Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 1:49
And all the guests that [were] with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.
i.e. The way to his own house, lest they should be discovered and taken.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And all the guests that [were] with Adonijah [were] afraid,…. Though many of them were military men, the general of the army, and the captains thereof, 1Ki 1:19; yet they were struck with a panic, their courage failed them, they had no spirit left in them, their hearts became as weak as water; had they exerted themselves according to their character, betaken themselves to arms, and put themselves at the head of their troops in favour of Adonijah, it would have given Solomon and his friends a great deal of trouble; no doubt this panic was of God:
and rose up, and went every man his way; or to his house, as the Arabic version; on hearing what Jonathan reported, they immediately rose up from table in great haste, and made the best of their way to their houses, that it might not be known that they had been with Adonijah.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The news spread terror. All the guests of Adonijah fled, every man his way. Adonijah himself sought refuge from Solomon at the horns of the altar. The altar was regarded from time immemorial and among all nations as a place of refuge for criminals deserving of death; but, according to Exo 21:14, in Israel it was only allowed to afford protection in cases of unintentional slaying, and for these special cities of refuge were afterwards provided (Num 35). In the horns of the altar, as symbols of power and strength, there was concentrated the true significance of the altar as a divine place, from which there emanated both life and health (see at Exo 27:19). By grasping the horns of the altar the culprit placed himself under the protection of the saving and helping grace of God, which wipes away sin, and thereby abolishes punishment (see Bhr, Symbolik des Mos. Cult. i. p. 474). The question to what altar Adonijah fled, whether to the altar at the ark of the covenant in Zion, or to the one at the tabernacle at Gibeon, or to the one built by David on the threshing-floor of Araunah, cannot be determined with certainty. It was probably to the first of these, however, as nothing is said about a flight to Gibeon, and with regard to the altar of Araunah it is not certain that it was provided with horns like the altars of the two sanctuaries.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(49) And all the guests.Nothing is more striking than the sudden and humiliating collapse of the attempt of Adonijah, strongly supported as it was by Joab and Abiathar, in contrast with the formidable character of the rebellion of Absalom. This is another indication that the royal power had been greatly consolidated during the last peaceful years of Davids reign. Perhaps, moreover, the usurpation of Adonijah, not being viewed as a rebellion against David, but only a presumption on his favour, was accordingly crushed at once by the expression of his will. It is strange that of all the conspirators Adonijah alone seems to have feared punishment at this time; his accomplices, the other conspirators, are apparently allowed to disperse in safety, and their rebellion is ignored.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
1Ki 1:49 And all the guests that [were] with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.
Ver. 49. And all the guests. ] Who had now nothing so good cheer as Solomon’s guests, praise at parting; those that erewhile fed without fear, are now in great horror, the traitor’s raced.
Were afraid, and rose up, and went, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Pro 28:1, Isa 21:4, Isa 21:5, Dan 5:4-6