1 Kings 1:19

19 (and) he hath slain oxen, and all fat things, and full many rams; and he hath called all the sons of the king, also Abiathar [the] priest, and Joab, the prince of the chivalry (the leader of the cavalry, or of the army); but he called not Solomon, thy servant.

1 Kings 1:19 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 1:19

And he hath slain oxen, and fat cattle, and sheep in
abundance
Has made a grand entertainment, and is feasting and rejoicing; which was another instance of irreverence and disrespect to his aged father, labouring under the infirmities of old age, and on his dying bed, and he carousing, and showing all the tokens of pleasure in the view of his death, and wishing for it:

and hath called all the sons of the king;
invited them to his entertainment, in order to gain them to his interest:

and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host;
two persons, though of eminent rank, she knew David had no respect for, and therefore it would not be pleasing to him to hear that they were invited, had this affair been more acceptable than it was; Bathsheba, considering the shortness of the time she had to think, and the flurry she must be in, very artfully threw together the most material things that might work upon the mind of David in her favour:

but Solomon thy servant hath he not called;
which made it a plain case that it was not a feast of a peace offering, nor a common friendly entertainment, but a feast made on account of his accession to the throne; and that he looked upon Solomon as his rival, and bore an ill will to him on that account, and bad a design upon him.

1 Kings 1:19 In-Context

17 And she answered, and said, My lord the king, thou hast sworn to thine handmaid by thy Lord God, (and said,) Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit in my throne (and he shall sit on my throne);
18 and lo! Adonijah hath reigned now (and lo! Adonijah hath made himself king now), while thou, my lord the king, knowest (it) not;
19 (and) he hath slain oxen, and all fat things, and full many rams; and he hath called all the sons of the king, also Abiathar [the] priest, and Joab, the prince of the chivalry (the leader of the cavalry, or of the army); but he called not Solomon, thy servant.
20 Nevertheless, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel behold into thee, that thou show to them, who oughteth to sit in thy throne, my lord the king, after thee; (Now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel look to thee, for thou to tell them, who ought to sit on thy throne, my lord the king, after thee;)
21 and it shall be, (that) when my lord the king hath slept with his fathers, I and my son Solomon shall be (reckoned as) sinners, that is, Adonijah shall put on us crimes, to deprive us from life. (or else it shall be, that when my lord the king sleepeth with his forefathers, that is, when he dieth, I and my son Solomon shall be reckoned as sinners, that is, Adonijah shall put crimes upon us to deprive us of life.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.