1 Kings 1

This is the first chapter of 1 Kings. Continuing from 2 Samuel, it covers the last days of David and opens with a struggle over who will succeed him on the throne.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 When the aged David cannot keep warm, his servants bring Abishag the Shunammite to attend him. The king does not have relations with her.
• Verses 5–10 Adonijah the son of Haggith declares that he will be king and prepares chariots, horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. Joab and Abiathar the priest support him, but Zadok, Benaiah, and Nathan do not side with him. Adonijah holds a feast by the stone of Zoheleth near En-rogel but does not invite those on Solomon's side.
• Verses 11–27 Following Nathan's plan, Bathsheba reminds David of his oath to make Solomon his successor; Nathan then comes in and reports Adonijah's feast.
• Verses 28–37 David declares that he will act according to his oath and orders that Solomon be set on his own mule, brought down to Gihon, and anointed there. Benaiah answers, "Amen."
• Verses 38–40 Zadok anoints Solomon with a horn of oil taken from the tabernacle. The trumpet (a ram's horn) is blown, and the people shout, "God save king Solomon."
• Verses 41–49 Jonathan the son of Abiathar arrives at the feast and reports that Solomon has been made king, and Adonijah's guests disperse.
• Verses 50–53 Adonijah takes hold of the horns of the altar to save his life. Solomon promises to spare him if he shows himself a worthy man and sends him home.

Key Verses

• 1 Kings 1:30 "Solomon thy son shall reign after me … even so will I certainly do this day." Here David personally settles the question of succession.
• 1 Kings 1:39 "Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon." This passage gives a concrete description of the rite of anointing by which a king was installed.

People and Places

• David, Solomon, Bathsheba, Nathan, Joab
• Adonijah: son of David and Haggith, born after Absalom. In 2 Samuel 3:4 he is listed as the fourth son born to David in Hebron.
• Zadok and Abiathar: priests in the time of David.
• Benaiah: son of Jehoiada and one of David's mighty men.
• Abishag: the Shunammite woman who attended David.
• The Cherethites and Pelethites: a group known as David's bodyguard.
• Gihon and En-rogel: springs near Jerusalem.

Points to Consider

• David's oath, mentioned in verses 13, 17, and 30, is not recorded anywhere in the earlier narrative. It is usually read as an oath David actually made, though some scholars interpret it differently in connection with Nathan's plan.
• Scholars sometimes group 2 Samuel 9–20 together with this chapter and chapter 2 under the name "Succession Narrative."
• Taking hold of the horns of the altar is understood as a customary means of seeking protection. Adonijah's story continues in 1 Kings 2.
• In the New Testament, Solomon appears in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:6–7). Some interpreters connect this scene with the Messiah, a title meaning "anointed one," or read Solomon's riding on a mule in light of the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.