I Kings 2:13-22 · Bible study
1 Kings 2:13-22 Commentary: When a Small Request Reveals a Big Ambition
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Solomon see danger in a marriage request? Explore political intrigue, the queen mother's role, and discernment in 1 Kings 2:13-22.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Adonijah's request for Abishag is a political power play that Solomon reads as a claim to the throne.
- Key words: 'Petition' (שְׁאֵלָה, she'elah) and 'turn away face' (שִׁיב פָּנִים), a request that cannot be denied without shame, used with layered irony.
- Main debate: Was Adonijah's request innocent or a calculated bid for power? Commentators split, though most see it as a disguise.
- Theological theme: God establishes the king; human ambition cannot overturn His choice. The throne is secure when under God's authority.
- Best use: A caution against disguised ambition and a lesson in spiritual discernment, especially during transitions of leadership.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
13Now Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, and she asked, “Do you come in peace?” “Yes, in peace,” he replied.
14Then he said, “I have something to tell you.” “Say it,” she answered.
15“You know that the kingship was mine,” he said. “All Israel expected that I should reign, but the kingship has turned to my brother, for it has come to him from the LORD.
16So now I have just one request of you; do not deny me.” “State your request,” she told him.
17Adonijah replied, “Please speak to King Solomon, since he will not turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”
18“Very well,” Bathsheba replied. “I will speak to the king for you.”
19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her, bowed to her, and sat down on his throne. Then the king had a throne brought for his mother, who sat down at his right hand.
20“I have just one small request of you,” she said. “Do not deny me.” “Make your request, my mother,” the king replied, “for I will not deny you.”
21So Bathsheba said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as his wife.”
22King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my older brother, you might as well request the kingdom for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”
WEB World English Bible 2000
13Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. She said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably.
14He said moreover, I have something to tell you.” She said, “Say on.”
15He said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign. However, the kingdom is turned around, and has become my brother’s; for it was his from Yahweh.
16Now I ask one petition of you. Don’t deny me.” She said to him, “Say on.”
17He said, “Please speak to Solomon the king (for he will not tell you ‘no’), that he give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.”
18Bathsheba said, “All right. I will speak for you to the king.”
19Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. The king rose up to meet her and bowed himself to her, and sat down on his throne and caused a throne to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand.
20Then she said, “I ask one small petition of you; don’t deny me.” The king said to her, “Ask on, my mother, for I will not deny you.”
21She said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as wife.”
22King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.”
KJV King James Version 1769
13And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath–sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.
14He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.
15And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s: for it was his from the Lord.
16And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on.
17And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
18And Bath–sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.
19Bath–sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand.
20Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.
21And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.
22And 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
13Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.
14He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.
15And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s; for it was his from Jehovah.
16And now I ask one petition of thee; deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on.
17And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king (for he will not say thee nay), that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
18And Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.
19Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand.
20Then she said, I ask one small petition of thee; deny me not. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny thee.
21And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.
22And 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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
13and Adonijah son of Haggith cometh in unto Bath-Sheba, mother of Solomon, and she saith, `Is thy coming peace?' and he saith, `Peace.'
14And he saith, `I have a word unto thee,' and she saith, `Speak.'
15And he saith, `Thou hast known that the kingdom was mine, and towards me set their faces had all Israel for reigning, and the kingdom is turned round about, and is my brother's, for from Jehovah it was his;
16and now, one petition I am asking of thee--turn not back my face;' and she saith unto him, `Speak.'
17And he saith, `Speak, I pray thee, to Solomon the king, for he doth not turn back thy face, and he doth give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.'
18And Bath-Sheba saith, `Good; I do speak for thee unto the king.'
19And Bath-Sheba cometh in unto king Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king riseth to meet her, and boweth himself to her, and sitteth on his throne, and placeth a throne for the mother of the king, and she sitteth at his right hand.
20And she saith, `One small petition I ask of thee, turn not back my face;' and the king saith to her, `Ask, my mother, for I do not turn back thy face.'
21And she saith, `Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother for a wife.'
22And king Solomon answereth and saith to his mother, `And why art thou asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? also ask for him the kingdom--for he is mine elder brother--even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
13And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.
14And he said, I have something to say to thee. And she said, Speak.
15And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had set their faces on me that I should reign; but the kingdom is turned about and is become my brother's, for it was his from Jehovah.
16And now I ask one petition of thee; refuse me not. And she said to him, Speak.
17And he said, Speak, I pray thee, to Solomon the king — for he will not refuse thee — that he give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.
18And Bathsheba said, Well, I will speak for thee to the king.
19And Bathsheba went to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat down on his throne; and he caused a throne to be set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right hand.
20Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; refuse me not. And the king said to her, Ask, my mother, for I will not refuse thee.
21And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother as wife.
22And king Solomon answered and said to 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.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
13And Adonias, the son of Haggith, came to Bethsabee the mother of Solomon. And she said to him: Is thy coming peaceable? He answered: It is peaceable.
14And he added: I have a word to speak with thee. She said to him: Speak. And he said:
15Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had preferred me to be their king: but the kingdom is transferred, and is become my brother's: for it was appointed him by the Lord.
16Now therefore, I ask one petition of thee; turn not away my face. And she said to him: Say on.
17And he said I pray thee speak to king Solomon (for he cannot deny thee any thing) to give me Abisag, the Sunamitess, to wife.
18And Bethsabee said: Well, I will speak for thee to the king.
19Then Bethsabee came to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonias: and the king arose to meet her, and bowed to her, and sat down upon his throne: and a throne was set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right hand.
20And she said to him: I desire one small petition of thee; do not put me to confusion. And the king said to her: My mother ask, for I must not turn away thy face.
21And she said: Let Abisag, the Sunamitess, be given to Adonias, thy brother, to wife.
22And king Solomon answered, and said to his mother: Why dost thou ask Abisag, the Sunamitess, for Adonias? ask for him also the kingdom; for he is my elder brother, and hath Abiathar, the priest, and Joab, the son of Sarvia.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Kings 2:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree this passage shows a fragile political transition after David's death. Adonijah approaches with smooth deference, acknowledging Yahweh's sovereignty (v15) and framing his request as a small favor. But most see a disguised power move. Barnes, Cambridge, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note that in the ancient Near East, marrying the deceased king's widow required claiming the throne. Solomon's immediate answer, 'Ask for him the kingdom also' (v22), confirms he read the danger. Bathsheba, by contrast, appears naive. Gill and Matthew Henry observe she did not suspect any scheme. Adam Clarke offers a minority view, suggesting Solomon may have overreacted and that Adonijah's motive might have been innocent. The consensus, however, holds that the passage underscores God's sovereignty in establishing Solomon's reign (1 Kings 2:12,15) and the wisdom Solomon needed to protect it.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Innocent request: Adonijah's words show submission ('the kingdom... has become my brother's; for it was his from Yahweh'), and Abishag was never actually married to David; his desire for her may have been genuine.
- Political power play: In the ancient Near East, taking the king's widow was a claim to the throne (2 Samuel 12:8, 16:22 – cited in commentary). Solomon's immediate accusation and the deaths that follow suggest he had strong reason to see a threat.
- Mixed motives: Adonijah may have had both personal desire and political ambition; his earlier rebellion makes it unlikely he was purely innocent, but the narrative does not give us his inner thoughts.
What is clear: Solomon interpreted the request as a threat to his throne and acted decisively, whether justly or harshly, and the narrative presents God as the one who ultimately establishes the king.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Adonijah's intentions | Adonijah frames his request as harmless and submits to God's will in words. | Some (Barnes, Cambridge) insist the request was a deliberate claim to the throne; others (Clarke) argue it may have been a genuine personal desire for Abishag without political intent. |
| Bathsheba's awareness | Bathsheba does not raise any objection and calls it a 'small petition'. | Most commentators (Gill, Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) see her as naive and unsuspecting; a minority view holds she may have been aware but chose to intervene cautiously. |
| Solomon's severity | Solomon immediately perceives the threat and responds harshly, linking the request to a broader conspiracy with Abiathar and Joab. | Some (Clarke) strongly critique Solomon as overreacting and using a flimsy pretext; others (Barnes, Cambridge) argue that in the cultural context, any claim to the royal harem was a direct challenge to the throne that required a decisive response. |
| God's role in the succession | All traditions note that the narrator highlights God's sovereignty: the kingdom became Solomon's 'from Yahweh' (v15). | Reformed traditions emphasize divine election and human responsibility; Catholic and Orthodox readings tend to focus on the typology of the Davidic kingdom pointing to Christ. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The court where this scene takes place was shaped by David's final days. Abishag the Shunammite had been brought to warm the aging king (1 Kings 1:1-4). She was never David's wife in a full sense, he did not know her intimately, but she belonged to the royal household. In the ancient Near East, a king's concubines or widows were treated as part of the crown. To request one was to assert a claim to the throne itself (Barnes notes this; Cambridge adds that public opinion closely linked possession of the harem with the right to rule).
Bathsheba's opening question, 'Do you come peaceably?' echoes the elders of Bethlehem when Samuel arrived in 1 Samuel 16:4. She had reason for alarm. Only weeks earlier, Adonijah had proclaimed himself king with chariots and fifty runners (1 Kings 1:5). He had invited the royal sons and the commanders, but excluded Solomon, Nathan, and Benaiah. Solomon had spared his life after the failed coup, on condition that he prove loyal (1 Kings 1:50-53). Now Adonijah approaches the queen mother, who holds high honor in Israel, as shown by Solomon rising, bowing, and seating her at his right hand (v19). Jamieson-Fausset-Brown describes the 'king's mother' as a state office with separate court and influence. Bathsheba's good will could be a powerful ally.
Adonijah's speech in v15 sounds pious: 'the kingdom is turned around, and has become my brother's; for it was his from Yahweh.' But Gill and Cambridge detect a note of bitterness beneath the surface. Adonijah admits the loss but implies it was undeserved. When he asks for Abishag, he is not simply seeking companionship. He is testing whether Solomon's throne is truly secure. Solomon's furious response, linking the request to Abiathar and Joab, his former supporters, shows he saw the conspiracy behind the polite words.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for 1 Kings 2:13-22. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the major English translations (KJV, WEB, ASV, BSB, YLT, Darby, Douay) show only minor differences in rendering idioms such as 'turn not away my face' (v16,20). None of the supplied commentaries mention any variant readings for this passage.
Reception History
This passage has been read across Christian traditions as a caution about political ambition and the need for wise leadership. Early Jewish exegetes (reflected in rabbinic literature) often treated Solomon's actions as justified because Adonijah's request violated the sanctity of the royal household. In the Reformation era, Matthew Henry and the Geneva Notes saw Solomon as a model of godly wisdom, while Adam Clarke (Methodist, 19th century) voiced strong criticism of Solomon's severity, calling it a 'flimsy pretext' for bloodshed. More recently, the story has been studied as a case study in the dynamics of succession in the ancient Near East, with commentators highlighting the symbolic significance of the harem. The figure of Bathsheba receives varied treatment: she is seen either as a naive go-between or as a shrewd player in the court, though the latter view has less support in the commentaries supplied.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The subtlety of pride. Adonijah frames his request as a small favor, but his words betray resentment. He reminds Bathsheba that 'the kingdom was mine' and that 'all Israel set their faces on me' (v15). Even when we submit outwardly, our hearts may still cling to what God has taken away.
- The wisdom of discernment. Solomon sees what Bathsheba misses. The request for Abishag is not about a wife; it is about the throne. Proverbs 2:6 reminds us that wisdom comes from God, and Solomon needed it to protect the kingdom he had been given.
- The cost of divided loyalty. Adonijah's death, Abiathar's exile, and Joab's execution follow (vv.25-35). The passage warns that disloyalty to God's chosen king, and ultimately to God Himself, carries consequences.
Five-point outline
- Concern disguised as civility (v13: Bathsheba's question)
- Submission that masks ambition (v15-17: Adonijah's speech and request)
- An unwitting messenger (v18-21: Bathsheba's role as go-between)
- The king's penetrating insight (v22: Solomon's immediate perception)
- God's established throne (v12, v24: the larger context of divine appointment)
Illustration hooks
- The job offer that was really a takeover. An employee asks for a small change in responsibilities, but the perceptive boss recognizes it as an attempt to undermine the company's direction. The small request is a test of authority.
- The child who asks for a cookie before dinner. Not the same as ambition, but it shows how a small ask can reveal a bigger desire, and how a parent's 'no' can preserve what matters.
- Real estate and a handshake. In some cultures, asking for a piece of land near a boundary is understood as a claim to the whole territory. The symbolic weight of Abishag would be similarly familiar in Solomon's world.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did Solomon overreact by having Adonijah killed? Or was his severity necessary to secure the kingdom?
- Why was Bathsheba so trusting? Did she not see the danger, or was she being diplomatic?
- What does this story teach about handling transitions of leadership or power in our own families, churches, or workplaces?
Leading a Discussion
This passage invites us to examine how we read motives, both in others and in ourselves. The surface of Adonijah's request seems reasonable, but deeper currents are at work. As a group, work through the text carefully, letting the original context shape your understanding before drawing personal applications.
Discussion questions
- Bathsheba asks, 'Do you come peaceably?' (v13). What does her question suggest about the mood in the court after David's death? How does it connect to Adonijah's earlier rebellion (1 Kings 1:5)?
- Adonijah says, 'You know that the kingdom was mine' (v15). What does this reveal about his heart, even as he claims to accept God's choice? Have you ever had to accept a change of plans that you still struggled with inwardly?
- Why does Adonijah request Abishag specifically? In what ways might his request have seemed harmless, and in what ways was it threatening? What cultural customs are at work?
- Bathsheba delivers the request without apparent suspicion. Why do you think she did not see the danger? What might this say about her relationship with her son or her understanding of politics?
- Solomon answers, 'Ask for him the kingdom also' (v22). What does this reveal about his insight? How does he connect Adonijah's request to Abiathar and Joab?
- This passage shows a king protecting a God-given throne. How does this foreshadow the Davidic line that leads to Christ? What does it teach about God's faithfulness to His promises?
- When have you needed wisdom to see past someone's words to their real intent? How can we cultivate that kind of discernment without becoming cynical?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 16:4 | Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” |
| I Samuel 16:5 | He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. |
| I Kings 1:5 | Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” Then he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. |
| I Kings 1:10 | but he didn’t call Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother. |
| I Kings 1:50 | Adonijah was afraid because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and hung onto the horns of the altar. |
| I Kings 1:53 | So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.” |
| II Kings 9:18 | So one went on horseback to meet him, and said, “the king says, ‘Is it peace?’” Jehu said, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me!” The watchman said, “The messenger came to them, but he isn’t coming back.” |
| II Kings 9:22 | When Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” He answered, “What peace, so long as the prostitution of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft abound?” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke bluntly dismisses any political motive behind Adonijah's request for Abishag. He sees Solomon's violent reaction as a flimsy pretext for murder, and condemns all attempts to justify this killing by appealing to divine command or state necessity.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that Adonijah's request for Abishag was not innocent; in that culture, claiming a king's widow or concubine was a veiled bid for the throne. Solomon's sharp reply exposes his brother's ambition and the conspiracy still simmering. His refusal is a wise defense of God’s established order.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill sees Adonijah's request for Abishag as a thinly veiled political bid for the throne, since marrying a king's widow was understood as claiming royal succession. Even Bathsheba misses this danger, but Solomon immediately recognizes the scheme and links it to the ambitions of Abiathar and Joab.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points out that Bath-sheba, in her trusting and simple nature, completely missed the hidden political scheme behind Adonijah's request for Abishag. Solomon, by contrast, immediately recognized the threat to his throne
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights that Adonijah's request for Abishag was not a romantic matter but a covert claim to the throne, since in ancient Eastern custom taking a king's wife meant assuming his rights. He defends Solomon's subsequent executions as necessary justice, not cruelty, given Adonijah's repeated treachery and the need to establish the kingdom securely.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees Adonijah's request for Abishag as a thinly veiled bid for the throne, since in that culture taking the king's former concubine was a claim to royal power. Solomon's swift judgment shows he understood the threat and would not tolerate a rival's ambition.