1 Kings 1:8

8 But ¹Zadok the priest, ²Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, ³Nathan the prophet, ⁴Shimei, Rei, and ⁵the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

1 Kings 1:8 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 1:8

But Zadok the priest
Who bid fair to be the high priest on Solomon's coming to the throne as he was:

and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada;
who was near David's person, and over his bodyguards, the Cherethites and Pelethites:

and Nathan the prophet;
a very great intimate of David's, and his seer, whom he consulted on all occasions:

and Shimei;
who, according to Abarbinel, was Shimei the son of Gera, who had cursed David, and was afraid of entering into the conspiracy, lest he should be involved in trouble again: though some think this may be that Shimei, one of Solomon's twelve officers, as after constituted, ( 1 Kings 4:18 ) ;

and Rei;
whom the same writer takes to be Hushai the Archite, David's friend:

and the mighty men which [belonged] to David;
that were about his person, his guards, the Cherethites and Pelethites:

were not with Adonijah;
they did not join him, and indeed were not invited by him.

1 Kings 1:8 In-Context

6 His father had never crossed him at any time by asking, "Why have you done so?" And he was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom.

7 He had conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and following Adonijah they helped him.

8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah, the king's servants.

10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and Solomon his brother.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Samuel 20:25; 1 Chronicles 16:39
• 2. 2 Samuel 8:18
• 3. 2 Samuel 12:1
• 4. 1 Kings 4:18
• 5. 2 Samuel 23:8-39