1 Kings 1:21
New International Version
Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.”

New Living Translation
If you do not act, my son Solomon and I will be treated as criminals as soon as my lord the king has died.”

English Standard Version
Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders.”

Berean Standard Bible
Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be counted as criminals.”

King James Bible
Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

New King James Version
Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted as offenders.”

New American Standard Bible
Otherwise it will come about, as soon as my lord the king lies down with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered offenders.”

NASB 1995
“Otherwise it will come about, as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered offenders.”

NASB 1977
“Otherwise it will come about, as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered offenders.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Otherwise it will be, as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered offenders.”

Amplified Bible
Otherwise it will come about when my lord the king lies down [in death] with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered political enemies.”

Christian Standard Bible
Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals.”

American Standard Version
Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

Contemporary English Version
If you don't, they will say that Solomon and I have rebelled. They will treat us like criminals and kill us as soon as you die.

English Revised Version
Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Otherwise, my son Solomon and I will be treated like criminals when you lie down in death with your ancestors."

Good News Translation
If you don't, as soon as you are dead, my son Solomon and I will be treated as traitors."

International Standard Version
Otherwise, as soon as your majesty is laid to rest with his ancestors, my son Solomon and I will be branded as traitors."

Majority Standard Bible
Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be counted as criminals.”

NET Bible
If a decision is not made, when my master the king is buried with his ancestors, my son Solomon and I will be considered state criminals."

New Heart English Bible
Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered criminals."

Webster's Bible Translation
Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

World English Bible
Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered criminals.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and it has been, when my lord the king lies with his fathers, that I have been, I and my son Solomon—[reckoned] sinners.”

Young's Literal Translation
and it hath been, when my lord the king lieth with his fathers, that I have been, I and my son Solomon -- reckoned sinners.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And being when my lord the king lies down with his fathers, I and my son Solomon being the sinful.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king sleepeth with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Otherwise, this will be: when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be as sinners.”

New American Bible
If this is not done, when my lord the king rests with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be considered criminals.”

New Revised Standard Version
Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his ancestors, that my son Solomon and I will be counted offenders.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers in peace, I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And whenever my Lord King lies down with his fathers in peace, I and my son Solomon will be sinners!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and Solomon my son shall be offenders.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Nathan and Bathsheba Before David
20And as for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be counted as criminals.” 22And just then, while Bathsheba was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived.…

Cross References
1 Kings 2:10-12
Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. / The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. / So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was firmly established.

1 Kings 2:22-25
King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my older brother, you might as well request the kingdom for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab son of Zeruiah!” / Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life. / And now, as surely as the LORD lives—the One who established me, who set me on the throne of my father David, and who founded for me a dynasty as He promised—surely Adonijah shall be put to death today!” ...

1 Kings 2:13-15
Now Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, and she asked, “Do you come in peace?” “Yes, in peace,” he replied. / Then he said, “I have something to tell you.” “Say it,” she answered. / “You know that the kingship was mine,” he said. “All Israel expected that I should reign, but the kingship has turned to my brother, for it has come to him from the LORD.

1 Kings 2:28-35
When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah but not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar. / It was reported to King Solomon: “Joab has fled to the tent of the LORD and is now beside the altar.” So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down!” / And Benaiah entered the tent of the LORD and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah relayed the message to the king, saying, “This is how Joab answered me.” ...

1 Kings 2:36-46
Then the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else. / On the day you go out and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will die; your blood will be on your own head.” / “The sentence is fair,” Shimei replied. “Your servant will do as my lord the king has spoken.” And Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. ...

2 Samuel 7:12-16
And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. / He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. / I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. ...

2 Samuel 12:24-25
Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. So she gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved the child / and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah because the LORD loved him.

1 Chronicles 22:9-10
But a son will be born to you who will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name will be Solomon, and I will grant to Israel peace and quiet during his reign. / He is the one who will build a house for My Name. He will be My son, and I will be his Father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

1 Chronicles 28:5-7
And of all my sons—for the LORD has given me many sons—He has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. / And He said to me, ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him as My son, and I will be his Father. / I will establish his kingdom forever, if he resolutely carries out My commandments and ordinances, as is being done this day.’

1 Chronicles 29:23-25
So Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of his father David. He prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. / All the officials and mighty men, as well as all of King David’s sons, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon. / The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal majesty such as had not been bestowed on any king in Israel before him.

Psalm 132:11-12
The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne. / If your sons keep My covenant and the testimony I will teach them, then their sons will also sit on your throne forever and ever.”

Matthew 1:6
and Jesse the father of David the king. Next: David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,

Matthew 22:42-45
“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” “David’s,” they answered. / Jesus said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’? For he says: / ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’ ...

Luke 1:32-33
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, / and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”

Luke 1:69-70
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, / as He spoke through His holy prophets, those of ages past,


Treasury of Scripture

Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

sleep

1 Kings 2:10
So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

Genesis 15:15
And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

Deuteronomy 31:16
And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.

offenders [heb] sinners

1 Kings 2:15,22-24
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…

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Considered Counted Criminals Fathers Laid Offenders Otherwise Reckoned Rest Sinners Sleep Sleeping Sleeps Solomon Soon Treated
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Considered Counted Criminals Fathers Laid Offenders Otherwise Reckoned Rest Sinners Sleep Sleeping Sleeps Solomon Soon Treated
1 Kings 1
1. Abishag cherishes David in his extreme age
5. Adonijah, David's darling, usurps the kingdom
11. By the council of Nathan
15. Bathsheba moves the king
22. And Nathan seconds her
28. David renews his oath to Bathsheba
32. Solomon, by David's appointment,
38. being anointed king by Zadok and Nathan, the people triumph
41. Jonathan bringing the news, Adonijah's guests fly
50. Adonijah, flying to the horns of the altar, is dismissed by Solomon














Otherwise
This word introduces a consequence that is to be avoided. In the context of 1 Kings 1, Bathsheba is speaking to King David, highlighting the urgency and necessity of taking action to ensure Solomon's succession to the throne. The Hebrew word here implies a strong contrast, emphasizing the dire consequences if David does not act. It reflects the precariousness of the situation and the need for decisive leadership.

my son Solomon
Bathsheba refers to Solomon as "my son," which underscores her personal stake in the matter. Solomon, whose name means "peace" in Hebrew, is the chosen successor of David, as ordained by God (1 Chronicles 22:9-10). This phrase highlights the familial and covenantal promise that Solomon would inherit the throne, a promise that is under threat due to Adonijah's actions. It also reflects Bathsheba's protective maternal instincts and her role in God's plan for Israel.

and I
Bathsheba includes herself in the potential consequences, indicating her vulnerability and the shared fate she has with Solomon. This phrase underscores the unity and solidarity between mother and son, as well as the personal risk she faces. It also reflects the broader theme of the interconnectedness of family and leadership in the biblical narrative.

will be counted as criminals
The phrase "counted as criminals" suggests being judged or regarded as guilty or treasonous. In the Hebrew context, this implies being seen as rebels or traitors against the rightful king. Bathsheba's use of this phrase highlights the gravity of the situation and the potential for severe repercussions if Adonijah's claim to the throne is not challenged. It underscores the theme of justice and the importance of rightful succession in maintaining God's order for Israel.

(21) Shall sleep with his fathers.--Here this phrase, so constantly used in the record of the death of the kings, occurs in these books for the first time. (It is also found in the message of promise by Nathan. 2Samuel 7:12, relating to the succession of the son who should build the Temple.) We find corresponding expressions in Genesis 15:15; Deuteronomy 31:16. Without connecting with the use of this phrase anything like the fulness of meaning which in the New Testament attaches to "the sleep" of the departed servants of God (as known to be a "sleep in Jesus"), it seems not unreasonable to recognise in it, at least, a rudimentary belief in death as rest and not extinction. The addition, "with his fathers," has probably a reference to "the tombs of the kings;" especially as we find that it is not adopted in the cases of Jehoram (2Chronicles 21:20) and Joash. (2Chronicles 24:25), who were not buried therein.

Verse 21. - Otherwise [there is no corresponding word in the Hebrews] it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep [strictly, "lie down:" see on 1 Kings 2:10] with his fathers [this phrase, so common in the books of Kings and Chronicles, only occurs "once in the Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 31:16) and once in the historical books before Kings" (Rawlinson). It was evidently the product of an age when the nation was settled, and men had their family sepulchres] that I and my son Solomon shall be counted [Hebrews be] offenders [Hebrews as marg., sinners. The primary meaning of חָטָא is "to miss the mark." Like ἁμαρτάνειν, it came to be used of all erring and transgression. Bathsheba and Solomon would be obnoxious to Adonijah, as representing a rival cause; possibly also as guilty of high treason (Clericus, Bahr, al.)

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Otherwise, when my lord
אֲדֹנִֽי־ (’ă·ḏō·nî-)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

the king
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

rests
כִּשְׁכַ֥ב (kiš·ḵaḇ)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7901: To lie down

with
עִם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

his fathers,
אֲבֹתָ֑יו (’ă·ḇō·ṯāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father

I
אֲנִ֛י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

and my son
וּבְנִ֥י (ū·ḇə·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1121: A son

Solomon
שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה (šə·lō·mōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8010: Solomon -- David's son and successor to his throne

will be counted
וְהָיָ֕ה (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

as criminals.”
חַטָּאִֽים׃ (ḥaṭ·ṭā·’îm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2400: A criminal, one accounted guilty


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OT History: 1 Kings 1:21 Otherwise it will happen when my lord (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 1:20
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