1 Kings 2:21-31

21 So she said, "Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife."

22 King Solomon answered his mother, "Why are you requesting Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my elder brother, you might as well ask the kingship for him,^[a] for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah."^[b]

23 Then Solomon took an oath by the Lord: "May God punish me and do so severely if Adonijah has not made this request at the cost of his life.

24 And now, as the Lord lives, the One who established me, seated me on the throne of my father David, and made me a dynasty as He promised^[c]-I swear Adonijah will be put to death today!"

25 Then King Solomon gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck down Adonijah, and he died.

Abiathar's Banishment

26 The king said to Abiathar the priest, "Go to your fields in Anathoth. Even though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death today, since you carried the ark of the Lord God in the presence of my father David and you suffered through all that my father suffered."

27 So Solomon banished Abiathar from being the Lord's priest, and it fulfilled the Lord's prophecy He had spoken at Shiloh against Eli's family.^[d]

Joab's Execution

28 The news reached Joab. Since he had supported Adonijah but not Absalom,^[e] Joab fled to the Lord's tabernacle and took hold of the horns of the altar.^[f]

29 It was reported to King Solomon: "Joab has fled to the Lord's tabernacle and is now beside the altar." Then Solomon sent^[g] Benaiah son of Jehoiada and told [him], "Go and strike him down!"

30 So Benaiah went to the tabernacle and said to Joab, "This is what the king says: 'Come out!' " But Joab said, "No, for I will die here." So Benaiah took a message back to the king, "This is what Joab said, and this is how he answered me."

31 The king said to him, "Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him in order to remove from me and from my father's house the blood that Joab shed without just cause.

1 Kings 2:21-31 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KING 2

This chapter gives an account of the charge David gave to his son Solomon, a little before his death, to walk in the ways of the Lord, 1Ki 2:1-4; and of some instructions delivered to him concerning some particular persons he should either show favour to, or execute justice on, 1Ki 2:5-9; and the next account in it is concerning his death and burial, and the years of his reign, 1Ki 2:10,11; after which it relates an address of Bathsheba to Solomon in favour of Adonijah, which was refused, and the issue of it was his death, 1Ki 2:12-25; and the deposition of Abiathar from the priesthood, 1Ki 2:26,27; and the putting of Joab to death for his treason and murders, 1Ki 2:28-34; in whose post Benaiah was put, as Zadok was in the place of Abiathar, 1Ki 2:35; and lastly the confinement of Shimei in Jerusalem, who had cursed David, 1Ki 2:36-38; who upon transgressing the orders given him was put to death, 1Ki 2:39-46.

Footnotes

• [a] 2 Sm 16:20-22
• [b] LXX, Vg, Syr read kingship for him, and on his side are Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah
• [c] 2 Sm 7:11-13
• [d] 1 Sm 2:31-35
• [e] 2 Sm 18:1-5,14
• [f] 1 Kg 1:50
• [g] LXX adds Joab a message: "What is the matter with you, that you have fled to the altar?" And Joab replied, "Because I feared you, I have fled to the Lord." And Solomon the king sent