1 Kings 1:20

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;)

1 Kings 1:20 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 1:20

And thou, my lord, O king
As for thee, or what concerns thee, or is incumbent on thee, will appear from the expectations of the people:

the eyes of all Israel [are] upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them
who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him;
this she said, to dissipate any fears that might possess his mind on hearing what Adonijah had done, that the people in general had assented to it, and encouraged him to it; whereas the body of the people were waiting to hear what was the will and determination of David: for they not only considered him as having a power to name a successor, as was afterwards done by Rehoboam, but as one that had the mind of God revealed to him who should be his successor, to which they should pay a regard.

1 Kings 1:20 In-Context

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.)
22 While she spake yet with the king, Nathan, the prophet, came. (Yet while she spoke with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.