How does Adonijah's request connect to earlier events in 1 Kings? The Setting of 1 Kings 2:14 • Adonijah approaches Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother: “He said, ‘I have something to say to you.’ ‘Say it,’ she answered.” (1 Kings 2:14) • His courteous tone masks a deeper agenda—one that taps into earlier events from chapter 1. Adonijah’s Original Power Play (1 Kings 1:5-10) • “Adonijah son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, ‘I will be king.’” (1 Kings 1:5) • He gathers key allies (Joab, Abiathar) and stages a royal feast near En-rogel. • Crucially, he omits invitations to Nathan, Benaiah, the mighty men, and Solomon—telegraphing a coup. • This first attempt fails once David publicly installs Solomon on the throne (1 Kings 1:32-40). David’s Oath to Bathsheba (1 Kings 1:28-30) • David swears “by the LORD, who has redeemed my life from every distress” that Solomon will succeed him. • Bathsheba becomes the guardian of this promise; Adonijah now seeks to exploit her influence in chapter 2. A Conditional Pardon (1 Kings 1:51-53) • After his failed coronation, Adonijah clings to the altar for asylum. • Solomon spares him—“If he proves himself worthy, not a hair of his head will fall.” • The condition: no further schemes against the throne. Why Ask for Abishag? (1 Kings 2:17-22) • Abishag was David’s nurse and concubine (1 Kings 1:3-4). • In ancient Near Eastern custom, possession of a deceased king’s harem implied claim to the throne (cf. 2 Samuel 3:7; 16:21-22). • Adonijah’s request is therefore political, not romantic. • Solomon perceives this instantly: “You might as well ask for the kingdom also—because he is my elder brother.” (1 Kings 2:22) Earlier Parallels That Illuminate the Request • Absalom, another son who usurped, slept with David’s concubines to solidify his claim (2 Samuel 16:21-22). • The pattern underscores a repeated tactic: seize royal women, seize royal rights. • Adonijah’s approach through Bathsheba mimics his earlier strategy of selective alliances—he now seeks the queen mother’s leverage. Sequence of Connections 1. Self-exaltation (1 Kings 1:5) → 2. Attempted coronation (1 Kings 1:9) → 3. Conditional pardon (1 Kings 1:52-53) → 4. New scheme via Abishag (1 Kings 2:13-18). The request in 2:14 is stage 4, directly springing from the unresolved ambition displayed in stage 1. Outcome and Divine Safeguard • Solomon, acting in line with David’s charge to “act according to your wisdom” (1 Kings 2:6), orders Adonijah’s execution (1 Kings 2:24-25). • The LORD’s covenant promise to establish Solomon’s throne (2 Samuel 7:12-13; 1 Kings 1:48) is preserved. • Adonijah’s final maneuver confirms that earlier events were not isolated; they form a continuous thread of rebellion, all answered by God’s faithful protection of the chosen king. |
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