Bathsheba said, “All right. I will speak for you to the king.”
Bathsheba therefore went to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. The king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand. Then she said, “I ask one small petition of you; don’t deny me.” The king said to her, “Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny you.”
She said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as wife.”
King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also; for he is my elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.” Then king Solomon swore by Yahweh, saying, “God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life. Now therefore as Yahweh lives, who has established me, and set me on my father David’s throne, and who has made me a house as he promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death today.”
King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell on him, so that he died. To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields; for you are worthy of death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you bore the Lord Yahweh’s ark before David my father, and because you were afflicted in all in which my father was afflicted.” So Solomon thrust Abiathar out from being priest to Yahweh, that he might fulfill Yahweh’s word, which he spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
This news came to Joab; for Joab had followed Adonijah, although he didn’t follow Absalom. Joab fled to Yahweh’s Tent, and held onto the horns of the altar. King Solomon was told, “Joab has fled to Yahweh’s Tent, and behold, he is by the altar.” Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, fall on him.”
Benaiah came to Yahweh’s Tent, and said to him, “The king says, ‘Come out!’ ” He said, “No; but I will die here.” Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “This is what Joab said, and this is how he answered me.”
The king said to him, “Do as he has said, and fall on him, and bury him; that you may take away the blood, which Joab shed without cause, from me and from my father’s house. Yahweh will return his blood on his own head, because he fell on two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, and my father David didn’t know it: Abner the son of Ner, captain of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the army of Judah. So their blood will return on the head of Joab, and on the head of his offspring forever. But for David, for his offspring, for his house, and for his throne, there will be peace forever from Yahweh.”
Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell on him, and killed him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv19, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33 In token of reverence, and that others by his…
In token of reverence, and that others by his example might have her in greater honor.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv18–34 1Ki 2:18 And Bathsheba said, Well; I will speak…
1Ki 2:18 And Bathsheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.
Ver. 18. Well; I will speak for thee.] Though Bathsheba were a wise woman, grandchild to Ahithophel, yet she perceived not Adonijah’s drift - viz., to undermine her son Solomon, and to shoulder him out of the throne. Hence she was so facile and forward to gratify him.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv19–34 The most honourable place next to the king’s. See…
The most honourable place next to the king’s. See 2Ch 18:18; Neh 8:4; Psa 45:9; Mat 20:21.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v26 Abiathar and Joab were both aiding and abetting in…
Abiathar and Joab were both aiding and abetting in Adonijah's rebellious attempt, and it is probable were at the bottom of this new motion made of Adonijah for Abishag, and it should seem Solomon knew it, Kg1 2:22. This was, in both, an intolerable affront both to God and to the government, and the worse because of their high station and the great influence their examples might have upon many. They therefore come next to be reckoned with. They are both equally guilty of the treason, but, in the judgment passed upon them, a difference is made and with good reason.
I. Abiathar, in consideration of his old services, is only degraded, Kg1 2:26, Kg1 2:27. 1. Solomon convicts him, and by his great wisdom finds him guilty: "Thou art worthy of death, for joining with Adonijah, when thou knewest on whose head God intended to set the crown." 2. He calls to mind the respect he had formerly shown to David his father, and that he had both ministered to him in holy things (had borne before him the ark of the Lord), and also had tenderly sympathized with him in his afflictions and been afflicted in them all, particularly when he was in exile and distress both by Saul's persecution and Absalom's rebellion. Note, Those that show kindness to God's people shall have it remembered to their advantage one time or other. 3. For this reason he spares Abiathar's life, but deposes him from his offices, and confines him to his country seat at Anathoth, forbids him the court, the city, the tabernacle, the altar, and all inter-meddling in public business, with an intimation likewise that he was upon his good behaviour, and that though Solomon did not put him to death at this time he might another time, if he did not conduct himself well. But, for the present, he was only thrust out from being priest, as rendered unworthy that high station by the opposition he had given to that which he knew to be the will of God. Saul, for a supposed crime, had barbarously slain Abiathar's father, and eighty-five priests, their families, and city. Solomon spares Abiathar himself, though guilty of a real crime. Thus was Saul's government ruined and Solomon's established. As men are to God's ministers, they will find him to them. 4. The depriving of Abiathar was the fulfilling of the threatening against the house of Eli (Sa1 2:30), for he was the last high priest of that family. It was now above eighty years since the ruin was threatened; but God's judgments, though not executed speedily, will be executed surely.
Read full note →
II. Joab, in consideration of his old sins, is put to death.
1. His guilty conscience sent him to the horns of the altar. He heard that Adonijah was executed and Abiathar deposed, and therefore, fearing his turn would be next, he fled for refuge to the altar. Many that, in the day of their security, care not for the service of the altar, will be glad of the protection of it in the day of their distress. Some think Joab designed thereby to devote himself for the future to a constant attendance upon the altar, hoping thereby to obtain his pardon, as some that have lived a dissolute life all their days have thought to atone for their crimes by retiring into a monastery when they are old, leaving the world when it has left them and no thanks to them.
2. Solomon ordered him to be put to death there for the murder of Abner and Amasa; for these were the crimes upon which he thought fit to ground the sentence, rather than upon his treasonable adherence to Adonijah. Joab was indeed worthy of death for turning after Adonijah, in contempt of Solomon and his designation to the throne, though he had not turned after Absalom, Kg1 2:28. Former fidelity will not serve to excuse any after treachery; yet, besides that, Joab had merited well of the house of David, to which and to his country he had done a great deal of good service in his day, in consideration of which, it is probable, Solomon would have pardoned him his offence against him (for clemency gives great reputation and establishment to an infant government), and would have only displaced him as he did Abiathar; but he must die for the murders he had formerly been guilty of, which his father had charged Solomon to call him to an account for. The debt he owed to the innocent blood that was shed, by answering its cries with the blood of him that shed, he could not pay himself, but left it to his son to pay it, who, having power wherewithal, failed not to do it. On this he grounds the sentence, aggravating the crime (Kg1 2:32), that he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, that had done him no wrong nor meant him any, and, had they lived, might probably have done David better service (if the blood shed be not only innocent, but excellent, the life more valuable that common lives, the crime is the more heinous), that David knew not of it, and yet the case was such that he would be suspected as privy to it; so that Joab endangered his prince's reputation in taking away the life of his rivals, which was a further aggravation. For these crimes, (1.) He must die, and die by the sword of public justice. By man must his blood be shed, and it lies upon his own head (Kg1 2:32), as theirs does whom he had murdered, Kg1 2:33. Woe to the head that lies under the guilt of blood! Vengeance for murder was long in coming upon Joab; but, when it did come, it remained the longer, being here entailed upon the head of his seed for ever (Kg1 2:33), who, instead of deriving honour, as otherwise they might have done, from his heroic actions, derived guilt, and shame, and a curse, from his villainous actions, on account of which they fared the worse in this world. The seed of such evil doers shall never be renowned. (2.) He must die at the altar, rather than escape. Joab resolved not to stir from the altar (Kg1 2:30), hoping thereby either to secure himself or else to render Solomon odious to the people, as a profaner of the holy place, if he should put him to death there. Benaiah made a scruple of either killing him there or dragging him thence; but Solomon knew the law, that the altar of God should give no protection to wilful murderers. Exo 21:14, Thou shalt take him from my altar that he may die, may die a sacrifice. In case of such sins as the blood of beasts would atone for the altar was a refuge, but not in Joab's case. He therefore orders him to be executed there, if he could not be got thence, to show that he feared not the censure of the people in doing his duty, but would rectify their mistake, and let them know that the administration of justice is better than sacrifice, and that the holiness of any place should never countenance the wickedness of any person. Those who, by a lively faith, take hold on Christ and his righteousness, with a resolution, if they perish, to perish there, shall find in him a more powerful protection than Joab found at the horns of the altar. Benaiah slew him (Kg1 2:34), with the solemnity, no doubt, of a public execution. The law being thus satisfied, he was buried in his own house in the wilderness, privately, like a criminal, not pompously, like a soldier; yet no indignity was done to his dead body. It is not for man to lay the iniquity upon the bones, whatever God does.
3. Solomon pleased himself with this act of justice, not as it gratified any personal revenge, but as it was the fulfilling of his father's orders and a real kindness to himself and his own government. (1.) Guilt was hereby removed, Kg1 2:31. By returning the innocent blood that had been shed upon the head of him that shed it, it was taken away from him and from the house of his father, which implies that the blood which is not required from the murderer will be required from the magistrate, at least there is danger lest it should. Those that would have their houses safe and built up must put away iniquity far from them. (2.) Peace was hereby secured (Kg1 2:33) upon David. He does not mean his person, but, as he explains himself in the next words, Upon his seed, his house, and his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the Lord; thus he expresses his desire that it may be so and his hope that it shall be so. "Now that justice is done, and the cry of blood is satisfied, the government will prosper." Thus righteousness and peace kiss each other. Now that such a turbulent man as Joab is removed there shall be peace. Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness, Pro 25:5. Solomon, in this blessing of peace upon his house and throne, piously looks upward to God as the author of it. "It shall be peace from the Lord, and peace for ever from the Lord." The Lord of peace himself give us that peace which is everlasting.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv18–34 And Bathsheba said, well,.... Very well spoken, the thing…
And Bathsheba said, well,.... Very well spoken, the thing is good and right:
I will speak for thee unto the king; and use her interest with him, not seeing into his design, but pitying an unfortunate man.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv25, 26, 27, 30, 31, 34 Benaiah - For the execution of justice was not…
Benaiah - For the execution of justice was not then committed to obscure persons, as now it is; but to persons of great honour and authority. It is far from clear, that Solomon did right herein, or that Adonijah had any ill design in asking Abishag.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv25, 27, 28, 30, 34 Verse 25. Solomon sent - Benaiah - and he…
Verse 25. Solomon sent - Benaiah - and he fell upon him that he died.] Benaiah seems to have been the public state executioner, and yet he was generalissimo of all the forces. See him employed in a similar work, 1Kg 2:34; 1Kg 2:46. I suppose him to have been such another general as Suwarrow, butcher-general of the Turks and Poles to the late Empress Catharine of Russia: like mistress, like man. But they have long since been called to an impartial tribunal.
That this was an act of cruelty towards Adonijah, needs no proof. He is suspected, condemned, and slain, without a hearing. Calmet vindicates all this by various assumptions, and lays down a doctrine that is calculated for the meridian of Fez or Morocco; hear him: Un prince, dans ses jugemens, ne peut pas toujours suivre les regles de la plus parfaite morale; la politique, et le bien de l'etat, obligent souvent a des choses opposees aux conseils de l'evangile; "A prince in his judgments cannot always follow the rules of the most perfect morality; policy and the good of the state often require things to be done which are contrary to the counsels of the Gospel." What a diabolic maxim is this! And is this indeed the way that French kings ruled and ministers decreed judgment? Then we need not wonder at a revolution in that state, nor of the scourge that desolated the land. O England! magnify God for your constitution, your constitutional king, and the laws according to which he reigns.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 32 1Ki 2:19. The king rose up to meet her,…
1Ki 2:19. The king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself — For the high dignity to which he was advanced, did not make him forget the honour due to a parent: an amiable example this, to teach all children to continue to show respect to their parents, how much soever they may be advanced above them in wealth, dignity, or honour. She sat on his right hand — The most honourable place, next to the king.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv19, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34 A seat - Or, “a throne.” We have here…
A seat - Or, “a throne.” We have here a proof of the high dignity of the Queen-mother. Compare also 1Ki 15:13; 2Ki 11:1-3. In the Persian court the Queen-mother had often the chief power.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 34 To her. Only fools will despise their parents, Proverbs…
To her. Only fools will despise their parents, Proverbs xv. 20., Ecclesiasticus iii. 18., and Tobias iv. 3. The Persians would allow no one to sit in his mother’s presence, without her leave; and Alexander would treat Sysigambis with the like respect. (Q. Curtius v.) --- Right hand. In the most honourable place, next to his own, Genesis xlviii. 13. The Turks and Persians give the preference to the left. (Xenophon, Cyrop. viii.)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv19, 22, 23, 26, 28, 33, 34 Bath-sheba . . . went unto King Solomon--The filial…
Bath-sheba . . . went unto King Solomon--The filial reverence and the particular act of respect, which Solomon rendered, were quite in accordance with the sentiments and customs of the East. The right hand is the place of honor; and as it expressly said to have been assigned to "the king's mother," it is necessary to remark that, when a husband dies, his widow acquires a higher dignity and power, as a mother over her son, than she ever possessed before. Besides, the dignity of "king's mother" is a state office, to which certain revenues are attached. The holder has a separate palace or court, as well as possesses great influence in public affairs; and as the dignity is held for life, it sometimes happens, in consequence of deaths, that the person enjoying it may not be related to the reigning sovereign by natural maternity. Bath-sheba had evidently been invested with this honorable office.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30, 33, 34 18. Well; I will speak for thee — But…
18. Well; I will speak for thee — But did not Bathsheba perceive the treasonable project hidden under Adonijah’s petition? Probably not in all its consequences. She doubtless had some fear of him, and was anxious as far as possible to conciliate him, for she knew that his hereditary right to the throne had been set aside by Jehovah’s choice of her son Solomon.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 18. I will speak for thee] Bath-sheba does not…
18. I will speak for thee] Bath-sheba does not seem to have suspected Adonijah’s design, and this simplicity of hers he perhaps hoped to trade upon, and thought that his petition, coming to Solomon through her, might appear less dangerous. That she should consent to ask the king was not unnatural. ‘The damsel was very fair’ (1Ki_1:4) and Adonijah ‘a very goodly man’ (1Ki_1:6), and such a marriage might appear to her not unfitting.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv22–28 (22) And why dost thou ask?—In Solomon’s answer there…
(22) And why dost thou ask?—In Solomon’s answer there is a certain bitterness, venting itself in irony, which seems to argue the mingling with kingly dignity and policy of some passionate feeling, not unlike the bursts of passion in his father, as in the case of Nabal (1Sa_25:21-22). It certainly gives some probability to the conjecture (see Note on 1:3) that Abishag was the “fair Shulamite” of the Song of Solomon, already loved by the youthful king. In his wrath he infers, rightly or wrongly, that the hand of the conspirators is seen in this petition, and executes vengeance accordingly, summarily and without giving them any trial or opportunity of excusing themselves.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv18–34 And Bathsheba said, Well there is no reason why…
And Bathsheba said, Well there is no reason why the strict rendering "good," should not be preserved here. The A.V follows the LXX kalwv. Similarly Luther, wohl; but Bahr, gut, I will speak for thee LXX peri sou unto the king.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv19, 26, 28, 30 Bathsheba therefore went unto King Solomon, to speak unto…
1Ki_2:19-20
Bathsheba therefore went unto King Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah.
Read full note →
What mothers can do for their children
Nearly twenty times the Book of Kings makes mention of the names of mothers as connected with the good or evil deeds of their sons. We are not always told what was the character of these mothers, nor how far it was due to their influence that their sons turned out as they did, but the introduction of their names in such close connection with the good or evil, is sufficiently significant. His mothers name was Jecholiah; and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. The sacred penman adds no more, and yet we can scarce restrain the natural exclamation of the heart, Blessed art thou among women! so certain are we that the youth who honoured God had enjoyed the care of a good mother. In contrast, what unenviable notoriety is given to Abijahs name when the mention of it is accompanied with the painful record, he walked in all the sins of his father (1Ki_15:2). Maachah, the mother, may have been a good woman herself, in spite of her husbands evil ways; yet what volumes are expressed in that embalming of her name--and only hers--in connection with the wrong-doings of her son! Alas! the agonies of the wretched parents heart, in this world and the next, concerning whose offspring the record must be made, he did evil all his life; he did evil because of his mothers neglect to teach him better! St. Augustine, and Gregory of Nazianzen, are striking examples, which cry aloud, Christian mothers, pray on in faith! Theodoret, and Basil the Great, and Chrysostom were instances almost as remarkable. General Harrison, not long before taking his place at the head of the Government, visited his old home in Virginia, and turned his steps at once to his mothers room, where, as he said, he had seen her daily reading her Bible, and where she had taught him to pray. Fame and glory became dim before him as the pleasant light burst forth from the scene of his earliest and best impressions. Where is the son so wayward and so cruel, who would not promptly answer, like Israels king, when besought by her who had nursed him in helpless infancy, Ask on, my mother, for I will not say thee nay? My mother asked me never to use tobacco, remarked Senator Thomas H. Benton, and I have never touched it from that time to the present day. She asked me never to gamble, and I never have. She admonished me against hard drinking, and whatever usefulness I have attained in life, I owe to my compliance with her pious wishes. The Christian mother who thus loves her children may be sure of their sincerest affection in return. An old man, wasted with disease, was struggling feebly with death. His family and friends stood by, rendering every kind office which they could, but still there was one thing which he longed for, and which all their tenderest affections failed to supply. He rolled his head in agony, and faintly whispered, I want mother! She had been dead for fifty years! As a child, he had carried his little sorrows to his mother, and she had always proved his ready comforter, and now, after all this lapse of time, forgetful, for the moment, that wife and children and grandchildren were with him, he remembered no one but his mother! A noted infidel was once suddenly brought under religious influences, and cried aloud, in his agony, God of my mother, have mercy on me! When a lady once told Archbishop Sharpe that she would not trouble her children with instruction about religion until they had reached the years of discretion, the shrewd prelate answered, If you do not teach them, the devil will! (J. N. Norton.)
The power of mothers
The power of mothers is a fertile theme for contemplation and one most fascinating. It has been said that the greatest moral power in the world is that exercised by a mother over her child. Can you name any force which you dare call equal to it? Is it not true, as Douglas Jerrold put it, that she who rocks the cradle rules the world? In the first place, note the fact that--
I. The early years of a child belong to the mother. These are the years which give shape and colour to all the rest of life. And in these the natural guide and companion of the child is the mother. Her presence and her varied teachings are the most potent force brought to bear upon it in the fresh and dewy morning of its existence. As soon as the child begins to comprehend language and to ponder ideas it conveys, what priceless opportunities are the mothers for inspiring and leading it! It learns its words from her lips and pronounces them after her methods. A mispronunciation acquired in childhood often clings to one all his days. The child thinks its mothers thoughts as well as speaks her words. Its views of things are largely derived from her. She can teach the child to be observant of what is within him and without him, upon notice of which wisdom so largely depends. She can develop in it the habit of thought, which so enhances the power of thought. She can elevate its thinking. She can teach it to be affectionate, aspiring, loyal, and brave. In short, she can mould her child well-nigh as easily as the sculptor shapes his plastic clay into the statue of faultless beauty.
II. The example and the teachings of the mother are permanent influences. This from their very nature, not simply because she has the control of the years of youth. A mothers life is one of the regulating and animating forces of that of her children as long as they live. There is a sacredness in that example which time increases rather than lessens in the bosom of every right-minded child. Even those who are wayward admit its power, and it is always one of the most invincible agents in their restoration. The same is true of the precepts she has given him. Not merely do they start him in the course he takes, they remain with him as elemental factors of his being and his conduct. They were the warrant of his early actions, and he unconsciously makes appeal to them all his life. Charles Reade, the famous novelist, when near the end of his life, declared: I owe the larger half of what I am to my mother. And John Ruskin, nobly eminent as he is, cannot be disloyal to the memory of her who gave him birth. He wrote in this strain: My mothers influence in moulding my character was conspicuous. She forced me to learn daily long chapters of the Bible by heart. To that discipline and patient, accurate resolve I owe not only much of general power of taking pains, but the best part of my taste for literature. And this is the testimony of an author whose facile pen has traced some of the most superb and exquisite sentences to be found in our English speech.
III. Affection for mothers is enduring. It is this, in large measure, which lends power to their example and instruction. Still, it is a force by itself beyond these, in all the life of the child. If there is no love on earth like a mothers love, it calls forth in response an affection that many waters cannot drown. And this affection is a purifying, uplifting, gladdening element in the life of one who shares it. It spurs him to labour and self-denial. It kindles patience, zeal, hope, courage. It elevates, and quickens all his nature by its silent yet persuasive influence. When he is tempted, that love nerves him for victory. When he is despondent it clothes him with fortitude. When he is weary he rests upon it. When he is lonely its sweet presence enlivens his soul. When he is strong he rejoices for her dear sake. When he is successful he exults because she will be happy. Said Lord Macaulay: I am sure it is worth while being sick to be nursed by a mother. One of the most pathetic elements in the sensitive spirit of William Cowper was his affectionate regard for his mother, who died when he was in his sixth year. To a niece who sent him her picture he wrote: Every creature that bears an affinity to my mother is dear to me . . . The world could not have furnished you with a present so acceptable to me as the picture which you have so kindly sent me. I kissed it and hung it where it is the last object that I see at night, and, of course, the first on which I open my eyes in the morning. Who can doubt the healthful charm of that beautiful portrait over the life of the son? A mothers face--what beauty in its outlines, what sweetness in its expression, what inspiration in its presence in the mind only! No wonder that Napoleon said the greatest need of France was mothers. It does not appear strange that in the early centuries of our era Christian matrons should have been held in high esteem. The names of the mothers of not a few heroes of the Church are inseparably linked with their own. Emmelia with Basil; Nonna, who died while praying, with Gregory Nazienzen; Anthusa, whose noble character led the heathen to exclaim: Ah, what wonderful women there are among Christians! with Chrysostom, the golden-mouthed; Monica, who died in the arms of her son, with Augustine, the great theologian; Aletta, of whom an eloquent orator has recently said, I cannot but feel that that saintly mother who died eight hundred years ago in Burgundy has modified the civilisation of the age in which we live--that she has left the touch of her hand immortal on your heart and mine! with Bernard of Clairvaux. And in modern times the mother of the Wesleys is called also the mother of Methodism, such was her impress upon her sons. John Quincey Adams doubtless gave utterance to the sober truth when he said: All I am, or ever have been, in this world, I owe, under God, to my mother. And there is no flower in all the field that owes as much to the sun aa multitudes in the lesser walks of life owe to their mothers. The glory of motherhood has been strikingly set forth by some one who said: God could not be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers. Theirs is the post of honour in the world. They sit upon thrones most regal. Sceptres of unbounded empire are in their hands. O mothers, realise the proud eminence you have attained! Aim to meet well its immense responsibilities, its limitless possibilities. Your children are, in a large degree, at your own disposal. Charles Dickens did not err when he thought that it must be written somewhere that the virtues of mothers should be visited, occasionally, upon their children as well as the sins of fathers. (A. W. Hazen, D. D.)
The king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her.--
A mothers noble recognition
The story is told that not long ago President Loubet paid a brief official visit to a town near his birthplace. A triumphal procession was formed through the town, and the President, seated in the magnificent four-horse state carriage, was driven between long lines of enthusiastic people towards another part of the town, where his old peasant mother patiently awaited his coming. She had a special seat, from which she could have an uninterrupted view of the passing procession. When she caught sight of the magnificent carriage approaching, surrounded by a brilliant cavalry escort, notwithstanding her eighty-six years, she rose quickly to her feet in order to get a better view of her boy, as she always calls the President. The latter, who had been privately told where his mother was, noticed the movement. Seized by a sudden impulse, he ordered the carriage to step, and, turning to the general in attendance, said hastily: For the moment I cease to be President of France, and become a son. Then, springing quickly to the ground, Monsieur Loubet hastened by the garden, which he well knew, to the little stand, caught the quivering old mother in his arms, and embraced her long and silently, while copious tears streamed down her wrinkled cheeks. The large crowd that witnessed this scene of filial affection was so touched as not to be able at first to signify their approval, and it was not till the President was in his carriage again, and the procession was moving once more, that the spell was broken, and the people cheered the dutiful son as he deserved.
A rulers regard for his mother
President Roosevelt, in his life of Oliver Cromwell, tells us how devoted the mother of Cromwell was to her great son, and how he loved her. When he was young, he followed her counsel. When he became Dictator of England, he placed her in the royal palace of Whitehall; and when she died, he buried her in Westminster Abbey. This care for our mothers is one element of greatness which we may all possess.
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On vv26, 28 1Ki_2:26. Not at this time put thee to death—It…
CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.—
1Ki_2:26. Not at this time put thee to death—It did not contain a threat that what was now deferred would be executed at a later date; the sentence would depend on Abiathar’s future conduct.
Read full note →
HOMILETICS OF 1Ki_2:26-27
THE RETRIBUTION OF A FAITHLESS FRIENDSHIP
Formerly, Abiathar had been a firm and attached friend of David, had attended him in all his wanderings when he fled from Saul, and was esteemed by the king with a special tenderness. It may be Abiathar had grown jealous of Zadok, and feared being supplanted by him; or, it may be, he was drawn into rebellion by the masterly strategy and astute opposition of the wilful and discontented Joab. He thus became, equally with Joab, involved in the guilt of treason, though a difference is made in the final judgment passed upon the two. The subject suggested by the whole passage is the retribution of a faithless friendship.
I. That a faithless friendship may merit the severest punishment. “For thou art worthy of death” (1Ki_2:26). Treachery on the part of one we have trusted is an act of basest cruelty; and in proportion to the intimacy enjoyed will be the mischief wrought. It is an exquisitely painful experience when, for the first time, our confidence in human nature is broken. Such an experience has driven many into general infidelity and a reckless course of iniquity. We begin to discover the truth of the proverb—“Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint” (Pro_25:19). Few men can be trusted to do all we expect, still less to do all we require. Faithless conduct is ungrateful. All the kindnesses of a long, fond friendship are forgotten and despised. “He who calls a man ungrateful,” says Swift, “sums up all the evil a man can be guilty of.” Such conduct entails unspeakable suffering. To the pang of disappointment is added a series of disasters. No one sin is alone; it is the cause of many others: it is like the letting out of waters. Such conduct will meet with severe punishment. The unfaithful friend often suffers more than his victim. Conscience will speak, and its every tone is full of torture. The most callous will be goaded into agony by the stings of a retributive remorse.
II. That the severity of retribution is often moderated by the recollection of acts of fidelity in the past.
1. Respect is had to the religious office and conduct of God’s ministers. “Because thou barest the ark of the Lord God” (1Ki_2:26). Whatever we do for God in sincerity and truth will not be forgotten when trouble overtakes us. The virtuous part of a life that may afterwards sink in the moral scale is looked back upon with admiration and regret. Justice draws near with reluctance, and sorrows while it smites.
2. Respect is had to the exhibition of a genuine fellow-sympathy in times of suffering. “And because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted” (1Ki_2:26). Abiathar had been with David in his exile and distress, caused both by the persecution of Saul and the rebellion of Absalom, and shared all the hardships of those trying times. Friendship is cemented and strengthened by suffering. Our love to any one may be measured by the extent we are prepared to suffer for him. The father and brethren of Abiathar were slain for David’s sake. Those who show kindness to God’s people will have it recompensed to them sooner or later. It is a sad reflection that a friendship that has borne the test of suffering may, nevertheless, prove untrue.
III. That the retribution of a faithless friendship consigns its victim to a condition of shame and obscurity.
1. It involves a dismissal from the royal presence. “Get thee to Anathoth, &c.” (1Ki_2:26). This would be a heavy blow to Abiathar, whose life had hitherto been spent at court, and occupied with the highest affairs of state. He must now exchange the excitement and display of the city for the obscurity of Anathoth. And yet he must have dreaded a heavier punishment when he remembered the fate of Adonijah, and the fate that threatened Joab. His life was mercifully spared, though he was excluded from that which had before been the sunshine and joy of his life—the favour of the king. Cain felt his curse all the more bitterly because he was driven from the presence of the Lord; and the lot of the finally impenitent will be all the more unendurable because they are for ever shut out from the presence of the Great King.
2. It involves a degradation from the most honourable office. “So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord” (1Ki_2:27). He had disqualified himself for the holy duties of his office by his opposition to that which he knew was the will of God. “The priesthood of Abiathar, as it aggravated his crime, so it shall preserve his life. Such honour have good princes given to the ministers of the sanctuary that their very coat has been defence enough against the sword of justice: how much more should it be of proof against the contempt of base persons!” Saul cruelly slew the father of Abiathar, and eighty-five priests with their families, for a supposed crime: Solomon spares Abiathar himself, though guilty of a real crime. Mark the judgment of history in those two cases: the government of Saul was disgraced and ruined; the throne of Solomon was established. As men are to God’s ministers, they will find Him to them. When circumstances permit, mildness and forgiveness should go hand-in-hand with justice. The highest ecclesiastical office does not lift a man above the power of the law to punish for wrong-doing.
IV. That the retribution of a faithless friendship may be the unconscious fulfilment of a long-threatened judgment against a sinful generation. “That he might fulfil the word of the Lord, which He spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh” (1Ki_2:27). Eighty years had rolled away since the words of doom were spoken against the house of Eli, and it seemed very unlikely that they would ever be fulfilled (1Sa_2:31-36). But time has no power to wipe out the Divine record, or to enfeeble the justice of the Divine hand. The deposition of Abiathar involved the rejection of the house of Ithamar (1Ch_24:3), to which Eli belonged, and the re-establishment of the high-priesthood in the line of Eleazar, to which Zadok belonged (Num_25:13; 1Ch_24:5-6). The wickedness of a generation cannot be purged away, though its punishment may be arrested by the virtues of individuals. “If God pays slowly, He pays sure. Delay of most certain punishment is neither any hindrance to His justice, nor any comfort to our miseries.” Solomon had no immediate intention of punishing the descendants of Eli, and, perhaps, never thought of the prophecy. Man is often the unconscious instrument of carrying out the Divine purposes. Faithlessness will not go unpunished for want of agencies to punish. All the forces of the universe are at the service of the Supreme Judge. Rebellion in a priest, who should teach loyalty, is doubly criminal.
LESSONS:—
1. A treacherous friend may work serious mischief.
2. Is punished with reluctance.
3. Yet cannot escape the inevitable retribution of his treachery.
GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES
1Ki_2:26-27. Solomon allowed Abiathar to go unpunished at first, which scarcely any other Eastern prince would have done. But when the repeated attempt of Adonijah to seize the kingdom was discovered, Abiathar could no longer be passed over. Yet, instead of inflicting death upon him, he deprived him of his influential office, and let him live at liberty on his estate, on account of his former good behaviour. Here was no severity, but gratitude, kindness, and generosity. Ecclesiastical office can be no protection from just punishment of crime (see Luk_12:47; 1Co_9:27). Former fidelity cannot efface later treachery. It is most lamentable that a man who was faithful in times of trouble should end his career as a sinner (1Co_10:12).—Lange.
1Ki_2:26. “Thou art worthy of death.” The voice of law to the sinner.
1. He has forfeited life by transgression.
2. It is the function of law to convince him of that fact.
3. Law offers no gleam of hope as to any escape from death.
4. Christ alone redeems from the curse of the law.
“Because thou hast been afflicted.” But for this he had now been a dead man. So God by the rod preventeth the sword; and therefore will not condemn his saints for their sins, because they have suffered (1Co_11:31), and in His account have suffered double (Isa_40:1).—Trapp.
1Ki_2:27. Solomon might lawfully take from Abiathar all the revenues of his place, as well as the liberty of officiating in it; but the sacerdotal office, which he received from God, and to which he was anointed, he could not alienate. He was still styled the priest (1Ki_4:4). There is a great difference between depriving a man of the dignity and of the exercise of his function in such a determinate place, and taking from him an authority which was given him by God, and the profits and emoluments which were the gifts of the crown or the nation.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v26 The End of Joab
The End of Joab
v. 26. And unto Abiathar, the priest, said the king, in deposing him and his family from office, Get thee to Anathoth, a priests’ town in the tribe of Benjamin, some five miles northeast of Jerusalem, unto thine own fields, for he had possessions there; for thou art worthy of death, as a conspirator against the king; but I will not at this time put thee to death because thou barest the ark of the Lord God before David, my father, 1Sa 23:6; 2Sa 15:24-29, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted, both during the persecution of Saul and during the rebellion of Absalom.
Read full note →
v. 27. So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord, that he might fulfill the word of the Lord which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh, from whom Abiathar was, through Ithamar, descended. The office of the high priest, from this time forth, passed over to the house of Eleazar, to which Zadok belonged. If a servant of the Word becomes guilty of flagrant transgressions of God’s holy Law, he becomes unworthy of the holy office.
v. 28. Then tidings came to Joab, he received news of the execution of Adonijah and of the deposition of Abiathar; for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, probably the tent of David on Mount Zion, and caught hold on the horns of the altar, the altar being considered a place of refuge, 1Ki 1:50.
v. 29. And it was told King Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the official executioner, saying, Go, fall upon him.
v. 30. And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lord and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. He did not like to perform the execution in the sanctuary. And he, Joab, said, Nay; but I will die here. He relied upon his defiance to save his life. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.
v. 31. And the king, assuming the responsibility, said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and, after the execution, bury him, that thou mayest take away the innocent blood which Joab shed, from me and from the house of my father; for as long as the murderer was unpunished, the blood-guiltiness rested upon the chief magistrate of the land, Num 35:30-31; Deu 19:13.
v. 32. And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon the two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner, the son of Ner, 2Sa 3:27, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa, the son of Jether, 2Sa 20:10, captain of the host of Judah. Thus the blood of these men, which had been shed by Joab in deliberate murder, mould be avenged.
v. 33. Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, to be required at his hand, and upon the head of his seed forever, Cf 2Sa 3:28-29; but upon David and upon his seed and upon his house, his family in all its descendants, and upon his throne, upon the royal office hereditary in his family, shall there be peace forever from the Lord, salvation and blessing in richest measure.
v. 34. So Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went up and fell upon him, in the sanctuary, and slew him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness, that of Judah, not far from Bethlehem and Tekoa.
v. 35. And the king put Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, who till now had been captain of the king’s body-guard, in his room over the host, making him commander-in-chief over the army; and Zadok, the priest, did the king put in the room of Abiathar, the only high priest in office. No matter if one has, for a long time, walked in the paths of righteousness; if he becomes unfaithful to his Lord, he loses the credit of his former conduct and must suffer the penalty of his transgressions.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv19, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 General Information:
General Information:
Bathsheba goes to King Solomon with Adonijah's request.
Read full note →
The king rose
"The king stood up" from where he was sitting on his throne.
had a throne brought
This can be stated in active form. AT: "told someone to bring a throne" (See: Active or Passive)
the king's mother
Bathsheba
you will not turn away from my face ... I will not turn away from your face
Turning from the face of someone is a metonym for refusing to look at someone, which in turn is a metonym for refusing to do what that person requests. See how you translated similar words in 1 Kings 2:16-17. AT: "you will not refuse to do what I request ... I will not refuse to do what you request" (See: Metonymy)
Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah ... as his wife
This can be translated in active form. AT: "Allow Adonijah ... to marry Abishag the Shunammite" or "Give Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah ... as his wife" (See: Active or Passive)
translationWords
raise
bow
throne
right hand
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv19, 22, 26, 28 2:19-21 Solomon understood the intentions behind Adonijah’s small request.…
2:19-21 Solomon understood the intentions behind Adonijah’s small request. Adonijah’s desire to marry Abishag could have launched a claim to the throne, whether or not she was officially in David’s harem.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.