1 Kings 1:44
ESV
and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And they had him ride on the king 's mule.
NIV
The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule,
NASB
The king has also sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have mounted him on the king’s mule.
CSB
And with Solomon, the king has sent the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have had him ride on the king’s mule.
NLT
The king sent him down to Gihon Spring with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, protected by the king’s bodyguard. They had him ride on the king’s own mule,
KJV
And the king hath sent with him Zadok the 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:
NKJV
The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule.
What does 1 Kings 1:44 mean?
Jonathan, son of the priest Abiathar, is describing King Solomon's coronation. David commissioned Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah to complete the ceremony, showing that Solomon had the support of the temple, God, and the military. He had Solomon ride on his mule, showing the city that he had David's support (1 Kings 1:43).Jonathan continues: Zadok and Nathan anointed Solomon. The city of Jerusalem is celebrating. Solomon has already taken his place on the throne. David's officials have come to him in his sick chambers to congratulate him and bless Solomon. David has bowed before God and given thanks (1 Kings 1:45–48).
For any other group, this would be fantastic news. But Jonathan is speaking to a party of government officials and elders of Judah who were in the process of crowning Solomon's brother Adonijah as king (1 Kings 1:5–10). What had been a celebration just moments before now becomes a conspiracy against the king.
Zadok is the co-priest. Nathan is the prophet who both told David of God's promise of an eternal kingdom and God's judgment for David's sin (2 Samuel 7:4–17; 12:1–14). Benaiah is the commander of the royal guard, two units of foreign mercenaries who have protected David for decades (2 Samuel 8:18). Zadok and Benaiah will have extremely high positions in Solomon's court (1 Kings 2:35).
