1 Kings 1:18

18 And now behold, Adonijah is king; and now, [a] my lord the king, thou knowest it not.

1 Kings 1:18 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 1:18

And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth
Has set up himself as king, and is by some saluted as such; but lest it should be thought by David that she suggested by this that he was guilty of the breach of his oath, or on any account to be blamed, she adds:

and now my lord, O king, thou knowest [it] not;
which as it acquitted him from all blame, so it made the sin of Adonijah the more heinous, that he should do this without consulting his father about it; and was not only neglect of him as a father, and an act of disrespect and disobedience to him as such, but even of high treason, to assume the throne in his father's lifetime, without his consent.

1 Kings 1:18 In-Context

16 And Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance to the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou?
17 And she said to him, My lord, thou hast sworn by Jehovah thy God to thy handmaid, [saying,] Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.
18 And now behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not.
19 And he has sacrificed oxen and fatted cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the captain of the host; but Solomon thy servant has he not invited.
20 And thou, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Some read 'thou' for 'now.'
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.