant of Shunem

2Ki 4:8,12,16,20,27,36

and she said let it be given the object marker Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah brother your to a wife
לַאֲדֹנִיָּ֥הוּla.'a.do.ni.Ya.hu to Adonijah H138 Preposition · noun proper masculine
26× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Adonijah was a name given to several Israelites, including a son of David who tried to take the throne from Solomon. The name means 'my lord is Jehovah'. Adonijah is mentioned in the books of Nehemiah and Kings.
Amplified meaning
son of David
Tyndale gloss
Adonijah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּ (Adoniyah) means "my lord is Jehovah" and refers to a name associated with three Israelites, including David's fourth son who sought the throne. The entries note his roles as a Levite and a chief during different periods, including the United Monarchy and the Exile and Return.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּ (אֲדֹיִּנָה) n.pr.m. (my Lord is Yahweh)

fourth son of David

a Levite

a chief of the people

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H138 אֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּ, אֲדֹיִּנָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

138 'Adoniyah ad-o-nee-yaw'

original (prolonged) dAdoniyahuw {ad-o-nee- yaw'-hoo}; from

113 and 3050; lord (i.e. worshipper) of Jah; Adonijah, the

name of three Israelites:--Adonijah.

see HEBREW for 0113

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּ (a.do.niy.yah) — Adonijah.

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.3.4;

son of: David (H1732) and Haggith (H2294);

half-brother of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416), Solomon (H8010), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliada (H0450), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N)

§ Adonijah = "my lord is Jehovah"

1) fourth son of David and Solomon's rival for the throne

2) Levite sent by Jehoshaphat to teach the Law

3) a chief of the people who co-operated with Nehemiah

אֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּ (a.do.niy.yah) — Adonijah.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 2Ch.17.8

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculine
HR/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ad-o-ni'-ja ('adhoniyahu or 'adhoniyah, "my lord is Yahweh"):

(1) The son of David and Haggith, the forth of David's sons, born in Hebron after David became king of Judah, principally known for his attempt to become king instead of Solomon (2Sa 3:4; 1Ch 3:2; 1Ki 1,2). The record gives no details concerning Chileab, the son of David and Abigail. Leaving him out, Adonijah was the oldest living son of David, after the death of Amnon and Absalom.

In treating the record it has been needlessly obscured by neglecting or distorting the time data. It says that the rebellion of Absalom broke out "at an end of forty years" (2Sa 15:7). The natural meaning is not forty years after the last-mentioned preceding date, but at the close of the…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Adonijah

My Lord is Jehovah. (1.) The fourth son of David (2 Sam. 3:4). After the death of his elder brothers, Amnon and Absalom, he became heir-apparent to the throne. But Solomon, a younger brother, was preferred to him. Adonijah, however, when his father was dying, caused himself to be proclaimed king. But Nathan and Bathsheba induced David to give orders that Solomon should at once be proclaimed and admitted to the throne. Adonijah fled and took refuge at the altar, and received pardon for his conduct from Solomon on the condition that he showed himself “a worthy man” (1 Kings 1:5-53). He afterwards made a second attempt to gain the throne, but was seized and put to death (1 Kings 2:13-25).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(my Lord is Jehovah). The fourth son of David by Haggith, born at Hebron while his father was king of Judah. (2 Samuel 3:4) (B.C. about 1050.) After the death of his three brothers, Amnon, Chileab and Absalom, he became eldest son; and when his father’s strength was visibly declining, put forward his pretensions to the crown. Adonijah’s cause was espoused by Abiathar and by Joab the famous commander of David’s army. [JOAB] His name and influence secured a large number of followers among the captains of the royal army belonging to the tribe of Judah, comp. (1 Kings 1:5) and these, together with all the princes except Solomon, were entertained by Adonijah at the great sacrificial feast held "by the stone Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel." [EN-ROGEL] Apprised of these proceedings, David…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The fourth son of David, by Haggith, 2Sa 3:4. After the death of Amnon and Absalom, he aspired to the throne, although it was promised to Solomon, his younger brother. Having gained over Joab and Abiathar and other adherents, he at length openly revolted and claimed the crown while David was yet living. The news of this revolt being brought to the king at once; upon which the friends of Adonijah dispersed, and he took refuge at the horns of the altar. Solomon dismissed him with only an admonition. But soon after the death of David, he applied for the hand of Abishag, thus renewing his pretensions to the throne, for which he was put to death, 1Ki 1:1-2:46.

and she said let it be given the object marker Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah brother your to a wife
אָחִ֖יךָ'a.Chi.kha brother your H251 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
630× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means a brother or male sibling, but it can also refer to a close relative, friend, or someone with a similar relationship. It is used to describe the bond between brothers, like the relationship between Cain and Abel in Genesis.
Amplified meaning
male sibling, close relative
Tyndale gloss
brother: male-sibling
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָח (ach) means 'brother' and encompasses a broad range of relationships, including literal siblings, half-brothers, and metaphorical kinship. It can refer to any male relative or compatriot, and it may also imply resemblance or reciprocal relationships. The term is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, highlighting both familial and figurative connections.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָח 630 n.m. brother

brother, born of same mother (& father)

indef. = relative

fig. of resemblance

in phr. one … another

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H251 אָח brother

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

251 'ach awkh

a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of

literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance

(like 1)):--another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.

Compare also the proper names beginning with "Ah-" or "Ahi-".

see HEBREW for 01

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָח (ach) — brother: male-sibling.

: male-sibling

1) brother

1a) brother of same parents

1b) half-brother (same father)

1c) relative, kinship, same tribe

1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

1e) (fig.) of resemblance

אָח (ach) — brother: male-relative.

: male-relative

1) brother

1a) brother of same parents

1b) half-brother (same father)

1c) relative, kinship, same tribe

1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

1e) (fig.) of resemblance

אָח (ach) — brother: compatriot.

: compatriot

1) brother

1a) brother of same parents

1b) half-brother (same father)

1c) relative, kinship, same tribe

1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

1e) (fig.) of resemblance

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp2ms
and she said let it be given the object marker Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah brother your to a wife
לְאִשָּֽׁה׃le.'i.Shah to a wife H802 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
781× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for woman, used to describe a female person, wife, or animal, appears in many biblical passages, including Genesis and Exodus, and is often translated as woman, wife, or female.
Amplified meaning
female partner, companion
Tyndale gloss
woman
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִשָּׁה (ishshah) means 'woman,' 'wife,' or 'female.' It can refer to a woman in general, a wife in relation to a man, or the female of animals. The term also has distributive and reciprocal uses, indicating 'each woman' from her neighbor. The word is derived from the masculine forms אִישׁ (ish) and אִישָׁה (ishah), indicating a broad range of meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִשָּׁה 773 n.f. woman, wife, female

woman

Wife (woman belonging to a man, usually cstr. or sf.)

Female of animals

With distrib. & recipr. sense, each woman from her neighbor; each one

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H802 אִשָּׁה woman, wife, female . woman

. Wife (woman belonging to a man, usually cstr. or sf.)

. Female of animals

. With distrib. & recipr. sense, each woman from her neighbor; each one

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

802 'ishshah ish-shaw'

feminine of 376 or 582; irregular plural, nashiym

{naw-sheem'}; a woman (used in the same wide sense as

582):--(adulter)ess, each, every, female, X many, + none,

one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.

see HEBREW for 0376

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0582

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman.

: woman

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: wife.

: wife/widow

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: another.

: another

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HR/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wif.

See MARRIAGE; RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Wife

The ordinance of marriage was sanctioned in Paradise (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6). Monogamy was the original law under which man lived, but polygamy early commenced (Gen. 4:19), and continued to prevail all down through Jewish history. The law of Moses regulated but did not prohibit polygamy. A man might have a plurality of wives, but a wife could have only one husband. A wife’s legal rights (Ex. 21:10) and her duties (Prov. 31:10-31; 1 Tim. 5:14) are specified. She could be divorced in special cases (Deut.…

→ Called

DESIRE OF THE EYES Eze 24:16

→ HELP Ge 2:18,20

→ FRUITFUL VINE Ps 128:3

→ The judgment denounced against Eve Ge 3:16

→ Relation of, to husband Ge 2:18,23,24; 1Co 11:3-12

→ Domestic duties of Ge 18:6; Pr 31:13-27

→ Beloved, by Isaac Ge 24:67

→ Beloved, by Jacob Ge 29:30

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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