Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 1:38
So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.
38. the Cherethites and the Pelethites ] The former of these names is found 1Sa 30:14 as the name of a people to the south of the Philistines. Hence it has been held by some that the second name, Pelethites, must also be of the same character, and that probably it is connected with the word ‘Philistine.’ It seems not impossible that David from his early residence in the country of the Philistines may have attached a body of men to him from among those peoples and constituted them his first body-guard (Josephus calls them ), which while retaining their old title would after the king’s accession be recruited from any of his most trusty supporters. We need not suppose therefore that though called by the old name they were largely composed of aliens. The older interpretations, connecting the words with Hebrew verbs, have been ‘executioners and runners’; and the Targum interprets them as ‘archers and slingers’ and in one place as ‘nobles and common soldiers.’ They are clearly to be identified with ‘the mighty men’ mentioned in 1Ki 1:8 as not being with Adonijah.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada,…. The three men that David sent for on this occasion:
and the Cherethites and the Pelethites; not the sanhedrim, as Ben Gersom, but David’s guards, over whom Benaiah was: these
went down; from Jerusalem;
and caused Solomon to ride upon King David’s mule; as he had ordered:
and brought him to Gihon; or Siloah, as the Targum; hence the Jews say e, they do not anoint a king but at a fountain; but this is the only instance of it.
e T. Bab. Ceritot, fol. 5. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The anointing of Solomon was carried out immediately, as the king had commanded. On the Crethi and Plethi see at 2Sa 8:18. “The oil-horn out of the tent” (i.e., a vessel made of horn and containing oil) was no doubt one which held the holy anointing oil, with which the priests and the vessels of the sanctuary were anointed (see Exo 30:22.). The tent ( ), however, is not the tabernacle at Gibeon, but the tent set up by David for the ark of the covenant upon Mount Zion (2Sa 6:17). For even though Zadok was appointed high priest at the tabernacle at Gibeon, and Abiathar, who held with Adonijah, at the ark of the covenant, the two high priests were not so unfriendly towards one another, that Zadok could not have obtained admission to the ark of the covenant in Abiathar’s absence to fetch away the anointing oil.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
B. THE ANOINTING OF SOLOMON 1:3840
TRANSLATION
(38) So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down, and they caused Solomon to ride upon the mule of the king, and brought him to Gihon. (39) Now Zadok the priest had taken the horn of the oil from the tent, and he anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, May King Solomon live! (40) And all the people went up after him, and the people were piping with pipes and greatly rejoicing; and the earth rent with their sound.
COMMENTS
In short order Zadok, Nathan[99] and Benaiah organized the coronation processional. The Cherethites and Pelethitesthe royal palace guardprovided armed escort for the brief march to Gihon (1Ki. 1:38). These troops were of foreign extraction, probably Philistine. While the function of these soldiers is evident, the precise origin and meaning of the terms Cherethite and Pelethite are subject to dispute.
[99] The prophets from Samuel (1Sa. 10:1; 1Sa. 16:13) to Elisha (2Ki. 9:1-6) had a prominent part in designating and rejecting kings. Nathan thus conferred on Solomon the authority of prophetic designation.
At Gihon Zadok took a horn of the holy anointing oil which he secured from the tabernacle on Mt. Zion (2Sa. 6:17) and ceremoniously poured it over the head of Solomon. The holy anointing oil had been compounded in the days of Moses of special ingredients (Exo. 30:23-25). It was preserved in the Tabernacle for just such occasions. Jewish tradition says this special oil lasted until the days of the Babylonian captivity. As the oil trickled down the bearded face of Solomon, the coronation trumpet sounded and the great throng which had been attracted by the processional shouted their approval of the transaction: May King Solomon live! (1Ki. 1:39). Solomon returned to Mt. Zion and the palace in triumph with hundreds, perhaps thousands, following behind singing and playing their pipes. The ground seemed to rumble as in an earthquake because of the noise generated by the jubilant throng (1Ki. 1:40).
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(38) The Cherethites, and the Pelethites.See 2Sa. 8:18; 2Sa. 15:28; 2Sa. 20:7; 2Sa. 20:23. The body-guard-perhaps of foreign troopsthe executioners and runners (as some render them) to carry out the Kings commands.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
38. Cherethites, and the Pelethites See note on 2Sa 8:18.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 1:38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.
Ver. 38. And brought him to Gihon. ] See on 1Ki 1:33 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Zadok: 1Ki 1:8, 1Ki 1:26
the Cherethites: 1Sa 30:14, 2Sa 8:18, 2Sa 15:18, 2Sa 20:20-23, 1Ch 18:17, Zep 2:5
king David’s: 1Ki 1:33
Reciprocal: Gen 36:24 – found 2Sa 20:7 – General 2Sa 23:20 – Benaiah 1Ki 1:32 – Zadok 1Ch 11:22 – Benaiah 2Ch 32:30 – Gihon