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. Then King Solomon swore by the LORD:Solomon's oath by the LORD signifies the seriousness and solemnity of his declaration. In ancient Israel, swearing by the LORD was a binding commitment, reflecting the covenant relationship between God and His people. This act underscores Solomon's role as a king who acknowledges divine authority. The use of an oath also connects to other biblical instances where leaders swore by God to affirm truth or intent, such as in Genesis 21:23-24 with Abraham and Abimelech. May God punish me, and ever so severely:
This phrase is a form of self-imprecation, a common practice in ancient Near Eastern cultures, where individuals would invoke divine retribution upon themselves if they failed to fulfill their oath. It reflects the gravity of the situation and Solomon's commitment to justice. The language echoes similar expressions found in Ruth 1:17 and 1 Samuel 3:17, where individuals call upon God to hold them accountable. if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life:
Adonijah's request, interpreted as a political maneuver to claim the throne, is seen as a direct threat to Solomon's God-ordained kingship. In the context of ancient monarchies, any challenge to the throne was often met with severe consequences to maintain stability and divine order. This phrase highlights the tension between Solomon and Adonijah, rooted in the earlier narrative of 1 Kings 1, where Adonijah attempted to usurp the throne. Solomon's response is a fulfillment of his duty to protect his reign and the Davidic line, which holds messianic significance as it foreshadows the eternal kingship of Jesus Christ, a descendant of David. Persons / Places / Events 1. King SolomonThe son of David and Bathsheba, Solomon is the third king of Israel, known for his wisdom, wealth, and building projects, including the Temple in Jerusalem. In this passage, he is establishing his reign and dealing with threats to his throne. 2. AdonijahThe son of King David and Haggith, Adonijah attempted to claim the throne before Solomon was anointed king. His request to marry Abishag is seen as a political move to assert his claim to the throne. 3. The LORDThe covenant name of God, Yahweh, whom Solomon invokes in his oath, emphasizing the seriousness and divine witness to his declaration. 4. Abishag the ShunammiteA young woman who served King David in his old age. Adonijah's request to marry her is interpreted as a challenge to Solomon's kingship. 5. The Throne of IsraelThe central symbol of authority and governance in the united kingdom of Israel, which Solomon is determined to secure against any threats. Teaching Points The Importance of Discernment in LeadershipSolomon's response to Adonijah's request demonstrates the need for wisdom and discernment in leadership, especially when dealing with potential threats to authority. The Seriousness of OathsSolomon's oath before the LORD underscores the gravity of making promises or declarations in God's name, reminding believers of the importance of integrity in their words. Guarding Against Subtle ThreatsAdonijah's request, though seemingly innocent, was a strategic move. This teaches the importance of vigilance and discernment in recognizing and addressing subtle challenges to one's faith or responsibilities. The Role of Divine JusticeSolomon's invocation of divine punishment reflects a belief in God's justice and sovereignty, encouraging believers to trust in God's ultimate authority and justice. The Consequences of AmbitionAdonijah's ambition and failure to recognize God's chosen king serve as a warning against unchecked ambition and the importance of aligning one's desires with God's will. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Solomon's handling of Adonijah's request reflect his wisdom and understanding of leadership? 2. In what ways can we apply the principle of discernment in our own lives when faced with decisions or potential threats? 3. How does the concept of making oaths or promises before God influence our understanding of integrity and accountability? 4. What are some modern-day examples of subtle threats to our faith or responsibilities, and how can we address them? 5. How can we ensure that our ambitions align with God's will, and what steps can we take to guard against selfish or misguided desires? Connections to Other Scriptures 1 Kings 1Provides the background of Adonijah's initial attempt to become king and how Solomon was anointed instead, setting the stage for the events in 1 Kings 2:23. 2 Samuel 12Discusses the consequences of David's sin with Bathsheba, which indirectly leads to the complex family dynamics and power struggles seen in Solomon's reign. Proverbs 16:12Highlights the importance of righteousness in a king's reign, which Solomon seeks to uphold by addressing threats to his rule. People Abiathar, Abishag, Abner, Absalom, Achish, Adonijah, Amasa, Anathoth, Barzillai, Bathsheba, Benaiah, David, Eli, Gera, Haggith, Jehoiada, Jether, Joab, Maacah, Maachah, Ner, Shimei, Solomon, Zadok, ZeruiahPlaces Anathoth, Bahurim, Gath, Hebron, Jerusalem, Jordan River, Kidron, Mahanaim, ShilohTopics Add, Adonijah, Adoni'jah, Cost, Deal, God's, Oath, Pay, Payment, Punishment, Request, Saying, Severely, Solomon, Soul, Spoken, Surely, Sware, Sweareth, Swore, ThusDictionary of Bible Themes 1 Kings 2:23 5468 promises, human 1 Kings 2:12-25 5119 Solomon, life of Library The Horns of the Altar
WE MUST tell you the story. Solomon was to be the king after David, but his elder brother, Adonijah, was preferred by Joab, the captain of the host, and by Abiathar, the priest; and, therefore, they got together, and tried to steal a march upon dying David, and set up Adonijah. They utterly failed in this; and when Solomn came to the throne Adonijah was afraid for his life, and fled to the horns of the altar at the tabernacle for shelter. Solomn permitted him to find sanctuary there, and forgave …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 31: 1885"He Ascended into Heaven:" Believe. "He Sitteth at the Right Hand of the Father...
11. "He ascended into heaven:" believe. "He sitteth at the right hand of the Father:" believe. By sitting, understand dwelling: as [in Latin] we say of any person, "In that country he dwelt (sedit) three years." The Scripture also has that expression, that such an one dwelt (sedisse) in a city for such a time. [1791] Not meaning that he sat and never rose up? On this account the dwellings of men are called seats (sedes). [1792] Where people are seated (in this sense), are they always sitting? Is …
St. Augustine—On the Creeds Whether Curiosity Can be About Intellective Knowledge?
Objection 1: It would seem that curiosity cannot be about intellective knowledge. Because, according to the Philosopher (Ethic. ii, 6), there can be no mean and extremes in things which are essentially good. Now intellective knowledge is essentially good: because man's perfection would seem to consist in his intellect being reduced from potentiality to act, and this is done by the knowledge of truth. For Dionysius says (Div. Nom. iv) that "the good of the human soul is to be in accordance with reason," …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether the Angels have Bodies Naturally United to Them?
Objection 1: It would seem that angels have bodies naturally united to them. For Origen says (Peri Archon i): "It is God's attribute alone---that is, it belongs to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as a property of nature, that He is understood to exist without any material substance and without any companionship of corporeal addition." Bernard likewise says (Hom. vi. super Cant.): "Let us assign incorporeity to God alone even as we do immortality, whose nature alone, neither for its own sake …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether the Natural Law Can be Changed?
Objection 1: It would seem that the natural law can be changed. Because on Ecclus. 17:9, "He gave them instructions, and the law of life," the gloss says: "He wished the law of the letter to be written, in order to correct the law of nature." But that which is corrected is changed. Therefore the natural law can be changed. Objection 2: Further, the slaying of the innocent, adultery, and theft are against the natural law. But we find these things changed by God: as when God commanded Abraham to slay …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica The Whole Heart
LET me give the principal passages in which the words "the whole heart," "all the heart," are used. A careful study of them will show how wholehearted love and service is what God has always asked, because He can, in the very nature of things, ask nothing less. The prayerful and believing acceptance of the words will waken the assurance that such wholehearted love and service is exactly the blessing the New Covenant was meant to make possible. That assurance will prepare us for turning to the Omnipotence …
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants "The King Kissed Barzillai. " 2 Sam. xix. 39
And no wonder, for David could appreciate a real man when he saw him, and so does David's Lord. I.--LOYALTY IS PRECIOUS TO THE KING OF KINGS. In the days when the son of Jesse had but few friends, it was a precious thing to be treated in the style Barzillai and his neighbours entertained him (see 2 Sam. xvii. 27-29). They were rich farmers, and had land which brought forth with abundance, so were able to act with princely hospitality to the fugitive monarch. But plenty may live with avarice, and …
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread What Manner of Man Ought not to Come to Rule.
Wherefore let every one measure himself wisely, lest he venture to assume a place of rule, while in himself vice still reigns unto condemnation; lest one whom his own guilt depraves desire to become an intercessor for the faults of others. For on this account it is said to Moses by the supernal voice, Speak unto Aaron; Whosoever he be of thy seed throughout their generations that hath a blemish, he shall not offer loaves of bread to the Lord his God (Lev. xxi. 17). And it is also immediately subjoined; …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Authorship of the Pentateuch.
The term Pentateuch is composed of the two Greek words, pente, five, and teuchos, which in later Alexandrine usage signified book. It denotes, therefore, the collection of five books; or, the five books of the law considered as a whole. 1. In our inquiries respecting the authorship of the Pentateuch, we begin with the undisputed fact that it existed in its present form in the days of Christ and his apostles, and had so existed from the time of Ezra. When the translators of the Greek version, …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Barzillai
BY REV. GEORGE MILLIGAN, M.A., D.D. "There is nothing," says Socrates to Cephalus in the Republic, "I like better than conversing with aged men. For I regard them as travellers who have gone a journey which I too may have to go, and of whom it is right to learn the character of the way, whether it is rugged or difficult, or smooth and easy" (p. 328 E.). It is to such an aged traveller that we are introduced in the person of Barzillai the Gileadite. And though he is one of the lesser-known characters …
George Milligan—Men of the Bible; Some Lesser-Known Fifth Sunday after Trinity Exhortation to the Fruits of Faith.
Text: 1 Peter 3, 8-15. 8 Finally, be ye all like-minded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tender-hearted, humble-minded: 9 not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: 11 And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 1 Kings 2:23 NIV1 Kings 2:23 NLT1 Kings 2:23 ESV1 Kings 2:23 NASB1 Kings 2:23 KJV
1 Kings 2:23 Commentaries
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