1 Kings 2:23
in 1 Kings 2Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then king Solomon sware by Jehovah, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah hath not spoken this word against his own life.
KJV
Then king Solomon sware by the Lord, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.
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This verse in 1 Kings 2
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Against his own life - Adonijah had forfeited his life by his former conduct, and his pardon had been merely conditional 1Ki 1:52.
This site's exposition
you might as well request the kingdom for him
on 1 Kings 2:22-25
Solomon hears the request as a claim on the throne, the reading 2 Samuel 16:20-22 gave Absalom's act. Adonijah's word, that the kingship came from the LORD, is answered by the LORD “who founded for me a dynasty as He promised”. Benaiah carries out the sentence the same day.
This site's exposition
at the expense of his life
Adonijah is snared by his own words, in Matthew Henry’s phrase. Albert Barnes ties the sentence to 1:52, where King Solomon spared Adonijah’s life on condition of his conduct. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown add that the request for David’s wife was a crime against the state by Eastern custom.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Bathsheba may be imposed upon, but Solomon cannot; he plainly sees what Adonijah aims at, and concludes, "He has spoken this word against his own life; he is snared in the words of his own lips; now he shows what he would be at." He condemns him to die immediately: He shall be put to death this day,
Then King Solomon sware by the Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
God do so to me, and more also--the common form of introducing a solemn oath. if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life--Whether there was a treasonable design to conceal under this request or not, the act, according to Eastern notions, was criminal, and of dangerous consequence to the state.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשָּׁבַע֙ | vaiyishava' | and he swore an oath | H7650 → | 186 times |
| הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| בַּֽיהוָ֖ה | bayahweh | by Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לֵאמֹ֑ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כֹּ֣ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| יַֽעֲשֶׂה־ | yaaseh- | may he do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לִּ֤י | li | to me | ||
| אֱלֹהִים֙ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְכֹ֣ה | vekhoh | and thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| יוֹסִ֔יף | yosif | may he add | H3254 → | 212 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בְנַפְשׁ֔וֹ | venafsho | by own life his | H5315 → | 754 times |
| דִּבֶּר֙ | diber | he has spoken | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֲדֹ֣נִיָּ֔הוּ | ʾadoniyahu | Adonijah | H138 → | 26 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּבָ֖ר | hadavar | the word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיִּשָּׁבַע֙and he swore an oath
vaiyishava'H7650 →186 times
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֔הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
בַּֽיהוָ֖הby Yahweh
bayahwehH3068 →6520 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
כֹּ֣הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
יַֽעֲשֶׂה־may he do
yaaseh-H6213 →2628 times
לִּ֤יto me
li
אֱלֹהִים֙God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
וְכֹ֣הand thus
vekhohH3541 →577 times
יוֹסִ֔יףmay he add
yosifH3254 →212 times
כִּ֣יif
kiH3588 →4482 times
בְנַפְשׁ֔וֹby own life his
venafshoH5315 →754 times
דִּבֶּר֙he has spoken
diberH1696 →1141 times
אֲדֹ֣נִיָּ֔הוּAdonijah
ʾadoniyahuH138 →26 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדָּבָ֖רthe word
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 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
Psalms 64:8They will be made to stumble, their own tongues turned against them. All who see will shake their heads.
it leads to
- Proverbs 18:7
A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 12:13
An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech, but a righteous man escapes from trouble.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 18:7
Through
Ruth 1:17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 3:17
“What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.”
- 2 Samuel 19:13
And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
- 2 Kings 6:31
He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!”
- 1 Samuel 25:22
May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of Nabal’s men survive until morning.”
- 1 Kings 20:10
Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.”
- 1 Samuel 3:17
Through
Psalms 140:9May the heads of those who surround me be covered in the trouble their lips have caused.
it leads to
- Psalms 7:16
His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.
- Psalms 7:16
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.