1 Kings 1:52
in 1 Kings 1And Solomon replied, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he will die.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Solomon said, If he shall show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth; but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die.
KJV
And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.
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This verse in 1 Kings 1
Commentary
7 notes on this verse"Not one of his hairs shall fall to the ground," that is, he shall not undergo any punishment of the guilty, if he proves to be innocent; but he will deserve capital punishment, if he is found to conspire against my sovereignty. Indeed, if he …
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Adonijah is sent for, and told upon what terms he stands, which he signifies his grateful submission to, and then is told to go to his house and live retired there. Solomon not only gave him his life, but his estate, thus establishing his throne by mercy.
And Solomon said, if he will show himself a worthy man,....
David, as recorded in the foregoing chapter, had, by the great mercy of God, escaped the sword of the destroying angel. But our deliverances from or through diseases and dangers are but reprieves; if the candle be not blown out, it will burn out of itself. We have David here sinking under the infirmities of old age, and brought by them to the gates of the grave.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The horns or projections at the four corners of the altar, to which the sacrifices were bound, and which were tipped with the blood of the victim, were symbols of grace and salvation to the sinner. Hence the altar was regarded as a sanctuary (Ex 21:14), but not to murderers, rebels, or deliberate perpetrators.
If he will show himself a worthy man - If, from henceforth, he behave well, show himself to be contented, and not endeavor to make partisans, or stir up insurrections among the people, he shall be safe; but if wickedness be found in him - if he act at all contrary to this - he shall die; his blood shall be upon him.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
There shalt not an hair ... - This was a proverbial expression, meaning “he shall suffer no hurt at all.” Solomon’s clemency in pardoning Adonijah is very remarkable. In the East not only are pretenders almost always punished with death, but it has often been the custom for each king upon his accession to put to death all his brothers as mere possible pretenders.
The words behind it
15 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 |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| אִ֚ם | ʾim | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יִהְיֶ֣ה | yihyeh | he will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְבֶן־ | leven- | <into> a son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| חַ֔יִל | chayil | worth | H2428 → | 246 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִפֹּ֥ל | yipol | it will fall | H5307 → | 435 times |
| מִשַּׂעֲרָת֖וֹ | misaarato | one of hair[s] his | H8185 → | |
| אָ֑רְצָה | ʾaretzah | [the] ground towards | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| רָעָ֥ה | raah | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| תִמָּצֵא־ | timatze'- | it will be found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| ב֖וֹ | vo | in him | ||
| וָמֵֽת׃ | vamet | and he will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֔הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
אִ֚םif
ʾimH518 →1069 times
יִהְיֶ֣הhe will become
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
לְבֶן־<into> a son of
leven-H1121 →4930 times
חַ֔יִלworth
chayilH2428 →246 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִפֹּ֥לit will fall
yipolH5307 →435 times
מִשַּׂעֲרָת֖וֹone of hair[s] his
misaaratoH8185 →
אָ֑רְצָה[the] ground towards
ʾaretzahH776 →2504 times
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
רָעָ֥הevil
raahH7451 →662 times
תִמָּצֵא־it will be found
timatze'-H4672 →455 times
ב֖וֹin him
vo
וָמֵֽת׃and he will die
vametH4191 →839 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
Proverbs 13:6Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness undermines the sinner.
it leads to
- Proverbs 11:3
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the perversity of the faithless destroys them.
- Proverbs 11:5–6
The righteousness of the blameless directs their path, but the wicked fall by their own wickedness.
- Proverbs 11:3
Through
1 Samuel 14:45But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die—he who accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the…
it leads to
- Matthew 10:30
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 21:18
Yet not even a hair of your head will perish.
- 2 Samuel 14:11
“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD…
- Acts 27:34
So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.”
- Matthew 10:30
Through
Proverbs 21:12The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked and brings the wicked to ruin.
it leads to
- Proverbs 14:11
The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
- Psalms 37:35–36
I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,
- Proverbs 14:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, Commentary (church-history corpus); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.