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¹ Now king David wasHe was about 70 years old, (2Sa_5:4).old [and] stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat noFor his natural heat was worn away with travels.heat.The Argument – Because the children of God should expect no continual rest and quietness in this world, the Holy Spirit sets before our eyes in this book the variety and change of things, which came to the people of Israel from the death of David, Solomon, and the rest of the kings, to the death of Ahab. Declaring that flourishing kingdoms, unless they are preserved by God's protection, (who then favours them when his word is truly set forth, virtue esteemed, vice punished, and concord maintained) fall to decay and come to nothing as appears by the dividing of the kingdom under Rehoboam and Jeroboam, who were one people before and now by the just punishment of God were made two. Judah and Benjamin were under Rehoboam, and this was called the kingdom of Judah. The other ten tribes held with Jeroboam, and this was called the kingdom of Israel. The king of Judah had his throne in Jerusalem, and the king of Israel in Samaria, after it was built by Omri Ahab's father. Because our Saviour Christ according to the flesh, comes from the stock of David, the genealogy of the kings of Judah is here described, from Solomon to Joram the son of Jehoshaphat, who reigned over Judah in Jerusalem as Ahab did over Israel in Samaria.

² Wherefore his seruants saide vnto him, Let there be sought for my lord ye King a yong virgin, and let her stand before the King, and cherish him: and let her lie in thy bosome, that my lord the King may get heate.

³ So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found AbishagA city in the tribe of Issachar, (Jos_19:18).a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

⁴ And the maid was exceeding faire, and cherished the King, and ministred to him, but the King knew her not.

⁵ Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, andRead (2Sa_15:1).fifty men to run before him.

⁶ And his father would not displease him from his childehood, to say, Why hast thou done so? And hee was a very goodly man, and his mother bare him next after Absalom.

⁷ And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following AdonijahThey took his part and followed him.helped [him].

⁸ But Zadok the Priest, & Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and Nathan the Prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the men of might, which were with Dauid, were not with Adoniiah.

⁹ Then Adoniiah sacrificed sheepe and oxen, and fat cattel by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the kings sonnes, & al the men of Iudah ye Kings seruants,

¹⁰ But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, andAs the Cherethites and Pelethites.the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

¹¹ Wherefore Nathan spake vnto Bath-sheba the mother of Salomon, saying, Hast thou not heard, that Adoniiah ye sonne of Haggith doeth reigne, and Dauid our lord knoweth it not?

¹² Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine ownFor Adonijah will destroy you and your son, if he reigns.life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

¹³ Go, and get thee in vnto King Dauid, and say vnto him, Didest not thou, my lorde, O King, sweare vnto thine handmaide, saying, Assuredly Salomo thy sonne shall reigne after me, & he shal sit vpon my throne? why is then Adoniiah King?

¹⁴ Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, andBy declaring such things, as may further the same.confirm thy words.

¹⁵ So Bath-sheba went in vnto the King into the chamber, and the King was verie olde, and Abishag the Shunammite ministred vnto ye King.

¹⁶ And Bath-sheba bowed and made obeisance vnto the King; the King saide, What is thy matter?

¹⁷ And shee answered him, My lorde, thou swarest by the Lorde thy God vnto thine handmaide, saying, Assuredly Salomon thy sonne shall reigne after me, and he shall sit vpon my throne.

¹⁸ And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowestThe king being worn with age, could not attend to the affairs of the realm, and also Adonijah had many who kept it from the king.[it] not:

¹⁹ And he hath offred many oxen, and fatte cattel, and sheepe, and hath called all the sonnes of the King, and Abiathar the Priest, and Ioab the captaine of the hoste: but Salomon thy seruant hath he not bidden.

²⁰ And thou, my lorde, O King, knowest that the eyes of all Israel are on thee, that thou shouldest tell them, who shoulde sit on the throne of my lord the King after him.

²¹ Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall beAnd so put to death as wicked transgressors.counted offenders.

²² And lo, while she yet talked with the King, Nathan also the Prophet came in.

²³ And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his faceAcknowledging him to be the true and worthy king appointed by God, as the figure of his Christ.to the ground.

²⁴ And Nathan saide, My lorde, O King, hast thou said, Adoniiah shall reigne after mee, and he shall sit vpon my throne?

²⁵ For hee is gone downe this day, and hath slaine many oxen, and fat cattel, and sheepe, and hath called al the Kings sonnes, and the captaines of the hoste, and Abiathar the Priest: and behold, they eate and drinke before him, and say, God saue King Adoniiah.

²⁶ But me thy seruant, and Zadok the Priest, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and thy seruant Salomon hath he not called.

²⁷ Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed [it] unto thyMeaning, that in such affairs he should undertake nothing unless he had consulted with the Lord.servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

²⁸ Then King Dauid answered, and saide, Call me Bath-sheba; shee came into ye Kings presence, and stoode before the King.

²⁹ And the King sware, saying, As the Lorde liueth, who hath redeemed my soule out of all aduersitie,

³⁰ Even as IMoved by the Spirit of God to do so, because he foresaw that Solomon would be the figure of Christ.sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.

³¹ Then Bath-sheba bowed her face to the earth, and did reuerence vnto the King, and said, God saue my lord King Dauid for euer.

³² And King Dauid saide, Call mee Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada; they came before the King.

³³ The king also said unto them, Take with you theMeaning, the king's servants and such as were of his guard.servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:

³⁴ And let Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet anoint him there King ouer Israel, and blowe ye the trumpet, and say, God saue king Salomon.

³⁵ Then come vp after him, that hee may come and sit vpon my throne: and hee shall bee King in my steade: for I haue appointed him to be prince ouer Israel and ouer Iudah.

³⁶ Then Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada answered the King, and said, So be it, and the Lord God of my lord the King ratifie it.

³⁷ As the Lord hath bene with my lorde the King, so be he with Salomon, and exalt his throne aboue the throne of my lorde king Dauid.

³⁸ So Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went downe and caused Salomon to ride vpon king Dauids mule, and brought him to Gihon.

³⁹ And Zadok the priest took an horn ofWith which they were accustomed to anoint the priests and the holy instruments, (Exo_30:23).oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

⁴⁰ And all the people came vp after him, and the people piped with pipes, and reioyced with great ioye, so that the earth rang with the sound of them.

⁴¹ And Adoniiah and all the ghestes that were with him, heard it: (and they had made an ende of eating) and when Ioab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, What meaneth this noise and vprore in the citie?

⁴² And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou [art] a valiant man, and bringestHe praised Jonathan, thinking to have heard good news but God wrought things contrary to his expectation, and so beat down his pride.good tidings.

⁴³ And Ionathan answered, and said to Adoniiah, Verely our lord King Dauid hath made Salomon King.

⁴⁴ And the King hath sent with him Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they haue caused him to ride vpon the Kings mule.

⁴⁵ And Zadok the Priest, and Nathan ye Prophet haue anointed him King in Gihon: and they are gone vp from thence with ioy, and the citie is moued: this is the noise that ye haue heard.

⁴⁶ And Salomon also sitteth on the throne of the kingdome.

⁴⁷ And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon theHe gave God thanks for the good success.bed.

⁴⁸ And thus sayd the King also, Blessed bee the Lorde God of Israel, who hath made one to sit on my throne this day, euen in my sight.

⁴⁹ Then all the ghestes that were with Adonijah, were afraide, and rose vp, and went euery man his way.

⁵⁰ And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of theWhich David his father had built in the floor of Araunah, (2Sa_24:25).altar.

⁵¹ And one tolde Salomon, saying, Beholde, Adonijah doeth feare King Salomon: for lo, he hath caught holde on the hornes of the altar, saying, Let King Salomon sweare vnto me this day, that he will not slay his seruant with the sword.

⁵² Then Salomon sayd, If he will shewe him selfe a worthy man, there shall not an heare of him fall to the earth, but if wickednes be found in him, he shall dye.

⁵³ Then King Salomon sent, & they brought him from the altar, and he came and did obeisance vnto King Salomon; Salomon sayde vnto him, Go to thine house.