1 Kings 1:49

49 Then all of Adonijah’s guests jumped up in panic from the banquet table and quickly scattered.

1 Kings 1:49 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 1:49

And all the guests that [were] with Adonijah [were] afraid,
&c.] Though many of them were military men, the general of the army, and the captains thereof, ( 1 Kings 1:19 1 Kings 1:25 ) ; yet they were struck with a panic, their courage failed them, they had no spirit left in them, their hearts became as weak as water; had they exerted themselves according to their character, betaken themselves to arms, and put themselves at the head of their troops in favour of Adonijah, it would have given Solomon and his friends a great deal of trouble; no doubt this panic was of God:

and rose up, and went every man his way;
or to his house, as the Arabic version; on hearing what Jonathan reported, they immediately rose up from table in great haste, and made the best of their way to their houses, that it might not be known that they had been with Adonijah.

1 Kings 1:49 In-Context

47 And all the royal officials have gone to King David and congratulated him, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s fame even greater than your own, and may Solomon’s reign be even greater than yours!’ Then the king bowed his head in worship as he lay in his bed,

48 and he said, ‘Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who today has chosen a successor to sit on my throne while I am still alive to see it.’”

49 Then all of Adonijah’s guests jumped up in panic from the banquet table and quickly scattered.

50 Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed on to the horns of the altar.

51 Word soon reached Solomon that Adonijah had seized the horns of the altar in fear, and that he was pleading, “Let King Solomon swear today that he will not kill me!”