1 Kings 1:4
ESV
The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not.
NIV
The woman was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no sexual relations with her.
NASB
The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king did not become intimate with her.
CSB
The girl was of unsurpassed beauty, and she became the king’s caregiver. She attended to him, but he was not intimate with her.
NLT
The girl was very beautiful, and she looked after the king and took care of him. But the king had no sexual relations with her.
KJV
And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.
NKJV
The young woman was very lovely; and she cared for the king, and served him; but the king did not know her.
What does 1 Kings 1:4 mean?
King David is about seventy years old. Years of shepherding and battle have left his body broken. The text says he can't stay warm but doesn't explicitly state whether that refers to his body temperature or his libido (1 Kings 1:1). But all available evidence suggests that the king has developed a persistent chill.His servants' solution is to find a beautiful young virgin: someone to see to David's needs and lie with him to keep him warm. They find Abishag in Shunem near Jezreel and Mount Moreh (1 Kings 1:2–3). Officially, she is a concubine. It's possible David's servants want to maintain the illusion that he's still vigorous. Whether because he's not or for decorum's sake, he does not have sex with her.
Right now, Abishag is honored. She serves her vulnerable king. Once David dies, she'll become vulnerable, herself. It is tradition that the new king inherits the wives and concubines of the man he deposed (2 Samuel 12:8). David's son Absalom took advantage of this practice when he slept with the concubines David left behind in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 16:20–23). It's an act of dominance over the previous king.
David's son Adonijah knows this, as well. When his preemptive attempt to claim the crown is thwarted (1 Kings 1:5–9, 41–53), he regroups. Adonijah enlists the help of the naïve Bathsheba to convince Solomon to give him Abishag as his wife. Solomon knows exactly what his brother is asking. By taking the prior king's concubine, he would assume dominance over David and Solomon and set the stage to take the kingdom. Instead, Solomon has him executed (1 Kings 2:19–25).
