Poole on 1 Kings 1:11-21: Bath-sheba's Desperate Plea

Verse 11:[1]  Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of (2 Sam. 3:4) Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?

Nathan was prompted to this both by his piety in fulfilling the will of God declared to him, and by him to David, concerning Solomon’s succession, 2 Samuel 7:13; 1 Chronicles 22:8, 9; and by his prudence, as knowing that Adonijah hated him for being the principal instrument of Solomon’s advancement.  Bath-sheba being retired and private in her apartment, was yet ignorant of what was done abroad; and she was likely to be most zealous in the cause, and most prevalent with David.

[Hast thou not heard, etc.?]  Because royal wives, as it was seemly, were in the women’s quarters, where news of what things are happening abroad less often comes; therefore, although the matter was generally well-known, Bath-sheba was nevertheless ignorant of it (Sanchez).

[That Adonijah doth reign]  That is, he hath already taken possession of the kingdom (Vatablus).

[And David does not know this!]  That is to say, This was not done at his command, neither has the matter proceeded to such a point that it is not able to be disrupted; therefore, we must strive to render Adonijah’s efforts futile (Menochius).

David our lord knoweth it not; so far is he from consenting to it, as thou mayest fear or others think, that they have not yet acquainted him with it.

Verse 12:[2]  Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

[Save thy life, etc.]  Prudently:  as if he would say with Mucianus, Thou must flee to royal power:[3]  what is the most glorious thing is also the safest in this context (Grotius).  Impending destruction hangs over your heads (Menochius), from Adonijah occupying the kingdom (Malvenda out of Junius).  Nathan knew just how impetuous, blind, and frenzied ambition can be; and how it cares nothing for the laws of humanity and nature.  Out of a lust for rule over men killed their brothers, for example, Abimelech, Judges 9; Jehoram, 2 Chronicles 21; Ochus King of Persia,[4] Justinus’ Of Philippic Histories[5] 10; and Phraates King of Parthia,[6] Justinus’ Of Philippic Histories 42 (Sanchez).  The Prophet employs an artful device, which is worthy of commendation.  Yet he is advancing his cause.  Indeed, especially God’s cause, so that the counsel of God might be fulfilled (Martyr).  But how did Nathan come to fear this, since God had promised that Solomon was going to reign?  Response:  Those promises are conditional; and it was possible for him to fear, that by the sin of David, or of Bath-sheba, or of Solomon, some impediment had appeared (Lyra, similarly Martyr).  He knew that God wills both the end and the means; therefore, he applies due diligence, lest he tempt God, and because through him God established that oracle (Martyr).

That thou mayest save thine own life, etc.:  For he will never reckon himself safe till his competitor and his friends be taken out of the way.

Verse 13:[7]  Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, (1 Chron. 22:9) Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?

[Didst not thou swear, etc.?]  Undoubtedly with God as author through Nathan the Prophet, which Adonijah acknowledges, 1 Kings 2:15, most manifestly, 1 Chronicles 28:5 (Grotius).  When he swore, we observed in 2 Samuel 12:24 (Menochius).  Question:  Whence did Nathan learn this?  Response:  Either from the king himself, or from Bath-sheba, or because the king swore with him present (Martyr).

Didst not thou swear, that is, Thou didst swear; which David himself owneth, verse 30, which probably he did to satisfy Bath-sheba’s doubts and fears about it, and to oblige himself to a compliance with the Divine will declared about it.  See 1 Kings 2:15; 1 Chronicles 28:5.

[Thine handmaid]  Thus she calls herself, to signify her subjection and reverence toward him (Piscator).

Thine handmaid; so she calleth herself, to testify her reverence and subjection to him, not only as her husband, but as her king.  He shall sit upon my throne; another expression of the same thing, to signify David’s sincerity and fervency in his swearing, which adds to his obligation.  Why then doth Adonijah reign? how comes this to pass? or why dost thou suffer it?

Verse 14:[8]  Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm (Heb. fill up[9]) thy words.

[I will fill up thy words (thus the Septuagint, Pagnine, Montanus, Vatablus)]  That is, the speech begun by thee concerning Adonijah I will pursue to its end (Vatablus).  And I will complete, etc. (Arabic), finish (Syriac).  I will add the finishing touch to thy words (Tigurinus); I will confirm, etc. (Jonathan, Junius and Tremellius, Munster).  I will remind him of the divine will, and of his own decree concerning this matter (Osiander).

Verse 15:[10]  And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber:  and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.

[Bath-sheba went in]  Even without having been summoned.  By her own right, because she was his wife, it was lawful for her, when she willed, to come in unto the king; which was not allowed to others, as it is evident from verse 23 (Martyr).

Verse 16:[11]  And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king.  And the king said, What wouldest thou (Heb. What to thee?[12])?

[She bowed herself and worshipped]  The prior word, ‎תִּקֹּד, signifies to bow the head.  Easterners are not able so readily to uncover the head as we are, because they cover and adorn it in a different way than we do.  The second word, ‎תִּשְׁתַּחוּ, from שָׁחָה, to bow the entire body.  With her head bowed, she lowered, or prostrated, herself; that is to say, as soon as she entered his chamber, she bowed her head; and, when she approached a little, she also lowered her whole body.  These words, signifying the same thing, indicate that she treated David with the greatest respect.  There is another term, כָּרַע, which signifies to bend the knee, as is our custom, Psalm 95:6[13] (Vatablus).

[She worshipped]  With civil adoration, not religious.  Thus men testify their subjection to their kings.  This is a manner of evoking goodwill (Martyr).

[What dost thou want for thyself?]  He suspects something now and great, since, from the time he began to be incapable of the marital act, he had not called to himself, or admitted, her or any wife, etc. (Sanchez).

Verse 17:[14]  And she said unto him, My lord, (1 Kings 1:13, 30) thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.

[Thou thyself swarest, etc.]  Question:  When did he sware?  Response:  When he was consoling Bath-sheba in her deep grief over the death of her son[15] (Sanchez out of Tostatus and Jerome).  She spurned those consolatory words, because she was fearing that she, because of that sin, would be held in reproach by men forever, and that God would cut off all her children:  Therefore, David responds that the matter was otherwise settled by God, namely, that her son would reign.  And, lest she think that mere words were being given to her, he swore that this had been revealed to him (Martyr out of the Hebrews, similarly Sanchez).  David knew that Solomon was chosen by the Lord for the kingdom, 1 Chronicles 28:5; for that promise in 2 Samuel 7:12 was concern a son, not born, but afterwards to be born:  for after that time David did not beget another son (Sanchez, Tirinus).

Thou swarest by the Lord thy God; to whom thou art highly obliged, whose name thou justly fearest and honourest; and therefore thou wilt not pollute it by perjury, but make conscience of thy oath.

Verse 18:[16]  And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not…

[With thee being ignorant, וגו״ ‎וְעַתָּה]  Thus it is read in the Venetian exemplar (Piscator).  [Thus they read and translate:]  And now (Montanus, Vatablus, Munster, Pagnine, Tigurinus), that is, in this stage of life near to death (Vatablus).  [Others read וְאַתָּה, and translate it, and thou (thus the Septuagint in Grotius, Jonathan, Syriac, Junius and Tremellius, Piscator, Arabic).]  אַתָּה/thou is correct, as it is evident, both from the matter itself, and from a comparison with verse 11 (Piscator).  With thee being ignorant, certainly not without contempt for thee, whom it was fitting to be made not only aware of so great a business, but also its author (Menochius).  Lest she appear to accuse the king of inconstancy, she subjoins that these things were done without his knowledge (Martyr).

Thou knowest it not:  This she adds, partly lest she should seem to accuse the king of inconstancy and perfidiousness; and partly to aggravate Adonijah’s crime, from that gross neglect and contempt of the king which did accompany it.

Verse 19:[17]  (1 Kings 1:7-9, 25) And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host:  but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.

[He hath slain oxen, etc., a great many, ‎לָרֹב]  Unto a multitude (Montanus, Junius), in a multitude (Pagnine, Septuagint, Jonathan), in great abundance (Syriac, similarly the Arabic, Munster, Tigurinus, Junius and Tremellius).

[Solomon thy servant]  Πάθος/pathos.[18]  That is to say, who honors thee faithfully as king.  A Metaphor.  For he was his son (Piscator).

Solomon thy servant:  Who is not so presumptuous as Adonijah, usurping the throne before his time; but carries himself modestly and submissively, as thy son, and servant, and subject.

Verse 20:[19]  And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

[However, etc., ‎וְאַתָּה]  And thou (Piscator out of the Septuagint).  Thus it is found in the Venetian exemplar; that is, as far as thou art concerned.  For the Nominative is posited absolutely after the manner of the Hebrews:  some, perhaps not noticing this, changed וְאַתָּה, and thou, into וְעַתָּה, and now (Piscator).

[The eyes of all Israel look unto thee, ‎עָלֶיךָ]  Upon thee (Montanus, Malvenda), understanding, having been cast (Vatablus); that is, the souls of all are turned toward thee, awaiting thy sentence (Piscator, similarly Menochius).  That is to say, The people do not approve of the ambition of Adonijah, but await thy determination (Lyra).

The eyes of all Israel are upon thee; the generality of the people are in suspense, whether Adonijah’s practices be with thy consent or no, and wait for thy sentence, which they will readily embrace.

[Who ought to sit]  Ἦθος/ethos[20] of modesty, insofar as she speaks in general terms (Piscator).  She indicates by these words that it is in the hands of the King, whom of his sons he wills to advance.  Thus Rehoboam, while he had many sons, and those older than Abijah, as it appears from 2 Chronicles 11:18-23.  Yet he chose Abijah, whom he begat of Maachah, whom he married in the last place.  But afterwards it was introduced, either by laws or by custom, that the firstborn should succeed.  See 2 Chronicles 21:3.  Which the Hebrews appear to have taken from the neighboring kings.  See Exodus 11:5; 2 Kings 3:27 (Sanchez).

Who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king; she speaks only in general, as owning the king’s prerogative to give the crown to which of his sons he pleased, if he had not restrained himself by his oath to Solomon.  After him, that is, after thy death; whereby she taxeth Adonijah's ambition, who usurped the crown whilst his father lived.

Verse 21:[21]  Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall (Deut. 31:16; 1 Kings 2:10) sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders (Heb. sinners[22]).

[When my lord the king will have slept with his fathers[23]]  That is, when he will have completed his life.  There is a similar expression in Genesis 47:30[24] (Vatablus).  When he shall have lain down, that is, when he will have fallen asleep; that is, will have died.  It is Metonymy of intended effect, and Metaphor (Piscator).

[With thy fathers]  That is, thou art gathered to the souls of thy pious fathers in heaven (Piscator).

Shall sleep with his fathers, that is, die as his fathers did.  See Genesis 47:30.

[We shall be sinners (thus the Septuagint, Syriac, Munster, Pagnine, Montanus, Junius and Tremellius, Piscator, Vatablus)]  That is, we shall be exiles from the Kingdom, or iniquity shall be imputed to us, because of which my son shall be reputed as unsuited for Royal Authority (Munster).  We shall be cast away (Jonathan in Munster).  We shall be disappointed and frustrated (Hebrews in Vatablus), that is, we shall be disappointed of our hope, as if missing the mark (Vatablus).  [חָטָא, to sin, sometimes signifies to miss the mark, as previously noted.]  But it appears that more is signified, because Nathan had said in verse 12, save thy life (Estius).  We shall be destroyed as sinners (Vatablus).  Some pretext shall be found, so that we might be delivered to death as if guilty of some crime, so that Adonijah might reign more securely (Menochius, similarly Estius).  We shall be held everywhere, I as an adulteress, and Solomon as a Bastard:  that is, born of a harlot and adultery[25] (Tirinus out of Sanchez, Jerome in Malvenda).  We shall be treated as criminals, and we shall be in danger of our lives.  Thus Genesis 44:10 (Malvenda out of Junius).  Guilty of death (shall we be held) for the crime of pretending to the Kingdom (Grotius, similarly Piscator).  This reason had much weight with the King, from whom emanated Bath-sheba’s shame, and the infamy thence arose (Sanchez).  We shall be sinners; that is, we shall be reputed.  Words that signify to be or to do are sometimes put for the opinion of a thing, and are to be understood φαινομένως/ostensibly and reputatively.  Thus in Genesis 42:30, ‎וַיִּתֵּן, and he gave, or posited, us as spies; that is, he reputed us as such:  in Proverbs 3:7, be not wise in thine own eyes; that is, appear not wise to thyself (Glassius’ “Grammar” 282).

I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders; we shall be punished with death as malefactors, as guilty of practicing against the right heir of the crown, and transferring the kingdom to Solomon, and covering our ambitious designs with a pretence of religion.

[1] Hebrew: ‎וַיֹּ֣אמֶר נָתָ֗ן אֶל־בַּת־שֶׁ֤בַע אֵם־שְׁלֹמֹה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הֲל֣וֹא שָׁמַ֔עַתְּ כִּ֥י מָלַ֖ךְ אֲדֹנִיָּ֣הוּ בֶן־חַגִּ֑ית וַאֲדֹנֵ֥ינוּ דָוִ֖ד לֹ֥א יָדָֽע׃

[2] Hebrew:  ‎וְעַתָּ֕ה לְכִ֛י אִיעָצֵ֥ךְ נָ֖א עֵצָ֑ה וּמַלְּטִי֙ אֶת־נַפְשֵׁ֔ךְ וְאֶת־נֶ֥פֶשׁ בְּנֵ֖ךְ שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃

[3] Tacitus’ Histories 2:76.  Gaius Licinius Mucianus was a first century Roman general and statesman.  Mucianus was serving as governor of Syria, when Vespasian was sent to Judea to put down the Jewish Revolt.  In 69 AD, Mucianus and Vespasian swore allegiance to Otho, who was in turn overthrown by Vitellius.  Mucianus exhorted Vespasian, as a former ally of Otho, to seize the throne before Vitellius was able to consolidate power and avenge himself on his enemies.

[4] Ochus, also known as Artaxerxes III, reigned over the Persian Empire from 359-338 BC.  Ochus only came to the throne after the execution of one of the proper heirs and the suicide of the other.  Artaxerxes II still passed over Ochus in favor of an illegitimate son, but Ochus had him killed.  After Ochus’ ascension, he murdered all the royal family.

[5] Junianus Justinus was a Roman historian of the third century.  Cnænus Pompeius Trogus (late first century BC-early first century AD) was a Roman historian.  His forty-four volume Philippic History is preserved only in fragments and Justinus’ Epitome.

[6] Phraates IV was King of the Parthian Empire from 37 to 2 BC.  Pacorus I, Phraates IV’s brother, died in battle with Roman forces, so Phraates IV succeeded his father, Orodes II, who died shortly thereafter (perhaps murdered by Phraates IV).  Phraates IV went on to murder all his half-brothers as potential rivals.

[7] Hebrew: ‎לְכִ֞י וּבֹ֣אִי׀ אֶל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֗ד וְאָמַ֤רְתְּ אֵלָיו֙ הֲלֹֽא־אַתָּ֞ה אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ נִשְׁבַּ֤עְתָּ לַאֲמָֽתְךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כִּֽי־שְׁלֹמֹ֤ה בְנֵךְ֙ יִמְלֹ֣ךְ אַחֲרַ֔י וְה֖וּא יֵשֵׁ֣ב עַל־כִּסְאִ֑י וּמַדּ֖וּעַ מָלַ֥ךְ אֲדֹנִיָֽהוּ׃

[8] Hebrew:  ‎הִנֵּ֗ה עוֹדָ֛ךְ מְדַבֶּ֥רֶת שָׁ֖ם עִם־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַאֲנִי֙ אָב֣וֹא אַחֲרַ֔יִךְ וּמִלֵּאתִ֖י אֶת־דְּבָרָֽיִךְ׃

[9] Hebrew:  ‎וּמִלֵּאתִי.

[10] Hebrew:  ‎וַתָּבֹ֙א בַת־שֶׁ֤בֶע אֶל־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ הַחַ֔דְרָה וְהַמֶּ֖לֶךְ זָקֵ֣ן מְאֹ֑ד וַֽאֲבִישַׁג֙ הַשּׁ֣וּנַמִּ֔ית מְשָׁרַ֖ת אֶת־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

[11] Hebrew:  ‎וַתִּקֹּ֣ד בַּת־שֶׁ֔בַע וַתִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ לַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מַה־לָּֽךְ׃

[12] Hebrew:  ‎מַה־לָּךְ.

[13] Psalm 95:6:  “O come, let us worship and bow down:  let us kneel (נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֣ה וְנִכְרָ֑עָה נִ֜בְרְכָ֗ה) before the Lord our maker.”

[14] Hebrew:  וַתֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ אֲדֹנִי֙ אַתָּ֙ה נִשְׁבַּ֜עְתָּ בַּֽיהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ לַֽאֲמָתֶ֔ךָ כִּֽי־שְׁלֹמֹ֥ה בְנֵ֖ךְ יִמְלֹ֣ךְ אַחֲרָ֑י וְה֖וּא יֵשֵׁ֥ב עַל־כִּסְאִֽי׃

[15] 2 Samuel 12:24.

[16] Hebrew:  ‎וְעַתָּ֕ה הִנֵּ֥ה אֲדֹנִיָּ֖ה מָלָ֑ךְ וְעַתָּ֛ה אֲדֹנִ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ לֹ֥א יָדָֽעְתָּ׃

[17] Hebrew: וַ֠יִּזְבַּח שׁ֥וֹר וּֽמְרִיא־וְצֹאן֘ לָרֹב֒ וַיִּקְרָא֙ לְכָל־בְּנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וּלְאֶבְיָתָר֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וּלְיֹאָ֖ב שַׂ֣ר הַצָּבָ֑א וְלִשְׁלֹמֹ֥ה עַבְדְּךָ֖ לֹ֥א קָרָֽא׃

[18] That is, an appeal to the emotions.

[19] Hebrew:  ‎וְאַתָּה֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ עֵינֵ֥י כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עָלֶ֑יךָ לְהַגִּ֣יד לָהֶ֔ם מִ֗י יֵשֵׁ֛ב עַל־כִּסֵּ֥א אֲדֹנִֽי־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אַחֲרָֽיו׃

[20] That is, an appeal to character or authority.

[21] Hebrew:  ‎וְהָיָ֕ה כִּשְׁכַ֥ב אֲדֹנִֽי־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֑יו וְהָיִ֗יתִי אֲנִ֛י וּבְנִ֥י שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה חַטָּאִֽים׃

[22] Hebrew:  ‎חַטָּאִים.

[23] Hebrew:  ‎כִּשְׁכַ֥ב אֲדֹנִֽי־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֑יו.

[24] Genesis 47:30:  “But I will lie with my fathers (‎וְשָֽׁכַבְתִּי֙ עִם־אֲבֹתַ֔י), and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace.  And he said, I will do as thou hast said.”

[25] See 2 Samuel 11; 12.