1 Kings 1:42
in 1 Kings 1As he was speaking, suddenly Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest arrived. “Come in,” said Adonijah, “for you are a man of valor. You must be bringing good news.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
While he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said, Come in; for thou art a worthy man, and bringest good tidings.
KJV
And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.
⋯
This verse in 1 Kings 1
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Jonathan had acted in a similar capacity, as a carrier of intelligence, in the time of Absalom’s attempt 2Sa 15:36; 2Sa 17:17; but at that time, like his father, he was faithful to David, and “a valiant man,” “a virtuous man,” or “a man of worth.” (See 1Ki 1:52; Pro 12:4.)
This site's exposition
thou art a valiant man
on 1 Kings 1:42-43
Adonijah welcomes Jonathan, son of Abiathar the priest, as a bringer of good tidings, the same Jonathan who carried word to David during Absalom's revolt in 2 Sam 17:17-21. The welcome is the last calm moment in the chapter for Adonijah's party. Jonathan answers with a verdict before he gives a single detail, our lord king David hath made Solomon king, and everything that follows in his report only supports it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came,....
Usurpers flatter themselves with the hopes of success, and those are commonly least timorous whose condition is most dangerous. But how can those who do evil deeds expect to have good tidings?
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The arrival of a trusty messenger, who gave a full detail of the coronation ceremony [1Ki 1:43-48], spread dismay in their camp. The wicked and ambitious plot they had assembled to execute was dissipated, and every one of the conspirators consulted his safety by flight. ADONIJAH, FLEEING TO THE HORNS OF THE ALTAR, IS DISMISSED BY SOLOMON.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עוֹדֶ֣נּוּ | odenu | still he | H5750 → | 490 times |
| מְדַבֵּ֔ר | medaber | [was] speaking | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֧ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| יוֹנָתָ֛ן | yonatan | Jonathan | H3129 → | |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֶבְיָתָ֥ר | ʾevyatar | Abiathar | H54 → | 30 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֖ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| בָּ֑א | ba' | he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲדֹנִיָּ֙הוּ֙ | ʾadoniyahu | Adonijah | H138 → | 26 times |
| בֹּ֔א | bo' | come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אִ֥ישׁ | ʾish | [are] a man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| חַ֛יִל | chayil | worth | H2428 → | 246 times |
| אַ֖תָּה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וְט֥וֹב | vetov | and good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| תְּבַשֵּֽׂר׃ | tevaser | you bear news | H1319 → |
עוֹדֶ֣נּוּstill he
odenuH5750 →490 times
מְדַבֵּ֔ר[was] speaking
medaberH1696 →1141 times
וְהִנֵּ֧הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
יוֹנָתָ֛ןJonathan
yonatanH3129 →
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אֶבְיָתָ֥רAbiathar
ʾevyatarH54 →30 times
הַכֹּהֵ֖ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
בָּ֑אhe came
ba'H935 →2568 times
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֲדֹנִיָּ֙הוּ֙Adonijah
ʾadoniyahuH138 →26 times
בֹּ֔אcome
bo'H935 →2568 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אִ֥ישׁ[are] a man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
חַ֛יִלworth
chayilH2428 →246 times
אַ֖תָּהyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וְט֥וֹבand good
vetovH2896 →538 times
תְּבַשֵּֽׂר׃you bear news
tevaserH1319 →
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
2 Samuel 17:17Now 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…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 15:27
The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace—you with your son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar with his son Jonathan.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 15:36
Indeed, their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with everything you hear.”
- Joshua 15:7
Then the border went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning north to Gilgal, which faces the Ascent of Adummim south of the ravine. It continued along the waters of En-shemesh and…
- Joshua 18:16
Then it went down to the foot of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim and ran down the Valley of Hinnom toward the…
- 2 Samuel 15:27
Through
2 Samuel 15:36Indeed, their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with everything you hear.”
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…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 17:17
Through
2 Kings 9:22When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 21:13
but you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and have caused Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab prostituted itself. You have…
- Nahum 3:4
because of the many harlotries of the harlot, the seductive mistress of sorcery, who betrays nations by her prostitution and clans by her witchcraft.
- 2 Chronicles 21:13
Through
2 Samuel 18:27The watchman said, “The first man appears to me to be running like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “This is a good man,” said the king. “He comes with good news.”
it leads to
- 2 Kings 9:20
Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the charioteer is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi—he is driving like a madman!”
- 2 Kings 9:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
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); 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.
