1 Kings 2

CHAPTER THREE SOLOMON’S RULE ESTABLISHED

1 Kings 2:1 to 1 Kings 3:3

Twice in chapter two the sacred historian declares that Solomon was established on the throne of David (1 Kings 2:12; 1 Kings 2:46), Solomon’s rule was made secure because (1) he listened to the death-bed advice of his father (1 Kings 2:1-11); (2) he acted decisively in the face of another conspiracy by his brother (1 Kings 2:12-35); (3) he moved swiftly when his royal authority was taken lightly (1 Kings 2:36-46); (4) he requested and received the hand of Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Kings 3:1); and (5) he walked in the path of fidelity to God (1 Kings 3:2-3).

REVIEW OF CHAPTER THREE

I. FACTS TO MASTER

A. Relate how each of the following persons figure in the events of this section:

1. Adonijah

2. Abiathar

3. Bathsheba

4. Shimei

5. Solomon

6. Benaiah

7. Abishag

8. Achish

9. Joab

B. Know why each of the following were alluded to in this section:

1. Abner

2. Absalom

3. Amasa

4. Mahanaim

5. Eli

6. Hebron

7. Shiloh

8. Jerusalem

C. Know how each of the following places figure in the history recorded in this section:

1. Bahurim

2. Kidron

3. Anathoth

4. Gath

D. List three men executed by Benaiah. E. List three individuals David instructed Solomon to deal with in his final admonition. II. QUESTIONS TO PONDER

What motivated David to give Solomon his final admonition regarding Shemei and Joab?

Was Adonijah’s request for Abishag an innocent romance or a shrewd scheme?

Why was Bathsheba so willing to act as intercessor for Adonijah before Solomon?

Was Solomon justified in ordering the execution of Adonijah? of Joab?

Why was Shimei put on probation in Jerusalem? Why did he violate the terms of his probation?

What was the attitude of the author of Kings toward worship in the high places before the erection of the Temple?

What mutual advantages would Solomon’s treaty with Egypt entail?

REVIEW OF CHAPTER THREE

I. FACTS TO MASTER

A. Relate how each of the following persons figure in the events of this section:

1. Adonijah

2. Abiathar

3. Bathsheba

4. Shimei

5. Solomon

6. Benaiah

7. Abishag

8. Achish

9. Joab

B. Know why each of the following were alluded to in this section:

1. Abner

2. Absalom

3. Amasa

4. Mahanaim

5. Eli

6. Hebron

7. Shiloh

8. Jerusalem

C. Know how each of the following places figure in the history recorded in this section:

1. Bahurim

2. Kidron

3. Anathoth

4. Gath

D. List three men executed by Benaiah. E. List three individuals David instructed Solomon to deal with in his final admonition. II. QUESTIONS TO PONDER

What motivated David to give Solomon his final admonition regarding Shemei and Joab?

Was Adonijah’s request for Abishag an innocent romance or a shrewd scheme?

Why was Bathsheba so willing to act as intercessor for Adonijah before Solomon?

Was Solomon justified in ordering the execution of Adonijah? of Joab?

Why was Shimei put on probation in Jerusalem? Why did he violate the terms of his probation?

What was the attitude of the author of Kings toward worship in the high places before the erection of the Temple?

What mutual advantages would Solomon’s treaty with Egypt entail?

1 Kings 2:1-4

I. DAVID’S LAST COUNSEL TO SOLOMON 2:1-11

It is uncertain how much time elapsed between the events recorded in chapter 1 and the death of David recorded in chapter 2. After the Adonijah incident, and in his fortieth and final year of reign, David convoked a national assembly. Undoubtedly his purpose in so doing was to provide as much as possible for a smooth transition of power to his son. During the course of this assembly of national leaders, David made several important moves. (1) He organized the religious personnel as well as (2) certain civil officers (1 Chronicles 23-27); (3) he publicly endorsed Solomon before the assembly and asked for their support of the young king (1 Chronicles 28:1-8); (4) he publicly commissioned Solomon to build the Temple, and handed over to his son the detailed plans for the sanctuary itself and the personnel who would officiate therein (1 Chronicles 28:9-21); (5) he appealed to the nobles and princes present to contribute liberally to the Temple project (1 Chronicles 29:1-9); (6) he closed his address to the convention with a wonderful prayer of thanksgiving (1 Chronicles 29:10-19). The convention reached a climax in a great festive meal at which Solomon was anointed a second time (1 Chronicles 29:20-22).

Participation in this great national convention drained the last bit of strength from the old king. Feeling death’s grip tightening upon him, David summoned Solomon to his side to impart to him his final and private instructions. In these last words David tried to impress upon Solomon (1) his general obligation to hear and heed the word of God; and (2) his special obligation to deal with certain individuals who, in some cases, were deserving of punishment, and, in other cases, were worthy of recognition and reward. Thus the outlook of 1 Kings 2:1-4 is devotional; that in 1 Kings 2:5-12 is realistic and practical.

A. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS 2:1-4

**TRANSLATION

(1) When the days of David drew near to die, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, (2) I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong and be a man! (3) Keep the trust of the LORD your God to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments and His testimonies as it is written in the Law of Moses, in order that you prosper in all which you do, and wherever you turn, (4) in order that the LORD may establish His word which He spoke unto me, saying, If your sons will watch their ways to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul (saying), A man shall not be cut off from you from sitting upon the throne of Israel.

COMMENTS**

For David death was imminent, and it was time for him to give his final instructions to his son (1 Kings 2:1). David, the great king and mighty warrior, knew that he was walking the way of all the world, the path to Sheol, death and what lay beyond. Kings as well as commoners must walk that path! Shortly the full reins of government would be in Solomon’s hand alone. The best advice that David could give his son was to be strong and be a man (1 Kings 2:2) with respect to observing the law of God (lit., keep the keeping of the LORD). In 1 Kings 2:2-3 one can hear an echo of Moses-’ farewell exhortation to Joshua, Be strong and of good courage (Deuteronomy 31:23) and the divine exhortation to Joshua to the same effect (Joshua 1:6; Joshua 1:9; Joshua 1:18).

It takes genuine courage and real manhood to withstand worldly pressures and faithfully follow the will of God! Using the technique of emphasis by enumeration, David explained what he meant by keep the keeping. He was referring to God’s statutes, commandments, judgments and testimonies. It is impossible to draw fine distinctions between these terms.[110] By piling up these synonyms for God’s law, David was making it clear that all God’s law must be observed. By walking in the ways of the Lord, Solomon would prosper or succeed. Obedience to the Lord was the condition for experiencing a rich and full life.

[110] Gray (OTL, p. 97) proposes that statutes and commandments are the direct orders in the form of you shall or you shall not. Judgments are caustic laws which admit of qualification and refinement (If a man do thus and so, then); testimonies are solemn charges in which God is called to witness.

Still another blessing would be Solomon’s if he followed the ways of the Lord: He would experience the fulfillment of God’s promise of everlasting possession of the throne. Through the prophet Nathan, the Lord had spoken glorious promises concerning the dynasty of David many years earlier. The promise as recorded in 2Samuel 7 and 1Chronicles 17 makes no mention of any conditions which had to be met before the promise became operative; but references to this promise in Psalms 132:12 and 1 Kings 8:25 make it clear that the promise was conditional. If David’s sons were faithful to the Lord, He had promised There shall not be cut off to you a man from upon the throne of Israel. David would never be wanting a descendant to take the throne. The sovereignty would never be taken from the family of David and given to another. The promise did not mean that no descendant of David would ever be removed from the, throne, but that the posterity of David was not to be cut off so as to leave no offspring which could take possession of the throne. So long as there was a throne, a descendant of the house of David would occupy that throne. Jesus Christ, the greater son of David, sits upon the throne of the Lord today ruling over the Israel of God which is His church. The promise made through Nathan finds ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.

1 Kings 2:5-11

C. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS 2:5-11

**TRANSLATION

(5) And also as for you, you know that which Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, which he did to two captains of the hosts of Israel, to Abner son of Ner and to Amasa the son of Jether both of whom he slew. He shed the blood of war in peace, and thereby put the blood of war on his girdle which is upon his loins, and on his sandals which are upon his feet. (6) Now act in your wisdom, but do not allow his gray head to go down in peace to Sheol. (7) But to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite show kindness, and let them be among those who eat of your table, for thus they rallied unto me when I fled from before Absalom your brother. (8) And behold Shimei son of Gera, a Benjaminite from Bahurim is with you. Now he cursed me with a vicious curse in the day I went to Mahanaim, but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, I will not slay you with the sword. (9) But now do not consider him to be innocent, for you are a wise man. So take note of that which you shall do to him and bring down his gray hair in blood to Sheol. (10) Then David slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David. (11) Now the time that David ruled over Israel was forty years. In Hebron he ruled seven years, and in Jerusalem he ruled thirty-three years. (12) And Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.

COMMENTS**

Certain obligations which David had neglected to fulfill, or had promised to fulfill, now devolve upon his son and successor. First, there was Joab who had literally gotten by with murder during the reign of David. Solomon was reminded of the two great crimes which Joab had committed against the crown, viz., the slaying of Abner and Amasa, two generals of the army of Israel. Abner was murdered in the city gate at Hebron (2 Samuel 3:22-27) in retaliation for his slaying of Joab’s brother Asahel who had been slain in war and in self-defense (2 Samuel 2:12-23). It would appear that jealousy was the prime motive in the murder of Amasa some thirty years later (2 Samuel 20:4-10). No doubt Joab rationalized his crimes on the basis that Abner and Amasa were threats to David and therefore must be eliminated. While it is true that both generals at one time commanded armies which fought against David, there is no evidence to suggest that either one of them had any hostile intentions toward the king at the time Joab decided to kill them. Joab’s ruthlessness is described by David in the words, He shed the blood of war in peace, i.e., in a time of peace he shed blood that only ought to flow in time of war. The ruthlessness of these crimes is further indicated in the reference to Joab’s girdle and sandals being spattered with the blood of war (1 Kings 2:5). It was while feigning friendship and while moving close so as to plant the kiss of greeting up their cheeks that Joab smote these unsuspecting comrades beneath the fifth rib.[111]

[111] Blood on the girdle and sandals might also have symbolic meaning: the girdle about the loins might suggest that Joab had brought blood guiltiness upon his progeny; blood on the sandals suggests that the unrequited blood would dog the steps of Joab until it was avenged. Cf. Gray, OTL, p. 98.

David’s instruction regarding Joab does not appear to have been motivated by personal revenge. He excluded all mention of personal grievances against his general. He might have mentioned how Joab had disobeyed a direct order of his king and had slain Absalom in battle. He might also have mentioned the fact that Joab had backed Adonijah’s bid for the throne. But these incidents were ignored. It is true that David says in 1 Kings 2:5 what Joab did to me, but that phrase is then immediately explained as referring to the murders of Abner and Amasa. Both of these murders deprived David of able officers and at the same time caused David to be suspected of complicity (2 Samuel 3:28; 2 Samuel 3:37). Furthermore, at the time they were slain Amasa was head of David’s army and Abner was in negotiation with the king. For this reason David may have felt personally responsible for their deaths.

The heinous deeds of Joab cried out for judicial revenge. As king of the nation David should have ordered Joab executed when he slew Abner thirty-three years previously. But David at that time was weak, not having yet gained the recognition of the Northern tribes. In exasperation, David could only invoke divine retribution upon the head of Joab (2 Samuel 3:29). At the time Amasa was slain, David had just come through the rebellions of Absalom and Sheba, and the authority of the crown was at low ebb. Undoubtedly David had intended to punish Joab for his dastardly deeds, but procrastination had robbed him of any further opportunities to deal with his general. It can only be regarded as somewhat cowardly of David to instruct Solomon to do what he had been unwilling to do for thirty-three years! Nevertheless, the instruction is given: Let not his gray hairs (indicative of Joab’s age) go down to Sheol (abode of the dead) in peace. Joab must not be allowed to die a natural death. He must pay for his crimes with his life. Yet, David warned, your wisdom must be your guide (1 Kings 2:6). The execution of such a powerful man as general Joab could trigger a rebellion in the army which appears to have been quite loyal to its commander. Therefore, Solomon must find a plausible pretext for bringing Joab’s just deserts upon him.

The situation is completely different with the sons of Barzillai. Barzillai and his sons[112] had befriended David by bringing him food and supplies when the king had been forced to flee across the Jordan during the Absalom revolution (2 Samuel 17:27 ff; 2 Samuel 19:32 ff). David felt that he owed Barzillai a debt which he could never fully repay. There is no way of knowing how many sons Barzillai had. It is likely, though not certain, that the Chimham of 2 Samuel 19:37 was his son.[113] From Ezra 2:61 it would appear that the family of Barzillai was still in existence in the days of the restoration from captivity. David encouraged Solomon to allow Barzillai’s family to be included among those who ate at his table (1 Kings 2:7). Some interpret this phrase literally; others see it as a technical term for receiving an allowance from the king.[114]

[112] That Barzillai’s sons assisted him is reasonable in view of the fact he was eighty years old at the time.

[113] Some identify Chimham with Chemoham of Jer 41:17 which speaks of the habitation of Chemoham near Bethlehem. From this some have drawn the inference that David or Solomon must have given Chimham land near Bethlehem.

[114] Completely far-fetched is Gray’s suggestion that this entertainment might have been designed to hold these men as hostages for allegiance of Israelites in Transjordan (OTL, p. 99).

While Barzillai and his sons befriended David in his hour of distress, Shimei had taken malicious delight in the king’s humiliation and worse, had vehemently cursed him (2 Samuel 16:5-8). Shimei, a Benjamite, was of a family of the house of Saul and for this reason he detested David, regarding him as a usurper and illegitimate king. Shimei lived in the village of Bahurim just north of Bethany on the east slope of the Mt. of Olives on the way to Jericho.[115] The phrase you have Shimei with you is puzzling and capable of more than one interpretation. David may mean nothing more than that Shimei lives in the vicinity and that Solomon would easily have access to him. On the other hand it is possible to interpret with you as meaning that Shimei was backing Solomon, supporting his claims to the throne. Reference has already been made to Shimei who supported Solomon during the Adonijah revolt (1 Kings 1:8). Shimei was a leader of considerable influence in the tribe of Benjamin (cf. 2 Samuel 19:16 f.) and it may have been a matter of critical importance which of the two princes he supported. If he did come out in support of Solomon, he undoubtedly would have been given favorable treatment by the young king and would no doubt have ranked among his inner circle of friends.[116]

[115] Bahurim was alluded to earlier in the David narratives, 2 Samuel 3:16; 2 Samuel 17:18.

[116] Hammond, PC, p. 27.

In spite of the fact that Shimei was a supporter of Solomon, David reminded his son that it was this man who cursed him vehemently in the day he was forced to flee across the Jordan to Mahanaim. One of David’s officers would have executed Shimei on the spot, but the king, depressed and confused by recent events, restrained him. When David defeated the insurrection of Absalom, Shimei was one of the first to come down to the Jordan to greet him and beg his forgiveness. Not wishing to mar the joy of his reinstatement by an act of punishment, David took an oath that he would not slay Shimei (1 Kings 2:8; cf. 2 Samuel 19:23). But in taking this hasty and inadvised oath, David had pardoned what he had no power to pardon, viz., a sin to which the Law of Moses attached the death penalty (Exodus 22:28). Shimei had yet to suffer the penalty for his crime, and in fact on two occasions he had had his life spared by order of the king, the one who was charged with upholding and enforcing the Law of God. As David lay in his death chamber, the guilt of this negligence weighed heavily upon his mind. David felt that his oath prevented him from taking action against Shimei. But Solomon was under no such obligation. Therefore, David exhorted his son not to hold Shimei guiltless, i.e., not leave him unpunished. Solomon, being a wise man, knew what, according to law, had to be done. As king it would be his responsibility to execute Shimei for his capital crime of blasphemy against the Lord’s anointed. Even though Shimei was now an old gray-haired man, the punishment which had so long been delayed must now overtake him (1 Kings 2:9).

The morality of David’s injunction concerning Shimei and Joab has been called into question. No hint of malice or vindictiveness is evident in this passage; he was not bequeathing to Solomon a dark legacy of hate as one writer puts it. While unscrupulous men like Joab and Shimei might constitute a threat to the young king, David’s primary concern is not the safety and security of Solomon’s kingdom. 1 Kings 2:2-4 set the tone for these special instructions. What was uppermost in David’s mind was strict observance to the Law of God including the stipulated punishments therein. In asking his son to execute the murderer and the blasphemer, David is tacitly admitting to failure on his own part in enforcing that law. He himself was now too old and sickly to execute the sentence against Joab and Shimei. It would give David a great deal of comfort in his final hour to know that his son would perform those unpleasant legal tasks which he had neglected.

Following his instructions to Solomon, David slept (lit., lay down) with his fathers, i.e., he died. Since David was not buried in his family tomb at Bethlehem, the phrase with his fathers would seem to indicate an awareness of reunion with one’s relatives in Sheol, the abode of the dead. The king’s body was laid to rest in the city of Davidthat part of Jerusalem which his personal troops had conquered from the Jebusites. (1 Kings 2:10). His sepulcher on Mt. Zion still existed in the time of Christ (Acts 2:29). Josephus records two occasions when his tomb was plundered, once by John Hyrcanus and once by Herod the Great.[117] David’s tomb is thought to have been identified through recent excavations.[118] David had reigned a total of forty years over his people. The figure seven years for David’s reign of Judah alone is a round figure. He actually reigned there six months longer than that (cf. 2 Samuel 5:5).

[117] Ant. VII, 15.3; XIII, 8.4; XVI, 7.1.

[118] de Vaux, AI, p. 58.

1 Kings 2:13-18

II. ADONIJAH’S SECOND CONSPIRACY AGAINST SOLOMON 2:13-35

At the collapse of his first conspiracy, Solomon had magnanimously spared the life of Adonijah. The traitor was spared on condition that he show himself a worthy man and not get involved in any political intrigue again. Adonijah should have learned his lesson. But apparently he never relinquished his claim to the throne, nor overlooked any possibility of undermining his brother. The present paragraph describes (1) the subtle plot devised by Adonijah (1 Kings 2:13-18); (2) the innocent petition made on his behalf by Bathsheba (1 Kings 2:19-21); and (3) the stern punishment meted out by Solomon (1 Kings 2:22-25).

A. THE PLOT DEVISED BY ADONIJAH 2:13-18

**TRANSLATION

(13) Now Adonijah son of Haggith came unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, In peace do you come? And he said, In peace. (14) Then he said, I have a matter to discuss with you. And she said, Speak it. (15) And he said, You certainly know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces upon me that I should rule; but the kingdom has turned about and has become my brother’S, for it was his from the LORD. (16) But now one favor I am about to ask of you; do not deny me. And she said unto him, Speak it. (17) And he said, Speak, I pray you, to Solomon the king (for he will not deny you) that he give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife. (18) And Bathsheba said, Fine! I will surely speak on your behalf to the king.

COMMENTS**

It is generally agreed among commentators that Adonijah was making a second and more subtle bid for the throne in requesting the hand of Abishag. By means of Abishag the former concubine of the king he hoped to accomplish what his chariots, horsemen and banquets had not accomplished. In order to gain a favorable disposition from the young king, Adonijah spoke to and won the sympathies of the most powerful woman in the land, Bathsheba the queen mother. She naturally was surprised at a visit from her former antagonist and so she questioned him as to his intentions (1 Kings 2:13). Adonijah responded that he had come peaceably, and that he simply had a matter he wished to discuss with her (1 Kings 2:14).

Adonijah prefaced his petition with a statement designed to win the womanly sympathies of Bathsheba. First, he affirmed that the throne of Israel was legally his: You know that mine was the kingdom! The words in italics are emphasized in the Hebrew. Because of his seniority among the sons of David, Adonijah still thought that the throne was rightfully his. To his initial statement Adonijah added And upon me all Israel had set their faces that I should reign. That Adonijah exaggerated his acceptance among the general populace is obvious. If all Israel had backed Adonijah, there was no way that Solomon could have gained the crown. But this shrewd prince was not interested in an accurate assessment of his earlier bid for power. This was psychological ply.

Now the implication in what Adonijah had said thus far was that he should have and could have had the throne but for the part taken by Bathsheba in thwarting his efforts. Seeing that he had by these assertions and insinuations aroused the ire of the queen mother, Adonijah hastily added: But it was God’s will that the kingdom be transferred to my brother (1 Kings 2:15). By this statement Adonijah led Bathsheba to believe that he had resigned himself to his fate and that he now acquiesced in Solomon’s supremacy. But had not Adonijah known of the divine appointment of Solomon long before his attempted usurpation? It is hard to believe otherwise. Bathsheba should have realized that she was being manipulated, and that Adonijah had not relinquished his claim to be rightful king. But Bathsheba listened with a mother’s heart instead of with a queen mother’s head. Poor Adonijah, she thought. On the verge of stepping through the threshold of greatness to the crown of Israel he had been thwarted by the hand of God!

Having gained the sympathy of Bathsheba, Adonijah was ready to present his petition (1 Kings 2:16). I have only one request, he pleaded, and I beg you not to deny it to me (lit., turn not away my face, i.e., repulse me). He then asked Bathsheba to speak to her son on his behalf that he might be permitted to marry Abishag. He spiced up his request with a bit of flattery when he remarked parenthetically that the king would never deny a request by his mother (1 Kings 2:17). The argument implied in Adonijah’s request is that possession of Abishag was but slight compensation for the loss of the kingdom which was rightfully his.

Apparently Bathsheba did not question Adonijah about his motives for wanting to marry the Shunammite. Her woman’s intuition told her that Adonijah had fallen in love with this most beautiful young maiden. That love (or lust) might possibly have motivated Adonijah’s request cannot be denied. But higher aspirations were certainly involved as Solomon instantly recognized (cf. 1 Kings 2:22). Taken in by Adonijah’s self-pity, his hypocritical piety and his flattery, Bathsheba without hesitation agreed to act as his agent before the king (1 Kings 2:18).

1 Kings 2:19-21

B. THE PETITION MADE BY BATHSHEBA 2:19-21

**TRANSLATION

(19) Then Bathsheba went unto King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king arose to meet her, bowed himself to Her, and sat upon his throne; then he had a throne set for the mother of the king, and she sat on his right hand. (20) And she said, One small favor I am about to ask from you, do not deny me. And the king said to her, Ask, my mother, for I will not deny you. (21) And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother for a wife.

COMMENTS**

When Bathsheba entered Solomon’s throne room, he rendered unto her the respect due the queen mother, rising to meet her, bowing to her and placing her throne[119] on the right side of his own (1 Kings 2:19). Casting herself in the role of Cupid, and with a twinkle in her eye, Bathsheba got right to the point of her visit. She referred to her petition as a small favor, and so it seemed to her. She thought she held the threads of a love story in her hands and that it would be a small thing for Solomon to make these handsome lovers happy.[120] Solomon expressed willingness to fulfill whatever request his mother might make, never dreaming that she would ask for anything which he could not grant (1 Kings 2:20). Being thus reassured, Bathsheba stated her request on behalf of Adonijah (1 Kings 2:21).

[119] Most commentators assume that Solomon ordered his servants to so arrange the thrones, but the Hebrew suggests that he did it with his own hand. [120] Hammond, PC, p. 37.

1 Kings 2:22-25

C. THE PUNISHMENT ORDERED BY SOLOMON 2:22-25

**TRANSLATION

(22) And King Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why are you asking for Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well ask the kingdom for himbecause he is my older brothereven for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah. (23) Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, Thus may God do to me and even more if Adonijah has not spoken this thing against his life. (24) And now as the LORD lives who has established me, and caused me to sit upon the throne of my father David, and who has made for me a house as He promised, Today Adonijah shall be put to death. (25) And King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him and he died.

COMMENTS**

While Bathsheba may have been gullible concerning Adonijah’s request, Solomon was not. He exploded with anger when he heard his mother’s request. Rhetorically he asked Why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Commentators through the years have addressed themselves to Solomon’s question. Apart from fanciful theories which imagine a heated rivalry between Bathsheba and Abishaga theory which proposes that Bathsheba would be most anxious to get Abishag out of the palace and out of her son’s affectionsthere are several suggestions as to why Bathsheba allowed herself to be used in this way. First, the smooth talking Adonijah had played on her sympathies and flattered her pride. Then too, being a woman, perhaps she was simply helping along the course of true love. Or perhaps she thought that the granting of such a small favor might help to reconcile the half-brothers. Solomon himself suspected another plot and he was infuriated at the thought that the conspirators had successfully deceived his mother and had made her the unwitting instrument of their evil designs.

Continuing the rebuke of his mother Solomon declared, You might as well have asked the kingdom for him also! Solomon saw in the request of Adonijah an indirect but dangerous attempt to usurp the throne. Why so? Taking possession of a wife or harem of a deceased king was equivalent to establishment of the claim to the throne. David took possession of the wives of Saul when he succeeded to the throne (2 Samuel 12:8). To show contempt for his father and to demonstrate conclusively that he had seized the sovereignty, Absalom made a public display of possessing David’s harem (2 Samuel 16:22).[121] In public opinion there existed a close connection between the title to the crown and possession of the deceased monarch’s wives. To grant this request would be to throw gasoline on the fires of conspiracy which continually burned within the heart of Adonijah. Further- more, Solomon declared, he is my elder brother, and as such, many thought he should be king. The request, if granted, would have given Adonijah a wedge to drive further, and eventually to oust Solomon.

[121] Ishbosheth probably suspected, though without justification, that Abner was making a bid for the crown when he accused him of illicit relations with Rizpah, the concubine of Saul (2 Samuel 3:8).

But the question has been raised as to whether Abishag had actually been the wife of David. She is never so called, the sacred historian always referring to her as David’s attendant.

Some think that had she actually been the wife of the king, Adonijah would here be seeking an incestuous union in the light of Lev 18:8; Leviticus 20:11. Whatever the precise legal status of Abishag might have been, this much is clear: In the eyes of the people, the beautiful Abishag for all intents and purposes was a wife of David. It may have been on the legal technicality that David had never been able to consummate his marriage to Abishag (assuming he had married her), that Adonijah thought he stood a chance to gain her hand. Solomon was concerned about what this marriage might mean in the eyes of the populace. He was not about to allow Adonijah to use Abishag as a stepping-stone to the throne.

One further indication of the conspiratorial designs of the Abishag request is indicated in the immediate mention of Abiathar and Joab in connection with the request (1 Kings 2:22). It almost seems that Solomon had received from his intelligence officers some prior information indicating that another plot was brewing. Be that as it may, Solomon views the petition of Adonijah as conclusive proof of another plot.

Having once been lenient with his elder brother, Solomon was in no mood to further ignore the threat that Adonijah posed to his rule. Before his mother and those who might have been present in the room, He took a solemn oath in the name of God that Adonijah would die that very day. Solomon employed the traditional oath formula which literally translated is: Thus shall God do unto me and thus shall He add. Basically this is a self-imprecation which would fall upon one if he failed to keep his oath. Paraphrased the formula would be: May God do something terrible to me and even worse than that if I fail to perform this deed. Solomon believedand there was good basis for that beliefthat his coming to the throne was an act of God. The Lord had established him on the throne of his father, and furthermore, had made for him a house (1 Kings 2:24). By the latter expression Solomon may be referring to his son Rehoboam who would have been about a year old at this time.[122] To Benaiah, captain of the king’s bodyguard, Solomon gave the execution order. The order was immediately carried out (1 Kings 2:25), the first of a bloody trilogy of executions. Those who look on this deed as an example of the ruthless misuse of royal power and as cold blooded murder should ponder anew the following facts: (1) Had Adonijah’s first rebellion succeeded, both Solomon and his mother would doubtlessly been killed (1 Kings 1:12); (2) by fleeing to the altar following the collapse of his conspiracy, Adonijah was clearly conscious that he deserved the death of a traitor; (3) Solomon displayed the greatest magnanimity towards Adonijah when, instead of executing him, he placed him on probation; (4) Adonijah had been warned that he must show himself to be a worthy man, that if wickedness were found in him, he would be killed (1 Kings 1:52); (5) now so it would appear, Adonijah was seeking anew to wrest the throne from his brother; (6) for Solomon to ignore a second offense might suggest that the king was weak, and such weakness would be an encouragement to sedition throughout the land.

[122] Keil, BCOT, p. 33. Cf. 1 Kings 11:42 with 1 Kings 14:21 and 2 Chronicles 12:13.

1 Kings 2:26-35

D. THE PLIGHT OF OTHER CONSPIRATORS 2:26-35

It would appear that Abiathar and Joab were again involved in the conspiracy to give the throne to Adonijah. At least this is the interpretation which Solomon put on their conduct. Thus it was in conjunction with the execution of Adonijah that Solomon (1) expelled Abiathar from the priesthood (1 Kings 2:26-27); and (2) executed Joab (1 Kings 2:28-35).

1. THE EXPULSION OF ABIATHAR (1 Kings 2:26-27)

**TRANSLATION

(26) Then to Abiathar the priest the king said, Go to Anathoth to your fields, for you are a man of death; but I will not execute you, because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because you suffered all those things which my father suffered. (27) So Solomon expelled Abiathar from being a priest of the LORD to fulfill the word of the LORD which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

COMMENTS**

That the priest Abiathar was again involved in plotting the overthrow of the king is implied in the action taken by Solomon against him. This priest, who on the occasion of the first conspiracy escaped even censure, was summoned to the palace. The king curtly ordered him to retire from the priestly office and to return to his home at Anathoth. The town of Anathoth[123] has been identified with the modern village of Anata, a village just north and east of Jerusalem. As far as Solomon was concerned, Abiathar was worthy of death (lit., a man of death) for his past treasonous conduct. But on account of his associations with David, Solomon was inclined to be lenient with the old priest. Abiathar was responsible for carrying the precious ark of the Lord both when that sacred chest was transported to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15:11)a moment of great joy for Davidand later when the ark accompanied David on his flight from Absalom (2 Samuel 15:24-29). Abiathar had also endured all the afflictions of David during the period of Saul’s persecution as well as the period of Absalom’s rebellion. For these reasons Abiathar was sentenced to banishment rather than death. There is an ominous limitation placed upon the king’s graciousness in the words this day. Solomon is obviously suggesting that Abiathar would forfeit his life if he engaged in any new crimes (1 Kings 2:26).

[123] The later great high priest Hilkiah and Jeremiah the prophet hailed from Anathoth.

With the deposition of Abiathar, the last descendant of the Ithamar branch of the priestly family, the high priesthood reverted to the descendants of Eleazar who was represented in Solomon’s day by Zadok. Solomon’s action fulfilled a prophecy made over a century earlier concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh (1 Kings 2:27). The reference is to 1 Samuel 2:31-36 where Eli was cursed by an unnamed prophet with cessation of the priesthood from his family. Abiathar was of the fifth generation of Eli’s house.

2. THE EXECUTION OF JOAB (1 Kings 2:28-35)

**TRANSLATION

(28) Now the report came unto Joab, for Joab had turned after Adonijah, although after Absalom he had not turned. And Joab fled unto the tent of the LORD, and seized the horns of the altar. (29) When King Solomon was told that Joab had fled unto the tent of the LORD, and that he was there beside the altar, Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go fall on him! (30) And Benaiah went unto the tent of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus the king has said: Come out! And he said, No! But I shall die here. And Benaiah returned the king word, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. (31) And the king said to him, Do as he has spoken! Fall on him, and bury him, that the innocent blood which Joab shed may be removed from upon me and from upon the house of my father. (32) And the LORD will return his blood upon his head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword (and my father David did not know): Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa that son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. (33) Now their blood shall be returned upon the head of Joab and on the head of his seed forever; but for David, his seed, his house and his throne, may there be peace forever from the Lord. (34) and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell on him, and slew him; and he was buried in his house in the wilderness. (35) And the king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada to his place over the host, and Zadok the priest to take the place of Abiathar.

COMMENTS**

When Joab heard of the execution of Adonijah and the deposition of Abiathar, he knew that he would be next on Solomon’s extermination list. Though Joab had not supported Absalom in his rebellion against David, he had lent his support, influence and prestige to the ill-fated conspiracy of Adonijah. Realizing that his treason was a capital crime, Joab fled to the tent of the Lord on Mt. Zion and clasped the horns of the altar (1 Kings 2:28) where he thought he would find sanctuary as Adonijah had found before him (1 Kings 1:50). Since the altar provided no sanctuary to murderers, it cannot be because of his two assassinations that Joab fled there. These crimes had so long remained unpunished that Joab had no doubt pushed them to the back of his mind. It was because of his political intrigue that Joab expected to incur the wrath of the king. But if Joab had rendered loyal, albeit somewhat grudging, support to Solomon since the coronation of the king, why did he now flee? Perhaps his flight was an indication that Joab had been involved in the second conspiracy. It is an ancient belief that Joab suggested to Adonijah the plan of marriage with Abishag.[124]

[124] Hammond, PC., p. 41.

Solomon, regarding Joab’s flight to the altar as proof of his continuing treasonous intentions, ordered Benaiah to go and slay the old general (1 Kings 2:29). Finding Adonijah still clutching the horns of the altar, Benaiah in the name of the king ordered Joab to come away from the altar. Probably Solomon had given orders to Benaiah to avoid if possible profaning that sacred spot with bloodshed. But Joab refused to leave the altar. Did Joab imagine that Solomon would finally relent and that he would escape with his life? Or was he resigned to death and determined because of superstition to die at that spot? Or could his motive have been one of defiance, thinking that if he forced Solomon to profane that holy spot the king would lose popular support? Joab then would accomplish in his death what he had failed to accomplish in his life. While it is impossible to say with certainty, it would seem that Joab was clutching at straws and hoping against hope that his life might be spared. To cling to that altar, he thought, was his only chance. Because of this unexpected development Benaiah sought further instructions from his king (1 Kings 2:30).

Good reasons existed for denying sanctuary to Joab at the altar, and Solomon spelled out those reasons in 1 Kings 2:31-33.

Since the altar provided no sanctuary for murderers (Exodus 21:14), and since Joab was to be executed as a murderer, Solomon ordered Benaiah to comply with Joab’s wishes and slay him at the altar. To attempt to drag Joab away from the altar would have created an ugly stir and might have led to a bloody encounter with some of Joab’s numerous friends. After the execution, Benaiah was immediately to bury Joab’s corpse thus removing it from the sanctuary it defiled and hiding it away from public view.

Only by the shedding of Joab’s guilty blood could the innocent blood of Abner and Amasa be washed away from me and from the house of my father (1 Kings 2:31). Solomon must have had in mind such passages as Numbers 35:33[125]

[125] See also Deuteronomy 19:10; Deuteronomy 19:13; Deuteronomy 21:9.

So you shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood defiles the land; and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed in it except by the blood of him that shed it.

As supreme magistrate of the land, Solomon felt an obligation to avenge the death of murder victims. Should the blood of Abner and Amasa go unavenged, Solomon felt that he and his sons might have to answer for it. In so ordering the death of Joab, Solomon considered that he was acting as an agent of God. He was fulfilling a religious duty. The blood that Joab had shed would be returned upon his head, i.e., avenged. As if the execution of Joab needed any further justification, Solomon added that the victims of Joab’s sword were better men than their assassin. Though many people, no doubt, suspected David of criminal complicity in these murders, the deeds were actually done without his knowledge, much less his approval (1 Kings 2:32).

Not only would Joab die for his crime, his descendants would suffer for it as well. David had placed Joab under a curse on the day he slew Abner, and Joab’s children were included in that curse (2 Samuel 3:29). A man’s children often suffer for the sins he commits. If nothing worse befell the children of Joab, they would never be able to forget that their father had died the death of a murderer. But by avenging the death of the innocent, the stain of blood (obligation to punish) would be removed from the house of David. This being the case, the descendants of David would prosper (1 Kings 2:33). The amazing thing in 1 Kings 2:31-33 is that Solomon never mentions any personal motives for ordering Joab’s execution. His motives are so free of malice and revenge that he confidently expects God’s blessing upon his decision!

Having received royal authorization to slay Joab in the Tabernacle, Benaiah hastened back up to Gibeon to perform the deed. It is ironical that it was in this very town that Joab had committed the second of his two murders (2 Samuel 20:8). All those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword (Matthew 26:52).

Joab’s burial was somewhat unusual in that he was buried in the courtyard of his own house which was located near Bethlehem in the wilderness (open country) of Judah (1 Kings 2:34). It was considered an honor in ancient Israel to make one’s house a mausoleum. This honor, which was accorded to Samuel (1 Samuel 25:1), was also accorded to Joab in recognition of his service to his country.

With Joab and Abiathar removed from the scene, Solomon consolidated his power by placing his friends Benaiah and Zadok in the positions of commander of the host and high priest respectively (1 Kings 2:35). The Zadokites remained in control of the high priesthood until 171 B.C. when Menelaus who was not even a descendant of Aaron bought appointment to the office.[126]

[126] 2Ma. 4:24.

1 Kings 2:36-46

III. SHEMEI’S THOUGHTLESS CHALLENGE OF SOLOMON’S AUTHORITY 2:36-46

**TRANSLATION

(36) Now the king sent and called for Shimei, and he said to him, Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem, and dwell there; but do not go out from there anywhere. (37) For it shall come to pass in the day you go out, and cross over the brook Kidron, you shall know for certain that you will surely die, and your blood will be upon your own head. (38) And Shimei said to the king, The word is good. As my lord the king has spoken, thus shall your servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. (39) But it came to pass at the end of three years, that two servants of Shimei fled unto Achish, son of Maachah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold your servants are in Gath. (40) And Shimei arose, saddled his ass, and went to Gath unto Achish to seek his servants. Then Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. (41) Then it was related to Solomon, that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned. (42) And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not swear to you by the LORD, and witness against you, saying, In the day that you go out, and travel anywhere you can know for certain that you will surely die? And you said, Good is the word I have heard. (43) Now why have you not kept the oath of the LORD, and the obligation which I set upon you? (44) And the king said unto Shimei, You know all the evil which your heart admits, which you did to David my father; now the LORD shall return your evil upon your head. (45) But King Solomon is blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD forever. (46) So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out, and fell upon him so that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

COMMENTS**

Even though Shimei had recently been with Solomon (see comments on 1 Kings 2:8), his earlier bitter outburst against David made Solomon suspicious of him. Shimei was summoned to the palace and ordered to build a new home in Jerusalem and to thereafter remain in the capital (1 Kings 2:36). Solomon wanted to keep Shimei under surveillance; he also wished to neutralize his considerable influence in his tribe of Benjamin. In the most specific and emphatic terms, Solomon warned Shimei that should he ever leave the city for any reason, he would be executed for his past crime against the crown. Specifically Solomon mentioned crossing the brook Kidron east of Jerusalem, for that would be the direction that Shimei might be expected to go in an effort to return to his home at Bahurim just over the Mt. of Olives. It was Solomon’s intention to keep Shimei isolated from his kinsmen of the tribe of Benjamin, who had spearheaded the revolt against David under Sheba (2 Samuel 20). Having been clearly warned, Shimei would be responsible for his own death should he venture out of the city (1 Kings 2:37). Shimei indicated his willingness to comply with the terms of the probation, and so he did for many days (1 Kings 2:38). The sentence was better than he deserved and probably better than he had expected especially in view of the fact that Solomon was not bound by the oath of his father to refrain from slaying Shimei (2 Samuel 19:23).

After three years of probation in Jerusalem, an incident occurred which was to cost Shimei his life. Two of Shimei’s slaves ran away and took refuge with Achish, king of Gath (1 Kings 2:39). This is probably the grandson of the Achish with whom David took refuge more than forty years earlier. Learning the whereabouts of his slaves, Shimei immediately set out for Gath to retrieve them (1 Kings 2:40). The text indicates no secrecy on the part of Shimei either in going from or returning to Jerusalem. Why did he then place his life in jeopardy: Had he forgotten the stern warning which Solomon had given him? Did he think Solomon had forgotten? Did he feel that an exception would be made in view of the rather substantial loss he had incurred in the flight of two salves? Shimei appears to be a man who acted on impulse. Probably he never gave the terms of his probation a second thought until the day he was summoned to the palace.

It was not long before Shimei’s violation was reported to Solomon either by his own secret service agency, or by enemies of Shimei (1 Kings 2:41). Shimei was summoned to the palace and interrogated by the king. Here it comes out for the first time that Solomon had bound Shimei by an oath to keep the conditions of the probation (1 Kings 2:42). A three-fold charge was brought against the man: (1) He had profaned the name of God by violating a solemn oath taken in His name (cf. Leviticus 19:12); (2) he had violated the terms of his probation, thus disregarding the commands of the king (1 Kings 2:43); and (3) he had cursed and blasphemed the Lord’s anointed, David. For these transgressions Shimei was about to receive divine recompense at the hands of Solomon (1 Kings 2:44). By executing Shimei, Solomon was acting in the service of God and fully expected that God would be pleased with his action and bless him accordingly (1 Kings 2:45). Thus with no further hesitation, Solomon ordered Benaiah to execute Shimei. By swiftly eliminating his potential antagonists Adonijah, Abiathar, Joab and Shimei, Solomon firmly established himself as king.