Commentaria in III Regum
Chapter 1. Synopsis of the Chapter
A young wife is sought for David, now old and cold. Verse 5: Adonias aspires to the kingdom and seizes it, helped by Abiathar the high priest and Joab the commander of the army. But at the prayers of Bethsabee, verse 30, David orders Solomon to be anointed and crowned king by Sadoc the priest, Nathan the prophet and Banaias the captain. Wherefore Adonias flees to the altar; but Solomon sends him back to his house.
1. And king David was old, and advanced in years: and when he was covered with clothes, he gat no heat. 2. His servants therefore said to him: Let us seek for our lord the king a young virgin, and let her stand before the king, and cherish him, and sleep in his bosom, and warm our lord the king. 3. So they sought for a beautiful young woman in all the coasts of Israel, and found Abisag a Sunamitess, and brought her to the king. 4. And the maid was exceedingly beautiful, and she slept with the king, and served him: but the king knew her not. 5. And Adonias the son of Haggith lifted himself up, saying: I will be king. And he got him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6. And his father would not rebuke him at any time, saying: Why didst thou do this? And he was exceedingly handsome, the second born after Absalom. 7. And his discourse was with Joab the son of Sarvia, and with Abiathar the priest, who helped the party of Adonias. 8. But Sadoc the priest, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Semei, and Rei, and the strength of David’s army, were not with Adonias. 9. And Adonias, having immolated rams and calves and all fatlings by the stone Zoheleth, which was near the fountain Rogel, called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Juda the king’s servants. 10. But Nathan the prophet, and Banaias, and all the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not. 11. And Nathan said to Bethsabee the mother of Solomon: Hast thou not heard that Adonias the son of Haggith reigneth, and our lord David knoweth it not? 12. Now therefore come, take my counsel, and save thy own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. 13. Go, and get thee in to king David, and say to him: Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear to me thy handmaid, saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? Why then doth Adonias reign? 14. And as thou art yet speaking there with the king, I will come in after thee, and fulfil thy words. 15. And Bethsabee went in to the king into his chamber: and the king was very old, and Abisag the Sunamitess ministered to him. 16. And Bethsabee bowed herself, and worshipped the king. And the king said to her: What wilt thou? 17. And she answering said: My lord, thou didst swear by the Lord thy God to thy handmaid: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne. 18. And behold now Adonias reigneth, and thou, my lord the king, knowest nothing of it. 19. He hath killed oxen, and fatlings, and many rams, and hath called all the king’s sons, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the general of the army: but Solomon thy servant he hath not called. 20. Nevertheless, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou mayest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21. And it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be sinners. 22. And while she was yet speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came. 23. And they told the king, saying: Nathan the prophet is here. And when he had come in before the king, and had worshipped him, bowing down to the ground, 24. Nathan said: My lord, O king, hast thou said: Let Adonias reign after me, and let him sit upon my throne? 25. For he is gone down today, and hath killed oxen, and fatlings, and many rams, and hath called all the king’s sons, and the captains of the army, and Abiathar the priest: and they are eating and drinking before him, and saying: Long live king Adonias! 26. But me thy servant, and Sadoc the priest, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and thy servant Solomon, he hath not called. 27. Is this word gone out from my lord the king, and hast thou not told me thy servant, who should sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him? 28. And king David answered, and said: Call Bethsabee to me. And when she was come in before the king, and stood before him, 29. the king swore, and said: As the Lord liveth, who hath delivered my soul out of all distress, 30. as I swore to thee by the Lord the God of Israel, saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead: so will I do this day. 31. And Bethsabee, bowing with her face to the earth, worshipped the king, saying: May my lord king David live for ever. 32. And king David said: Call me Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaias the son of Joiada. And when they were come in before the king, 33. he said to them: Take with you the servants of your lord, and set Solomon my son upon my mule, and bring him to Gihon. 34. And let Sadoc the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there to be king over Israel: and you shall sound the trumpet, and say: God save king Solomon. 35. And you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit upon my throne, and he shall reign in my stead: and I will appoint him to be ruler over Israel and over Juda. 36. And Banaias the son of Joiada answered the king, and said: Amen: so may the Lord, the God of my lord the king, speak. 37. As the Lord hath been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne higher than the throne of my lord king David. 38. So Sadoc the priest went down, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and the Cerethi and Phelethi, and they set Solomon upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. 39. And Sadoc the priest took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon: and they sounded the trumpet, and all the people said: God save king Solomon. 40. And all the multitude went up after him, and the people played on pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, and the earth rang with their cry. 41. And Adonias heard it, and all that were invited by him, and the banquet was now at an end: and Joab also, hearing the sound of the trumpet, said: What meaneth this noise of the city tumultuating? 42. As he yet spoke, Jonathas the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonias said to him: Come in, because thou art a valiant man, and bringest good news. 43. And Jonathas answered Adonias: Not so; for our lord king David hath made Solomon king, 44. and hath sent with him Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and the Cerethi, and Phelethi, and they have set him upon the king’s mule. 45. And Sadoc the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they are gone up from thence rejoicing, and the city hath rung again: this is the noise that you have heard. 46. Moreover Solomon sitteth upon the throne of the kingdom. 47. And the king’s servants going in have blessed our lord king David, saying: May God make the name of Solomon more famous than thy name, and magnify his throne above thy throne. And the king worshipped in his bed; 48. and he said: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath granted me today one to sit on my throne, my eyes seeing it.
49. Then all that were invited by Adonias were struck with fear, and rose up, and every man went his own way. 50. And Adonias, fearing Solomon, arose and went, and took hold of the horn of the altar. 51. And it was told Solomon, saying: Behold Adonias, fearing king Solomon, hath taken hold of the horn of the altar, saying: Let king Solomon swear to me this day that he will not put his servant to death with the sword. 52. And Solomon said: If he be a good man, there shall not so much as one hair of his head fall to the earth; but if evil be found in him, he shall die. 53. So king Solomon sent, and brought him from the altar; and he came and worshipped king Solomon; and Solomon said to him: Go to thy house.