1 Kings 1 Chapter Introduction

Structure and Formatting

1. Abishag begins to take care of King David (1:1–4) 2. Adonijah tries to become the next king (1:5–10) 3. Nathan advises Bathsheba how to respond (1:11–14) 4. Bathsheba and Nathan inform King David about Adonijah (1:15–27) 5. King David responds by appointing Solomon as the next king (1:28–37) 6. Solomon is proclaimed as the next king (1:38–40) 7. Jonathan informs Adonijah, Joab, and the people with them about Solomon (1:41–48) 8. Solomon spares Adonijah’s life (1:49–53)

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

The next king

In this culture, when a king became old or died, it was customary for one of his sons to become the next king. King David had several different wives who had borne him many sons, and he had told one of his wives, Bathsheba, that her son Solomon would become the next king. However, Adonijah, David’s oldest living son, felt that he should be king instead. He invited many important people to a feast, and they all agreed to make him the next king, rather than Solomon. However, some other important people went to King David and told him what Adonijah was doing. When David heard about it, he reasserted that he wanted Solomon to succeed him as king. Then everyone who had supported Adonijah ran away and no longer supported him. Describe all of these events in such a way that your readers will understand that the narrative of this chapter is about who will be the next ruler after King David.

The role of the prophet Nathan

A key element in the story that this chapter tells is the intervention of the prophet Nathan. In ancient Israel, prophets were God’s messengers, and they often played a crucial role in political affairs. Nathan’s advice to Bathsheba and his direct appeal to David were vital. His authority came from God, and his words were intended to ensure that Yahweh’s will for the kingdom was carried out so that Solomon would be the next king. The prophet’s word was more authoritative than human tradition or political maneuvering. It was Nathan’s intervention that ultimately ensured that Solomon would become king. Consider carefully how to describe Nathan’s role and actions in a way that your readers will understand.

The significance of anointing

The anointing of a new king with oil was a symbolic and religious act. It was a physical sign that God had chosen and set apart a person for the task of ruling. When Zadok the priest anointed Solomon at Gihon, this was a public declaration that Yahweh had chosen him and set him apart, so that he was now the legitimate king. The sounding of a shofar (ram’s horn) and the public acclamation “May King Solomon live!” confirmed that Yahweh had sanctioned the transfer of power and that the people had accepted it. This effectively ended Adonijah’s attempted coup.

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Symbolic actions

In this chapter, people perform several different kinds of actions that have symbolic significance in this culture. When someone sits on a throne, it indicates that this person has power and authority. When people bow or prostrate themselves before someone else, it indicates that they are honoring and giving respect to that person. When someone is anointed with oil, it indicates that this person is being commissioned to accomplish a specific task or fill a specific role. If the significance of these actions would not be clear to your readers, you may explain their meaning in the text of your translation or in a footnote. See the notes on the verses that describe these actions for translation options. (See: translate-symaction)

“he will sit on my throne”

Sitting on a throne, an ornamental and ceremonial chair, is a symbolic action that indicates that a person has power and rules as king. In this chapter, there are several references to who will sit on the throne of Israel after David. These are references to who will be the next king after David dies. If it would be helpful in your language, you could explain what this action means. For example, you might have people ask David who “will sit on your throne to rule,” or you might have David speak of who “will sit on my throne as king.” (See: translate-symaction)In some places in this chapter, however, people speak of the “throne” of Israel not to mean the ceremonial chair of the king but to represent the kingdom itself. This is the case in ([1:37](../01/37.md)), for example, when Benaiah says he hopes that Yahweh will make Solomon’s throne greater than David’s. He is wishing that Yahweh will make Solomon’s kingdom even greater than David’s. See: figs-metonymy