Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 2:22
And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he [is] mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
22. and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah ] These two having aided Adonijah in his attempt on the throne, would naturally have been his chief ministers and advisers had he succeeded. So Solomon includes them with him, and thus Bath-sheba may see whither the design of Adonijah is tending.
The Vulgate renders the clause ‘even for him’ (literally and for him) in a different sense, ‘et habet Abiathar, &c.’ making the words imply that Adonijah is already equipped with advisers for the kingdom at which he is aiming.
The LXX. has ‘And he has Abiathar and Joab the son of Zeruiah, the chief captain as his friend’ ( ). The last word of the Hebrew text is . It would seem as though the LXX. had read after this or , = his friend, which is not very unlike the final letters of the present Hebrew. Whether there was some word there which has fallen out or the version is the result of a misreading we cannot be sure. There is, without doubt, some awkwardness in the text as it now stands.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ask for him the kingdom also – Bath-sheba had not seen anything dangerous or suspicious in Adonijahs request. Solomon, on the contrary, takes alarm at once. To ask for Abishag was to ask for the kingdom. To the Oriental mind a monarch was so sacred, that whatever was brought near to him was thenceforth separate from common use. This sacred and separate character attached especially to the Royal harem. The inmates either remained widows for the rest of their lives, or became the wives of the deceased kings successor. When a monarch was murdered, or dethroned, or succeeded by one whose title was doubtful, the latter alternative was almost always adopted (compare 2Sa 12:8; 2Sa 16:22). Public opinion so closely connected the title to the crown and the possession of the deceased monarchs wives, that to have granted Adonijahs request would have been the strongest encouragement to his pretensions. Solomon, seeing this, assumes that Adonijah cherishes a guilty purpose, that there has been a fresh plot, that Abiathar and Joab – Adonijahs counselors in the former conspiracy 1Ki 1:7 – are privy to it, and that the severest measures are necessary to crush the new treason.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Ask for him the kingdom also: his design is not upon Abishag, but upon the kingdom; which, by this means, he thinks to recover; partly because she was the last kings wife, or concubine, which might strengthen his pretence to the crown; see 2Sa 3:7; 12:8; 16:21; and partly because by her eminent beauty, and near relation to David, she had a powerful interest in the court.
Quest. Was not this too harsh a censure, and the following punishment of it too severe?
Answ. 1. That Adonijah had such a design is very probable, both from his temper, for he was an aspiring and designing man, and highly discontented with Solomons government, and desirous of a change; and from the nature of the thing, because he would not have made so daring and presumptuous a request, if he had not some great design in it.
2. It is very likely from the following words, though not expressed, that he, and Joab, and Abiathar were engaged in some design against Solomon, and that Solomon had got information of it; and therefore he did and might reasonably take this for an indication, and the first overt act of his treason.
3. Solomon did not pardon Adonijahs treason simply and absolutely, but upon condition that he carried himself worthily, 1Ki 1:52; and this being confessedly a bold and unworthy action, and arguing more confidence and presumption than became him, and carrying in it the appearance and intention of an incestuous marriage, he might justly revive his guilt, and take this occasion to execute the sentence which he formerly deserved. If it be said, That it is very improbable that Adonijah should expect to get the kingdom from Solomon, who was so firmly established in it with universal applause; it may be answered, That Adonijah was not the only man that hath fed himself with vain hopes, and engaged himself in high and treasonable designs, where to other wise men there was but little likelihood of success; and that he might now be only laying the foundation of what he further intended, when he saw a fit time, and getting a pretence for his future attempts upon the crown; either when Solomon should lose the peoples affections, as David had done; or when Solomon should die, which also Adonijah might secretly procure and hasten; and he had only Solomons young and tender son to contest with. All which, and many other things, Solomon in his great wisdom might easily discern; yea, or have some secret intelligence of, though it be not recorded.
He is mine elder brother; he looks upon the kingdom as his by nature and birthright, and the law of nations; and therefore he may seek to recover his own, and to cast me out as a usurper.
And for Abiathar and for Joab; who have all a hand in the plot, though he alone appear in it; which appears the more likely, because of Solomon proceeding against them all at the same time, as appears in the following verses.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
22. why dost thou ask Abishag . . .ask for him the kingdom also(See on 2Sa16:5; also see on 2Sa 12:8).Solomon’s indignation was roused; he in a moment penetrated theartful scheme, and from his associating the names of Abiathar andJoab, he seems to have suspected or known that those deep schemershad been the prompters of Adonijah.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And King Solomon answered and said unto his mother,…. With as much gentleness and mildness as he could, but inwardly fired at her request, and amazed at it, and could not forbear using some degree of tartness and resentment:
and why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? is this a small petition? is this a fit and lawful one?
ask for him the kingdom also; for this is what he means by it, that by marrying the king’s widow he may step into the throne whenever any opportunity offers, as any uneasiness, or insurrection in the kingdom, or the death of Solomon; for none but a king, the Jews say b, might marry a king’s widow, not any private man; and therefore for Adonijah to ask this was interpreted affecting the kingdom, and aspiring to it, and taking his measures to obtain it; yea, it is said c, that none but another king, the successor, might make use of his servants, handmaids, and ministers; and it is observed, that Abishag was free to Solomon, but not to Adonijah:
for he [is] mine elder brother; and has that to plead in his favour, and if he could obtain this, it would strengthen his title, or at least be a plausible pretence, which he might make use of, when opportunity served, to gain the people to his interest:
even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah; she might as well ask for them as for him; whose interest it was, and therefore desirous it might be that he should be king, that so the one might be continued in the office of high priest, and the other as general of the army; who, Solomon knew, bore him no good will, but were secretly his enemies; and he suspected that this was a scheme of theirs, and that it was by their advice Adonijah made this request; so the Targum,
“are not he, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the son of Zeruiah, in the counsel?”
in this counsel; it is what they had consulted among themselves as a preparation to bring about a design they are contriving; probably Solomon had private notice that they were plotting against him, and this confirmed him in the truth of it; and therefore all of them were upon this punished with deprivation of office, or loss of life.
b Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 2. c Maimon. Hilchot Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
C. THE PUNISHMENT ORDERED BY SOLOMON 2:2225
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 Adonijahs request, Solomon was not. He exploded with anger when he heard his mothers request. Rhetorically he asked Why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Commentators through the years have addressed themselves to Solomons 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 sons 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 (2Sa. 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 Davids harem (2Sa. 16:22).[121] In public opinion there existed a close connection between the title to the crown and possession of the deceased monarchs 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 (2Sa. 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 Davids 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; Lev. 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 (1Ki. 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 (1Ki. 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 kings bodyguard, Solomon gave the execution order. The order was immediately carried out (1Ki. 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 Adonijahs first rebellion succeeded, both Solomon and his mother would doubtlessly been killed (1Ki. 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 (1Ki. 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. 1Ki. 11:42 with 1Ki. 14:21 and 2Ch. 12:13.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(22) And why dost thou ask?In Solomons answer there is a certain bitterness, venting itself in irony, which seems to argue the mingling with kingly dignity and policy of some passionate feeling, not unlike the bursts of passion in his father, as in the case of Nabal (1Sa. 25:21-22). It certainly gives some probability to the conjecture (see Note on 1:3) that Abishag was the fair Shulamite of the Song of Solomon, already loved by the youthful king. In his wrath he infers, rightly or wrongly, that the hand of the conspirators is seen in this petition, and executes vengeance accordingly, summarily and without giving them any trial or opportunity of excusing themselves.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
22. Ask for him the kingdom also To marry Abishag, who was virtually a concubine of the deceased king, (see note on chap. 1Ki 1:3,) was ostensibly to invade the royal harem, and thus assume royal prerogatives. So in the case of Absalom. See note on 2Sa 12:8 ; 2Sa 16:21. The wary Solomon detects at once the far-reaching plot of his rival brother, and at once implicates him with Joab and Abiathar in a conspiracy against his throne. We have, indeed, no evidence that these three had entered together into such conspiracy, but it is not improbable that they had concerted with each other, and concluded if Abishag were but granted in marriage to Adonijah, the right of the latter to the kingdom would be tacitly acknowledged, and the way opened for successful rebellion.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 2:22. Ask for him the kingdom also That is, “Ask, I say, the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah, by whose counsel he endeavours to invade the kingdom:” which is as much as to say, “If Abishag be given to him, all the people will conclude that the kingdom belongs to him.” The Hebrews say, it is not lawful for any man to take a woman who has belonged to a king, unless he be a king. It is evident from the 28th verse, (where we are told that Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom,) that he was privy to this counsel, and therefore as conscious of his guilt, he fled to the horns of the altar; and as Solomon, doubtless, very well knew the evil purposes of Adonijah and his brother conspirators, no imputation of cruelty can be laid against him for taking off an incorrigible rebel. Adonijah indeed, had he lived under our constitution, would have had a fair hearing before conviction. But we should remember, that in the kingdoms of the East, the government was absolute, and the power of life or death entirely in the prince; so that Solomon, without the formality of any process, could pronounce his brother dead: and because he conceived that, in cases of this nature, delays were dangerous, he might send immediately and have him dispatched; though we cannot but say, that it had been more to his commendation, had he shewed more clemency, and spared his life.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
1Ki 2:22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he [is] mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
Ver. 22. Ask for him the kingdom also. ] For that is it he gapes after, and seeks to strengthen his cracked title by marrying the late king’s concubine, see 2Sa 3:7 ; 2Sa 12:8 ; 2Sa 16:21 who was likely grown very gracious with the great ones, and as potent at court, as was once here Dame Alice Pierce, King Edward III’s concubine, who did whatsoever she pleased.
And for Abiathar the priest and for Joab.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
why dost: Mat 20:22, Mar 10:38, Jam 4:3
the kingdom: 1Ki 1:5-7, 1Ki 1:11, 1Ki 1:24, 1Ki 1:25
Reciprocal: 1Sa 18:8 – and what 2Sa 3:7 – gone in 2Sa 12:8 – thy master’s wives 2Sa 16:21 – unto thy 1Ki 1:7 – following Adonijah helped him 1Ki 1:21 – offenders Mar 2:26 – Abiathar
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ki 2:22. Ask for him the kingdom also His design is not upon Abishag, but upon the kingdom; which by this means he hopes to recover. That Adonijah had such a design is very probable, says Poole, both from his temper, for he was an aspiring and designing man, highly discontented with Solomons government, and desirous of a change; and from the nature of the thing, because he would not have made so daring and presumptuous a request, if he had not had some great design in it. For he is my elder brother And therefore looks on the kingdom as his by birthright, and the law of nations, and thinks he may lawfully endeavour to recover his own, and cast me out as a usurper; to accomplish which the seeking Abishag to wife is the first step. Even for him, and for Abiathar and Joab It is very likely, says the author last quoted, though not expressed, that he, and Joab, and Abiathar, were engaged in some design against Solomon, and that Solomon had obtained information of it; and therefore he did, and reasonably might, take this attempt of Adonijah to obtain Abishag, for an indication, and the first overt act of his treason.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2:22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the {l} kingdom also; for he [is] mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
(l) Meaning, that if he would have granted Abishag, who was so dear to his father, he would later have aspired for the kingdom.