1 Kings 2:17-27

17 He said, Please speak to Shlomo the king (for he will not tell you 'no'), that he give me Avishag the Shunammite as wife.

18 Bat-Sheva said, Well; I will speak for you to the king.

19 Bat-Sheva therefore went to king Shlomo, to speak to him for Adoniyahu. The king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.

20 Then she said, I ask one small petition of you; don't deny me. The king said to her, Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny you.

21 She said, Let Avishag the Shunammite be given to Adoniyahu your brother as wife.

22 King Shlomo answered his mother, Why do you ask Avishag the Shunammite for Adoniyahu? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is my elder brother; even for him, and for Avyatar the Kohen, and for Yo'av the son of Tzeru'yah.

23 Then king Shlomo swore by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adoniyahu has not spoken this word against his own life.

24 Now therefore as the LORD lives, who has established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, as he promised, surely Adoniyahu shall be put to death this day.

25 King Shlomo sent by Benayah the son of Yehoiada; and he fell on him, so that he died.

26 To Avyatar the Kohen said the king, Get you to `Anatot, to your own fields; for you are worthy of death: but I will not at this time put you to death, because you bear the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because you were afflicted in all in which my father was afflicted.

27 So Shlomo thrust out Avyatar from being Kohen to the LORD, that he might fulfill the word of the LORD, which he spoke concerning the house of `Eli in Shiloh.

1 Kings 2:17-27 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.