1 Kings 2:15-25

15 And he said, Thou knowest that the realm was mine, and all Israel purposed to make me into king to them; but the realm is translated, and is made my brother's; for of the Lord it is ordained to him. (And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel purposed to make me king over them; but the kingdom was taken away from me, and made my brother's; for the Lord ordained it to him.)

16 Now therefore I pray of thee one asking; shame thou not my face. And she said to him, Speak thou.

17 And he said, I pray, that thou say to Solomon the king; for he may not deny anything to thee; that he give me Abishag of Shunem to wife (that he give me Abishag of Shunem for a wife).

18 And Bathsheba said, Well, I shall speak for thee to the king.

19 Therefore Bathsheba came to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah; and the king rose against the coming of her, and worshipped her, and sat on his throne; and a throne was set to the mother of the king, and she sat at his right side. (And so Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah; and the king rose up to greet her, and honoured her, and then sat down on his throne; and a throne was put in place for the king's mother, and she sat at his right side.)

20 And she said to him, I pray of thee one little asking; shame thou not my face. And the king said to her, My mother, ask thou; for it is not leaveful that I turn away thy face (for it would not be right for me to refuse thee).

21 And she said, (Let) Abishag of Shunem be given (for a) wife to Adonijah, thy brother.

22 And king Solomon answered, and said to his mother, Why askest thou (only for) Abishag of Shunem to Adonijah? Ask thou to him also the realm (Why askest thou only for Abishag of Shunem for Adonijah? Why not ask thou also for the kingdom for him?); certainly he is mine elder brother, and he hath Abiathar, (the) priest, and Joab, the son of Zeruiah.

23 Therefore king Solomon swore by the Lord, and said, God do to me these things, and add these things too, for Adonijah hath spoken this word against his (own) life.

24 And now the Lord liveth, that hath confirmed me, and hath set me on the throne of [David,] my father, and that hath made to me an house, as he spake, for Adonijah shall be slain today. (And now as the Lord liveth, who hath firmly established me, and hath put me on the throne of my father David, and who hath made a house for me, as he promised, let Adonijah be killed today!)

25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada; and Benaiah slew Adonijah, and he was dead (and so he died).

1 Kings 2:15-25 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.