1 Kings 1:20
ESV
And now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
NIV
My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
NASB
And as for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you, to announce to them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
CSB
Now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
NLT
And now, my lord the king, all Israel is waiting for you to announce who will become king after you.
KJV
And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
NKJV
And as for you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
What does 1 Kings 1:20 mean?
King David is accustomed to attention. He was a teenager when he slew Goliath (1 Samuel 17). Returning to King Saul's hometown after the battle, the women sang songs about his military prowess (1 Samuel 18:6–7). Before long, he was Israel's favorite military commander, even as he tried to evade Saul's spear (1 Samuel 18:10–16).By this time, David had been a high-profile king for around forty years. His people have seen him dance as the ark was brought into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:16) and weep as his own son Absalom forced him into exile (2 Samuel 15:30). Now, they look to him again.
The king's time is coming to an end. He has acknowledged that both he and God want Solomon to follow him, but David has never made that decision official. Ideally, he would have anointed Solomon as co-regent to ensure a smooth transition. Right now, he's so frail that his well-being is reliant on a young woman. His servants care for his physical needs, but don't give him news of his own kingdom (1 Kings 1:1–4).
David doesn't know that his son Adonijah is currently crowning himself king. Or that the general Joab, the priest Abiathar, the elders of Judah, and David's own sons are at the celebration (1 Kings 1:5–10). The conspirators know that David wants Solomon to be king, but they want Adonijah. They seem to assume David can do nothing about it and will be dead soon, anyway.
It's up to Bathsheba to remind David who he is. He is king. He has vowed to follow God's will, which is that Solomon will follow him as the ruler of Israel (1 Chronicles 22:9–10). David's passivity or distraction, whatever kept him from installing Solomon as co-regent, doesn't matter. Right now, his people need to see him take command one last time.
Bathsheba gives David one more reason to take charge. If he doesn't, Adonijah will become king and will kill her and Solomon (1 Kings 1:21).
