1 Kings 1:12

1 Kings 1:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

Context of 1 Kings 1:12

10But he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the king’s bodyguard or his brother Solomon. 11Then Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, and asked her, “Haven’t you heard that Haggith’s son, Adonijah, has made himself king, and our lord David doesn’t even know about it? If you want to save your own life and the life of your son Solomon, follow my advice. 13Go at once to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, didn’t you make a vow and say to me, “Your son Solomon will surely be the next king and will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14And while you are still talking with him, I will come and confirm everything you have said.”

1 Kings 1:12 word by word

וְעַתָּ֕ה לְכִ֛י אִיעָצֵ֥ךְ נָ֖א עֵצָ֑ה וּמַלְּטִי֙ אֶת־נַפְשֵׁ֔ךְ וְאֶת־נֶ֥פֶשׁ בְּנֵ֖ךְ שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now therefore comeיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• let me, I pray thee, give thee counselעֵצָה‛êtsâh · counselH6098
• let me, I pray thee, give thee counselיָעַץyâ‛ats · to adviseH3289
• that thou mayest saveמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422
• thine own lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• of thy sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010

Cross-references for 1 Kings 1:12

• Proverbs 11:14Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.
• Proverbs 20:18Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice.
• Proverbs 27:9The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.
• Jeremiah 38:15Jeremiah said, “If I tell you the truth, you will kill me. And if I give you advice, you won’t listen to me anyway.”
• 1 Kings 1:21If you do not act, my son Solomon and I will be treated as criminals as soon as my lord the king has died.”
• Genesis 19:17When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”
• Acts 27:31But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, “You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard.”
• Judges 9:5He went to his father’s home at Ophrah, and there, on one stone, they killed all seventy of his half brothers, the sons of Gideon. But the youngest brother, Jotham, escaped and hid.
• 2 Kings 11:1When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of the royal family.
• 2 Chronicles 21:4But when Jehoram had become solidly established as king, he killed all his brothers and some of the other leaders of Judah.
• 2 Chronicles 22:10When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of Judah’s royal family.
• Matthew 21:38“But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’

Commentaries on 1 Kings 1:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Save thine own life, and the life of thy son - Nathan took for granted that Adonijah would put both Bath-sheba and Solomon to death as state criminals, if he got established on the throne. O cursed lust of rule! a father will destroy his son, a son depose his father, and a brother murder a brother, in order to obtain a crown! At this time the monarchy of Israel was unsettled; no man knew who was to succeed to the crown, and the minds of the people were as…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12It would have been in accordance with general Eastern custom for Solomon to suffer death, if Adonijah had succeeded in his attempt. But to have executed his mother also would have been an unusual severity. Still, such cases sometimes occurred: Cassander put to death Roxana, the widow of Alexander the Great, at the same time with her son, the young Alexander.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-31Verses 11-31 Observe Nathan's address to Bathsheba. Let me give thee counsel how to save thy own life, and the life of thy son. Such as this is the counsel Christ's ministers give us in his name, to give all diligence, not only that no man take our crown, Re 3:11, but that we save our lives, even the lives of our souls. David made a solemn declaration of his firm cleaving to his former resolution, that Solomon should be his successor. Even the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-14Bathsheba was Solomon’s mother and David’s favorite wife. Their affair caused the death of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah the Hittite (see 2 Samuel 11:1–27). Nathan, the prophet who shared God’s promise with David (2 Samuel 7:1–17) and announced God’s love for Solomon at his birth (2 Samuel 12:24–25), confirmed God’s choice of Solomon to become king after David (see 1 Chronicles 28:4–7). Although Nathan strongly criticized David for his affair with Bathsheba…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-2711-27. Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba ... let me ... give thee counsel, &c.--The revolt was defeated by this prophet, who, knowing the Lord's will (2Sa 7:12; 1Ch 22:9), felt himself bound, in accordance with his character and office, to take the lead in seeing it executed. Hitherto the succession of the Hebrew monarchy had not been settled. The Lord had reserved to Himself the right of nomination (De 17:15), which was acted upon in the appointments both of…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 1:12

• Bath-Sheba (Bathsheba)
• Civil Service
• Nathan
• Politics
• Solomon
• Statecraft

In the dictionaries

• Solomon
• Account
• Adonijah
• Assuredly
• Cherish
• David
• Abiathar
• Abishag
• Chronicles, Books of
• En-Rogel

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