1 Kings 1:13
in 1 Kings 1Go at once to King David and say, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your maidservant, “Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thy handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?
KJV
Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?
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This verse in 1 Kings 1
Commentary
5 notes on this verseGo and get thee in unto King David - He knew that this woman had a sovereign influence over the king. If Bath-sheba was a source of pleasure to David, must she not also have been a source of pain to him? For could he ever forget the guilty manner in which he acquired her? Didst not thou - swear - It is very likely that David made such an oath, and that was known only to Bath-sheba and Nathan. It is nowhere else mentioned.
This site's exposition
Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign
on 1 Kings 1:13-14
Nathan writes Bathsheba's script for her nearly word for word, down to David's own oath that Solomon shall reign after him and sit on his throne. He promises to follow her into the chamber and confirm her words, a second witness by design, matching the two-mouth standard Deut 19:15 set for establishing a matter. The plan works because it stands on David's own prior promise, not on a new claim.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
) to go to the king, to remind him of his word and oath, that Solomon should be his successor; and to ask him in the most humble manner, Why doth Adonijah reign? He thought David was not so cold but this would warm him. Conscience, as well as a sense of honour, would put life into him upon such an occasion as this; and he promised (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
Go and get thee in unto King David,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
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
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְכִ֞י | lekhi | come | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וּבֹ֣אִי׀ | uvoi | and go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| דָּוִ֗ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וְאָמַ֤רְתְּ | veamart | and you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָיו֙ | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הֲלֹֽא־ | halo'- | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אַתָּ֞ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֣י | ʾadoni | O lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| נִשְׁבַּ֤עְתָּ | nishba'ta | did you swear an oath | H7650 → | 186 times |
| לַאֲמָֽתְךָ֙ | laamatekha | to maidservant your | H519 → | 56 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֤ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| בְנֵךְ֙ | venekh | son your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִמְלֹ֣ךְ | yimlokh | he will reign | H4427 → | 348 times |
| אַחֲרַ֔י | ʾacharai | after me | H310 → | 715 times |
| וְה֖וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| יֵשֵׁ֣ב | yeshev | he will sit | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כִּסְאִ֑י | kisi | throne my | H3678 → | 135 times |
| וּמַדּ֖וּעַ | umadua' | and why? | H4069 → | 72 times |
| מָלַ֥ךְ | malakh | has he become king | H4427 → | 348 times |
| אֲדֹנִיָֽהוּ׃ | ʾadoniyahu | Adonijah | H138 → | 26 times |
לְכִ֞יcome
lekhiH1980 →1546 times
וּבֹ֣אִי׀and go
uvoiH935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
דָּוִ֗דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
וְאָמַ֤רְתְּand you will say
veamartH559 →5305 times
אֵלָיו֙to him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
הֲלֹֽא־¿ not
halo'-H3808 →5168 times
אַתָּ֞הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
אֲדֹנִ֣יO lord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
נִשְׁבַּ֤עְתָּdid you swear an oath
nishba'taH7650 →186 times
לַאֲמָֽתְךָ֙to maidservant your
laamatekhaH519 →56 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֤הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
בְנֵךְ֙son your
venekhH1121 →4930 times
יִמְלֹ֣ךְhe will reign
yimlokhH4427 →348 times
אַחֲרַ֔יafter me
ʾacharaiH310 →715 times
וְה֖וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
יֵשֵׁ֣בhe will sit
yeshevH3427 →1079 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כִּסְאִ֑יthrone my
kisiH3678 →135 times
וּמַדּ֖וּעַand why?
umadua'H4069 →72 times
מָלַ֥ךְhas he become king
malakhH4427 →348 times
אֲדֹנִיָֽהוּ׃Adonijah
ʾadoniyahuH138 →26 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
1 Kings 2:12So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was firmly established.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 1:1
Now Solomon son of David established himself securely over his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and highly exalted him.
- 1 Chronicles 29:23–25
So Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of his father David. He prospered, and all Israel obeyed him.
- Psalms 72:8–20
May he rule from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
- Psalms 132:12
If your sons keep My covenant and the testimony I will teach them, then their sons will also sit on your throne forever and ever.”
- 2 Samuel 7:29
Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with Your blessing the house of…
- 2 Chronicles 1:1
Through
1 Kings 1:30I will carry out this very day exactly what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 1:17
“My lord,” she replied, “you yourself swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God: ‘Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne.’
- 1 Kings 1:17
Through
1 Kings 1:17“My lord,” she replied, “you yourself swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God: ‘Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne.’
it leads to
- 1 Kings 1:30
I will carry out this very day exactly what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my…
- Genesis 18:12
So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
- 1 Kings 1:30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About 1 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the 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; Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.