Berean Standard Bible
1 Kings 2:22
22King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my older brother, you might as well request the kingdom for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”
1 Kings 2:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
- New International Version (NIV)King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him—after all, he is my older brother—yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!”
- English Standard Version (ESV)King Solomon answered his mother, "And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my older brother, and on his side are Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “Now why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also—for he is my older brother—for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.”
Context of 1 Kings 2:22
20“I have just one small request of you,” she said. “Do not deny me.” “Make your request, my mother,” the king replied, “for I will not deny you.” 21So Bathsheba said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as his wife.” King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my older brother, you might as well request the kingdom for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab son of Zeruiah!” 23Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life. 24And now, as surely as the LORD lives—the One who established me, who set me on the throne of my father David, and who founded for me a dynasty as He promised—surely Adonijah shall be put to death today!”
Read all of 1 Kings 21 Kings 2:22 word by word
וַיַּעַן֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֜ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאִמּ֗וֹ וְלָמָה֩ אַ֨תְּ שֹׁאֶ֜לֶת אֶת־אֲבִישַׁ֤ג הַשֻּׁנַמִּית֙ לַאֲדֹ֣נִיָּ֔הוּ וְשַֽׁאֲלִי־לוֹ֙ אֶת־הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה כִּ֛י ה֥וּא אָחִ֖י הַגָּד֣וֹל מִמֶּ֑נִּי וְלוֹ֙ וּלְאֶבְיָתָ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וּלְיוֹאָ֖ב בֶּן־צְרוּיָֽה׃ פRead the interlinear
- Kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010
- Solomonאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
- his motherאֵם'êm · motherH517
- Whyמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
- do youאַתְּ'attâh 'attâ 'ath 'attîy 'attem 'atten 'attênâh 'attênnâh · you(f.s.)H859
- requestשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
- ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- Abishagאֲבִישַׁג'ăbîyshag · AbishagH49
- the Shunammiteשׁוּנַמִּיתshûnammîyth · ShunammiteH7767
- for Adonijahאֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּ'ădônîyâh 'ădônîyâhû · AdonijahH138
- Sinceכִּיkîy · forH3588
- heהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
- is my olderגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: oldH1419
- is my olderמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
- brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
- the kingdomמְלוּכָהmelûkâh · kingshipH4410
- and for Abiatharאֶבְיָתָר'ebyâthâr · AbiatharH54
- the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- and for Joabיוֹאָבyô'âb · JoabH3097
- sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Zeruiahצְרוּיָהtserûyâh · ZeruiahH6870
Cross-references for 1 Kings 2:22
- Matthew 20:22“You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” the brothers answered.
- Mark 10:38“You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I will drink, or be baptized with the baptism I will undergo?”
- James 4:3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
- 1 Kings 1:5At that time Adonijah, David’s son by Haggith, began to exalt himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he acquired chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run ahead of him.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 2:22
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22Ask for him the kingdom also - Bath-sheba had not seen anything dangerous or suspicious in Adonijah‘s request. Solomon, on the contrary, takes alarm at once. To ask for Abishag was to ask for the kingdom. To the Oriental mind a monarch was so sacred, that whatever was brought near to him was thenceforth separate from common use. This sacred and separate character attached especially to the Royal harem. The inmates either remained widows for the rest of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-25Verses 12-25 Solomon received Bathsheba with all the respect that was owing to a mother; but let none be asked for that which they ought not to grant. It ill becomes a good man to prefer a bad request, or to appear in a bad cause. According to eastern customs it was plain that Adonijah sought to be king, by his asking for Abishag as his wife, and Solomon could not be safe while he lived. Ambitious, turbulent spirits commonly prepare death for themselves…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22-25Adonijah broke his agreement to submit to Solomon (1 Kings 1:52–53). So the king told Benaiah to execute him (see 1 Kings 1:8, 26, 38).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. why dost thou ask Abishag ... ask for him the kingdom also--(See on 2Sa 16:5; also see on 2Sa 12:8). Solomon's indignation was roused; he in a moment penetrated the artful scheme, and from his associating the names of Abiathar and Joab, he seems to have suspected or known that those deep schemers had been the prompters of Adonijah.Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 2:22
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Kings 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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