1 Kings 1:25
in 1 Kings 1For today he has gone down and sacrificed an abundance of oxen, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king’s sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and say, Long live king Adonijah.
KJV
For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king’s sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah.
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This verse in 1 Kings 1
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA 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.
This site's exposition
Adonijah shall reign after me
on 1 Kings 1:24-27
Nathan's report matches Bathsheba's in every detail and adds one line she did not use, that the guests are eating and drinking before Adonijah and crying God save king Adonijah, the same acclamation formula that will greet Solomon at Gihon within the hour. He frames his own exclusion, with Zadok's, Benaiah's and Solomon's, as a question rather than an accusation, asking whether this was done by David's own order. The question forces David to either own the coronation or disown it, and he answers in the next verse.
This site's exposition
the commanders of the army
Where Bathsheba named Joab, Nathan names the commanders of the army. Matthew Henry gives the reasoning Adonijah acted on. David was too old to rule and Solomon too young, so Adonijah took the government into his own hands.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Athanasius of Alexandria296–373
Discourses Against the Arians 2.3-4 · Written before 373.
proposed
Thus fathers often call their sons their servants, yet without denying the genuineness of their nature. In fact, they often affectionately call their own servants children, yet without losing sight of the fact they did purchase them originally. For they use the one appellation from their authority as fathers, but in the other they speak from affection. Thus Sara called Abraham lord, although she was not a servant but a wife.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
For he is gone down this day,....
His father is not fit to govern, for he is old and past ruling, nor Solomon, for he is young, and not yet able to rule; and therefore Adonijah will take the government upon him.
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י׀ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָרַ֣ד | yarad | he has gone down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| הַיּ֗וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וַ֠יִּזְבַּח | vaiyizbach | and he has sacrificed | H2076 → | 134 times |
| שׁ֥וֹר | shor | ox[en] | H7794 → | |
| וּֽמְרִיא־ | umeri'- | and fatling | H4806 → | 8 times |
| וְצֹאן֮ | vetzon | and sheep | H6629 → | 274 times |
| לָרֹב֒ | laro | to abundance | H7230 → | 149 times |
| וַיִּקְרָא֩ | vaiyikra' | and he has invited | H7121 → | 733 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | <to> all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בְּנֵ֨י | benei | [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וּלְשָׂרֵ֤י | ulesarei | and <to> [the] commanders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| הַצָּבָא֙ | hatzava' | the army | H6635 → | 485 times |
| וּלְאֶבְיָתָ֣ר | uleevyatar | and <to> Abiathar | H54 → | 30 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֔ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וְהִנָּ֛ם | vehinam | and there they | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אֹכְלִ֥ים | ʾokhelim | [are] eating | H398 → | 810 times |
| וְשֹׁתִ֖ים | veshotim | and drinking | H8354 → | 217 times |
| לְפָנָ֑יו | lefanav | <to> before him | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ | vaiyomeru | and they have said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְחִ֖י | yechi | may he live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲדֹנִיָּֽהוּ׃ | ʾadoniyahu | Adonijah | H138 → | 26 times |
כִּ֣י׀for
kiH3588 →4482 times
יָרַ֣דhe has gone down
yaradH3381 →381 times
הַיּ֗וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
וַ֠יִּזְבַּחand he has sacrificed
vaiyizbachH2076 →134 times
שׁ֥וֹרox[en]
shorH7794 →
וּֽמְרִיא־and fatling
umeri'-H4806 →8 times
וְצֹאן֮and sheep
vetzonH6629 →274 times
לָרֹב֒to abundance
laroH7230 →149 times
וַיִּקְרָא֩and he has invited
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
לְכָל־<to> all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
בְּנֵ֨י[the] sons of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וּלְשָׂרֵ֤יand <to> [the] commanders of
ulesareiH8269 →421 times
הַצָּבָא֙the army
hatzava'H6635 →485 times
וּלְאֶבְיָתָ֣רand <to> Abiathar
uleevyatarH54 →30 times
הַכֹּהֵ֔ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
וְהִנָּ֛םand there they
vehinamH2009 →843 times
אֹכְלִ֥ים[are] eating
ʾokhelimH398 →810 times
וְשֹׁתִ֖יםand drinking
veshotimH8354 →217 times
לְפָנָ֑יו<to> before him
lefanavH6440 →2123 times
וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּand they have said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
יְחִ֖יmay he live
yechiH2421 →282 times
הַמֶּ֥לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֲדֹנִיָּֽהוּ׃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
Matthew 21:9The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”
it leads to
- Psalms 118:24–26
This is the day that the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
- Luke 2:14
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!”
- John 12:13–15
They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
- Matthew 23:39
For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
- Luke 19:37–38
And as He approached the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples began to praise God joyfully in a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen:
- Psalms 118:24–26
Through
1 Kings 1:9And Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened calves near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel. He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah who were servants of…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 17:17
Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, where a servant girl would come and pass along information to them. They in turn would go and inform King David, for they dared not be…
- 2 Samuel 17:17
Through
1 Samuel 10:24Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 21:6
let seven of his male descendants be delivered to us so that we may hang them before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD.” “I will give them to you,”…
- 1 Kings 1:39
Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!”
- 2 Samuel 21:6
Where this verse is studied
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About 1 Kings

This page draws on Athanasius of Alexandria, Discourses Against the Arians 2.3-4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
