254 Solomon anointed. 37. As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David. 38. So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. 39. And Zadok the priest took an horn of 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 up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them. 41. And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar? 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 bringest good tidings. 43. And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king. 44. And the king hath sent with him Zadok the observed in the old world. A king not uncommonly appointed his successor b. The expression 'over Israel and over Judah' is one more sign of the tendency to 'disintegration'; to a separation, that is, between the northern and southern tribes (see pp. 233, 235). 36, 37. Benaiah shows by these words his sense of David's unselfish desire for the growing prosperity of his people, and for Solomon's reign to be more glorious than his own. From ver. 47 we learn that David responded to the prayer, ' bowing himself upon the bed.' 39. Anointing was the divinely appointed ceremony on the selection or accession of a king. So Saul was anointed by Samuel (1 Sam. x. 1). David was first anointed, when chosen from the sons of Jesse (1 Sam. xvi. 13); and the rite was twice repeated; first, on his acceptance by the house of Judah, and then when he was recognized as king by the tribes of Israel also (2 Sam. ii. 4, v. 3). The expression used to describe the sanctity of the king was 'the Lord's anointed d' Zadok probably brought the 'holy oil' with him from the tabernacle at Gibeon. We read of no such ceremony in the case of Adonijah. b We find instances of this in the case of Alyattes, king of Lydia, appointing Croesus his successor; of Cyrus, king of Persia, selecting Cambyses; and of Darius nominating Xerxes (Herod. i. 91, 208; vii. 3). The Roman emperors also claimed and exercised this right of naming or adopting successors (Speaker's Commentary). No good father is jealous of his son, but desires to see his children more famous than himself." Every good king wishes that the reign of his successor may be happier than his own (Wordsworth). d So in Ps. lxxxix. 21, 'I have found David My servant; with My holy oil have I anointed him.' The same ceremony was used in the consecration of a priest (Exod. xxviii. 41, &c.), and of a prophet. Elijah was ordered to anoint Hazael and Jehu to be kings, and Elisha to be prophet in his room (1 Kings xix. 15, 16). All these rites typified the mission of Him who, as the Christ (the Anointed One, combined these three offices; of Him whom 'the Spirit of the Lord anointed to preach the gospel to the poor,' &c. (Isa. lxi. 1; Luke iv. 18). 256 Panic of Adonijah. priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule: 45. And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard. 46. And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. 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 the bed. 48. And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it. 49. And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. 50. And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 51. And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let For the blowing of trumpets we may compare the proclamation of Jehu by the officers in the camp at Ramoth-gilead (2 Kings ix. 13); and of Joash by Jehoiada the high-priest (2 Kings xi. 14). In the latter case we are told there were the same acclamations. With such greeting Hushai had mockingly welcomed Absalom (2 Sam. xvi. 16). So the conspirators had cried, 'God save King Adonijah' (ver. 25). 40. Such wild expressions of delight are common with Eastern nations. We may compare the account of bringing up the ark to Mount Zion (2 Sam. vi. 12-16). 41, 42. The noise of these rejoicings reaches to En-rogel. Jonathan, who presently arrives with news, is the same who had been chosen with his brother Ahimaaz, as swift runners, to bear tidings from the capital to David at Mahanaim (2 Sam. xv. 35, 36). He, with his father Abiathar, had joined the rebels. Adonijah greets Jonathan here, as David had greeted Ahimaaz, when he arrived as messenger after the battle in which Absalom was slain (2 Sam. xviii. 27). 49. The sudden collapse of the conspiracy is surprising. Perhaps the supporters of Adonijah had hoped that the king's choice of successor might be turned from Solomon to him, when he was found to have such powerful supporters as Joab and Abiathar. 50. Adonijah alone seems to have dreaded capital punishment, and to have taken ‘sanctuary.' It is uncertain whether he fled to the brazen altar at Gibeon, or to the altar now erected beside the ark on Mount Zion. The 'horns' were projections at the corners of the altar, made of wood, and overlaid with brass (Exod. xxvii. 1, 2). To these the victims were commonly bound. So in Ps. • Instead of 'piped with pipes' the LXX has here danced with dances' (èxópevov èv xópois). Some, with Josephus, explain 'rent' as 'resounded.' The Vulgate has 'insonuit.' But most versions of the LXX have ἐρράγη, some having ἤχησεν. Such strong metaphorical expressions were common among the Hebrews, as among other Oriental nations. 258 Last Instructions and Death of David. king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword. 52. And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. 53. So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house. 27. END OF DAVID'S REIGN-EXECUTION OF ADONIJAH, JOAB, AND SHIMEI. I KINGS ii. I—iii. 3. Thus Solomon ascends the throne, reigning at first jointly with David, whose death follows soon after these events. David's parting instructions to his son open with an exhortation to 'be strong, and show himself a man ',' and to rule justly in the fear of God. Then follow special injunctions as to the treatment of some of those, who have been conspicuous in David's reign. Joab is to be put to death for the two murders of Abner and Amasa 2. Kindness is to be shown to the sons of Barzillai. Shimei's life has so far been spared, in accordance with David's oath to him; but now he, too, is to be punished. So ends David's reign of forty years, and he is buried in 'the city of David". Solomon succeeds, and 'his kingdom is established greatly,' but not at first without dangers. Adonijah renews his designs, persuading Bath-sheba to go to Solomon, and ask that Abishag, David's last wife, may be given him. This, as Solomon |