1 Kings 2:22

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.
• 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.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)“How can you possibly ask me to give Abishag to Adonijah?” King Solomon demanded. “You might as well ask me to give him the kingdom! You know that he is my older brother, and that he has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side.”

Context of 1 Kings 2:22

20“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.” The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.” 21So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.” 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!” 23Then King Solomon swore by the Lord: “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request! 24And now, as surely as the Lord lives—he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised—Adonijah shall be put to death today!”

1 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010
• answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto his motherאֵם'êm · motherH517
• And why dost thou askשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
• Abishagאֲבִישַׁג'ăbîyshag · AbishagH49
• the Shunammiteשׁוּנַמִּיתshûnammîyth · ShunammiteH7767
• for Adonijahאֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּ'ădônîyâh 'ădônîyâhû · AdonijahH138
• for him the kingdomמְלוּכָהmelûkâh · kingshipH4410
• mine elderגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: oldH1419
• brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• even for him, and for Abiatharאֶבְיָתָר'ebyâthâr · AbiatharH54
• the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• and for Joabיוֹאָבyô'âb · JoabH3097
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Zeruiahצְרוּיָהtserûyâh · ZeruiahH6870

Cross-references for 1 Kings 2:22

• Matthew 20:22“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered.
• Mark 10:38“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”
• James 4:3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
• 1 Kings 1:5Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with 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

• Abishag
• Adonijah
• Intercession
• Shunammite

In the dictionaries

• Abiathar
• Adonijah
• Joab
• Solomon
• Abishag
• Curse
• Fail
• Gone
• Return
• Heir

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