1 Kings 2:23

23 Then King Shlomo swore by ADONAI, "May God do terrible things to me and worse if Adoniyah hasn't condemned himself to death with this request!

1 Kings 2:23 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 2:23

Then King Solomon sware by the Lord
To prevent his mother pressing him to have her petition granted:

saying, God do so to me, and more also;
lay such and such evils upon me, and more than I care to express:

if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life;
to his own prejudice, and even to the loss of his life; in which Solomon suggests it would issue, being a fresh overt act of treason; he knew, from what Bathsheba said, that this was his petition, and that he had spoken of this to her, and put her upon making it for him; and who no doubt related to Solomon the whole of the conversation that passed between them, and to which he seems to have some respect in his answer.

1 Kings 2:23 In-Context

21 She said, "Let Avishag the Shunamit be given to Adoniyah your brother as his wife."

22 King Shlomo answered his mother, "Why are you asking Avishag the Shunamit for Adoniyah? Ask the kingdom for him too! After all, he's my older brother! Yes, for him, and for Evyatar the cohen and for Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah!"

23 Then King Shlomo swore by ADONAI, "May God do terrible things to me and worse if Adoniyah hasn't condemned himself to death with this request!

24 Now therefore, as ADONAI lives, who has established me, put me on the throne of David my father and set up a dynasty for me, as he promised, Adoniyah will certainly be put to death today."

25 King Shlomo commissioned B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada, and he struck him down, so that he died.