EasyEnglish Bible 2018
1 Kings 1:2
2So his servants said to him, ‘We will look for a young woman who has never had sex, for you, our master the king. She can take care of you and she can be your nurse. She can also sleep beside you, so that our master the king will be warm.’
1 Kings 1:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.
- New International Version (NIV)So his attendants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to serve the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore his servants said to him, "Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman, a virgin, be sought for our lord the king, and let her stand before the king, and let her care for him; and let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may be warm.”
Context of 1 Kings 1:2
1King David was now a very old man. He could not stay warm, even when people put blankets over him. So his servants said to him, ‘We will look for a young woman who has never had sex, for you, our master the king. She can take care of you and she can be your nurse. She can also sleep beside you, so that our master the king will be warm.’ 3So they looked through all the land of Israel for a beautiful young woman. They chose Abishag, who lived in Shunem. They brought her to the king. 4She was very beautiful. She took care of the king as his servant. But the king did not have sex with her.
Read all of 1 Kings 11 Kings 1:2 word by word
וַיֹּ֧אמְרוּ ל֣וֹ עֲבָדָ֗יו יְבַקְשׁ֞וּ לַאדֹנִ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ נַעֲרָ֣ה בְתוּלָ֔ה וְעָֽמְדָה֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וּתְהִי־ל֖וֹ סֹכֶ֑נֶת וְשָׁכְבָ֣ה בְחֵיקֶ֔ךָ וְחַ֖ם לַאדֹנִ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Wherefore his servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto him, Let there be soughtבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- for my lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- a youngנַעֲרָהna‛ărâh · maidenH5291
- virginבְּתוּלָהbethûlâh · virginH1330
- and let her standעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- and let her cherishסָכַןsâkan · be usefulH5532
- him, and let her lieשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
- in thy bosomחֵיקchêyq chêq chôq · bosom: embraceH2436
- may get heatחָמַםchâmam · to warmH2552
Cross-references for 1 Kings 1:2
- Deuteronomy 10:8At that time, the Lord chose the tribe of Levi to carry the Lord's Covenant Box. He chose them to be his special servants. They had to pray for the Lord to bless his people. They still do these things today.
- 1 Samuel 16:21David went to Saul. He became Saul's servant. Saul loved David. David carried Saul's armour for him.
- 2 Chronicles 29:11My sons, the Lord has chosen you to serve him in his temple and to offer sacrifices. So do your work well.’
- Genesis 16:5Then Sarai said to Abram, ‘It is because of you that Hagar is now insulting me. I gave her to you so that you could have sex with her. Now she is pregnant and she does not respect me. The Lord will decide who is right, you or me.’
- Deuteronomy 13:6Even someone in your own family may try to turn you away from the Lord. It may be your own brother, your son or your daughter. It may be your wife whom you love. It may be a friend that you like very much. They may say to you secretly, ‘We should worship other gods.’ Those are gods that you and your ancestors never knew about before.
- 2 Samuel 12:3But the poor man had only one little female lamb. He had bought it and he had taken care of it. It had grown up with his own children. It ate his bits of food and it drank water from his cup. It even slept while he held it. It was like a daughter for him.
- Micah 7:5Do not believe anyone, even somebody that you know well. You cannot be sure that your friend will always be honest with you. Be careful what you say to your wife. Be careful even when you are hugging her.
- Ecclesiastes 4:11Also, if two people sleep together, they help each other to be warm. But if you sleep alone, it is difficult to be warm.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 1:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Let there be sought - a young virgin - This was the best remedy which in his state could be prescribed. His nearly exhausted frame would infallibly absorb from her young and healthy body an additional portion of animal heat, and consequently trim and revive the flame of animal life. This is properly, as I have elsewhere expressed it, Friar Bacon's secret for the cure of old age.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Since the Jewish law allowed polygamy, David‘s conduct in following - what has been said to have been - physician‘s advice, was blameless.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3David was seventy years old (2 Samuel 5:4–5). He was weak, likely due to years of war and stress. He needed a young person to provide warmth. This was a medical remedy also mentioned in Josephus’s Antiquities and by the Greek doctor Galen. David's weakening strength encouraged Adonijah to try to make himself king.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-4Commentary by Robert Jamieson 1Ki 1:1-4. Abishag Cherishes David in His Extreme Age. 1-2. Now king David was old--He was in the seventieth year of his age (2Sa 5:4, 5). But the wear and tear of a military life, bodily fatigue, and mental care, had prematurely, if we may say it, exhausted the energies of David's strong constitution (1Sa 16:12). In modern Palestine and Egypt the people, owing to the heat of the climate, sleep each in a "separate" bed. They…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 1:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Kings 1
- 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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