What is the meaning of 1 Kings 1:26?

But me your servant he has not invited

Nathan highlights his own exclusion from Adonijah’s self-made coronation feast (1 Kings 1:5-10).

• Nathan’s words underline faithful service: he has stood by David through crises (2 Samuel 12:1-14).

• By omitting God’s prophet, Adonijah shows disregard for the divine voice, much like Saul did when he ignored Samuel (1 Samuel 15:22-23).

• The phrase draws David’s attention to the fact that something is unfolding without prophetic sanction, therefore outside the LORD’s will (compare 1 Kings 18:22).

---

nor Zadok the priest

Adonijah also bypasses the legitimate high priest who served alongside David (1 Chronicles 29:22).

• Zadok represents covenant faithfulness; he remained loyal during Absalom’s rebellion (2 Samuel 15:24-29).

• Excluding Zadok signals a break with established worship patterns, mirroring how Jeroboam later appointed his own priests (1 Kings 12:31).

• The rightful priest’s absence exposes the purely political, not spiritual, nature of Adonijah’s scheme.

---

nor Benaiah son of Jehoiada

Benaiah commands David’s elite guard (2 Samuel 23:20-23).

• By leaving out the military leader who embodies loyal strength, Adonijah avoids anyone who might resist (1 Kings 1:8).

• Benaiah’s future execution of Adonijah on Solomon’s orders (1 Kings 2:25) shows how God preserves faithful warriors to carry out His judgment.

• The pattern recalls David’s own reliance on mighty men who were committed first to God’s purposes (2 Samuel 23:8-39).

---

nor your servant Solomon

Nathan finishes with the key omission: the son David had sworn would inherit the throne (1 Chronicles 22:9-10).

• Solomon’s absence indicates Adonijah’s open challenge to God’s revealed choice (1 Kings 1:13).

• Similar to Esau’s attempt to obtain the blessing after Jacob (Genesis 27:41), Adonijah seeks what God has promised to another.

• By singling out Solomon, Nathan prompts David to act quickly, ensuring the divine promise is fulfilled (1 Kings 1:28-30).

---

summary

Nathan’s fourfold list exposes Adonijah’s plot as a deliberate rejection of God’s prophet, priest, protector, and chosen king. The exclusions spotlight who truly supports David and, more importantly, whom God has appointed. In every era, the Lord preserves faithful voices and leads His people to honor His clear Word rather than the ambitions of the self-appointed.