1 Kings 1:11
in 1 Kings 1Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king, and our lord David does not know it?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?
KJV
Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath–sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?
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This verse in 1 Kings 1
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The son of Haggith - Compare the margin reference. This expression was well chosen to touch the pride of Bath-sheba. “Adonijah; not thy son, but the son of thy rival, Haggith.”
This site's exposition
Adonijah son of Haggith has become king
on 1 Kings 1:11-12
Nathan learns of the feast and moves first, going to Bathsheba. This is the same Nathan who carried the dynastic promise of 2 Sam 7, now acting to secure the son that promise named. His warning is blunt: without action now, both her life and Solomon's are at risk.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), and that it was not with David's consent or knowledge. He suggested to her that not only Solomon was in danger of losing the crown, but that he and she too were in danger of losing their lives if Adonijah prevailed.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Bathsheba - Who being retired and private in her apartment, was ignorant of what was done abroad: and, who was likely to be most zealous in the cause, and most prevalent with David.
Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Adonijah, in common with the people generally, expected that this natural arrangement should be followed in the Hebrew kingdom as in all others. Nathan, who was aware of the old king's solemn promise to Solomon, and, moreover, that this promise was sanctioned by the divine will, saw that no time was to be lost.
Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign - He was now considered as being legally appointed to the regal office, and no doubt was about to begin to perform its functions.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And his brother Shlomo, he did not invite. For he knew that the prophet had prophesied about him that he would reign.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And you will save your life. From the rivalry which will follow the death of the king, for your son will wish to reign, as the Holy One Blessed Is He, had promised him.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| נָתָ֗ן | natan | Nathan | H5416 → | 41 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בַּת־ | bat- | Bath- | H1339 → | 20 times |
| שֶׁ֤בַע | sheva' | -sheba | H1339 → | 20 times |
| אֵם־ | ʾem- | [the] mother of | H517 → | 220 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹה֙ | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הֲל֣וֹא | halo' | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁמַ֔עַתְּ | shamaat | have you heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מָלַ֖ךְ | malakh | he has become king | H4427 → | 348 times |
| אֲדֹנִיָּ֣הוּ | ʾadoniyahu | Adonijah | H138 → | 26 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| חַגִּ֑ית | chagit | Haggith | H2294 → | 5 times |
| וַאֲדֹנֵ֥ינוּ | vaadoneinu | and lord<s> our | H113 → | 333 times |
| דָוִ֖ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָדָֽע׃ | yada' | he knows | H3045 → | 945 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
נָתָ֗ןNathan
natanH5416 →41 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בַּת־Bath-
bat-H1339 →20 times
שֶׁ֤בַע-sheba
sheva'H1339 →20 times
אֵם־[the] mother of
ʾem-H517 →220 times
שְׁלֹמֹה֙Solomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
הֲל֣וֹא¿ not
halo'H3808 →5168 times
שָׁמַ֔עַתְּhave you heard
shamaatH8085 →1159 times
כִּ֥יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
מָלַ֖ךְhe has become king
malakhH4427 →348 times
אֲדֹנִיָּ֣הוּAdonijah
ʾadoniyahuH138 →26 times
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
חַגִּ֑יתHaggith
chagitH2294 →5 times
וַאֲדֹנֵ֥ינוּand lord<s> our
vaadoneinuH113 →333 times
דָוִ֖דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יָדָֽע׃he knows
yada'H3045 →945 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
7 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Chronicles 29:1Then King David said to the whole assembly, “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great because this palace is not for man, but for…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 22:5
And David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent—famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore I must make preparations for…
- 1 Kings 3:7
And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in.
- 2 Chronicles 13:7
Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.
- 2 Chronicles 2:4–5
Behold, I am about to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God to dedicate to Him for burning fragrant incense before Him, for displaying the showbread continuously, and for making…
- 1 Chronicles 28:1
Now David summoned all the leaders of Israel to Jerusalem: the leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the divisions in the king’s service, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials…
- 1 Chronicles 22:5
Through
2 Samuel 3:4his fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith; his fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital;
it leads to
- 1 Kings 2:13–25
Now Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, and she asked, “Do you come in peace?” “Yes, in peace,” he replied.
- 1 Kings 1:5–18
At that time Adonijah, David’s son by Haggith, began to exalt himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he acquired chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run ahead of him.
- 1 Kings 2:13–25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
On this chapter
About 1 Kings

Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PersonSolomonDavid's son and the third king of Israel; the temple-builder and wisdom-king, to whom Psalms 72 and 127 are ascribed.
- PersonUnited monarchyNathanThe prophet at David's court who carried the covenant promise of 2 Samuel 7 and later the parable of the ewe lamb — "thou art the…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); F. W. Farrar, The First Book of Kings (Expositor's Bible); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
