Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 2:15
And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and [that] all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s: for it was his from the LORD.
15. Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine ] He means that as the eldest living son of David, he could rightly claim it. Thus he in a way apologizes for his previous attempt to secure the succession to himself.
set their faces on me ] They looked forward to my accession and were resolved on bringing it about. Comp. Jer 42:17 ‘the men that set their faces to go down into Egypt shall die.’ Adonijah would thus also make it appear that the voice and goodwill of the people had been on his side.
for it was his from the Lord ] He professes his resignation to what has happened, and ascribes it to the Divine will that he may the better cloak his desires and intentions. Perhaps ‘it became his from the Lord’ would give the force of his words better. It is to be noted how, as if in friendship, he speaks of Solomon as his brother.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 15. Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine] It certainly was his by the right of primogeniture, and it was his by the voice of the people, and the consent of the high priest. But there was a right paramount to all these, the right of God; it was his kingdom; the kings were his lieutenants, and he had a right to give the crown to whomsoever he pleased, and he was pleased to give it to Solomon.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The kingdom was mine, both by birthright and by actual inauguration. It seems he could not yet forget his pretence to the crown, nor his ambition for it, but continues his claim; which, it seems, Solomon did apprehend and resent, though Bath-sheba did not; the wives and concubines of the late king being reputed to appertain to the successor. See 2Sa 12:8.
All Israel set their faces on me; they looked upon me as their king, and Davids successor, expecting that David should confirm my election.
The kingdom is turned about; translated from me to him, by the vicissitude of human affairs, and the changeable humour of the people.
It was his from the Lord; either, first, By Gods providence so disposing Davids mind, and the peoples hearts. Or rather, secondly, By Gods appointment and particular designation, wherein he would seem to acquiesce; which he mentions, not that he made any conscience of it, or had any regard to it; but only that by this pretence he might deceive both her and Solomon, as if he were far from any design of usurping the kingdom.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And he said, thou knowest that the kingdom was mine,…. Belonged to him by virtue of his birthright; he was heir to it, being the eldest son:
and [that] all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign; which was not true; for, as Bathsheba says, the body of the people were in suspense, their eyes being on David, waiting to hear whom he would declare his successor; and when Solomon was declared and anointed, vast numbers attended him; unless Adonijah thought that the high priest, and general of the army, with the captains, represented the whole people; however this he observes by way of preface, to show how unhappy he was, being disappointed, and to move the compassion of Bathsheba, that she might be the more easily prevailed upon to seek to obtain so small a favour as he was about to ask:
howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s; things had taken another turn, and what was his, and he thought himself sure of the other day, was now become his brother’s; such were the uncertainty and vicissitude of human affairs:
for it was his from the Lord; by the appointment of the Lord, by a promise of his, and a prophecy concerning it; which if he knew of, it was both vain and sinful in him to act contrary thereunto; or it was brought about by the overruling providence of God, which he now plainly saw and submitted to; this he said to show that he had laid aside all hopes of the kingdom, and was fully satisfied of the disposition of it in Providence, and so to hide his real design in the petition he was about to make.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(15) Thou knowest.Adonijahs words show craft, flattering Bath-sheba by extolling her influence, and making merit of his surrender to Solomon, in obedience to the Lords decree, of a kingdom which, in evident contradiction to fact, he asserts to have been destined to him by popular desire. The petition, however, apparently harmless, and (since Abishag was concubine of David only in name) involving nothing unnatural, had perhaps a covert design: for, by universal Eastern custom, to take a kings wives was the known privilege or duty of his successor. Hence the counsel, most unseemly but still probably politic, given by Ahithophel to Absalom (2Sa. 16:21). If, therefore, Adonijah had publicly espoused Abishag, it might have seemed a virtual renewal of his claim to the crown. This Solomon sees at once, though Bath-sheba, strangely enough, does not see it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
15. The kingdom was mine By the right of primogeniture.
All Israel set their faces on me A multitude of people had followed the ambitious youth, as we may learn from chapter 1Ki 1:9; but it was a stretching beyond the bounds of truth to call that seditious crowd all Israel.
It was his from the Lord By these cautious words he seeks to allay suspicion, and win the favour of Bathsheba.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 2:15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and [that] all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s: for it was his from the LORD.
Ver. 15. Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, ] viz., By right of succession, I being the eldest son now alive, see 1Ki 1:6 and chosen by the people too. 1Ki 1:25
Howbeit the kingdom is turned about.
“ Ludit in humanis divina potentia rebus. ”
For it was his from the Lord.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Thou knowest: 1Ki 1:5, 1Ki 1:25, 2Sa 15:6, 2Sa 15:13, 2Sa 16:18
for it was: 2Sa 7:12, 2Sa 12:24, 1Ch 22:9, 1Ch 22:10, 1Ch 28:5-7, Pro 21:30, Jer 27:5-8, Dan 2:22
Reciprocal: 1Ki 1:21 – offenders 1Ki 1:35 – I have 2Ki 9:17 – Is it peace 1Ch 14:4 – Solomon
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2:15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and [that] all Israel {i} set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s: for it was his from the LORD.
(i) In sign of their favour and consent.