1 Kings 1:6
ESV
His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, "Why have you done thus and so?" He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom.
NIV
(His father had never rebuked him by asking, "Why do you behave as you do?" He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)
NASB
And his father had never rebuked him at any time by asking, 'Why have you done so?' And he was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom.
CSB
But his father had never once infuriated him by asking, "Why did you do that?" In addition, he was quite handsome and was born after Absalom.
NLT
Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, 'Why are you doing that?' Adonijah had been born next after Absalom, and he was very handsome.
KJV
And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.
NKJV
(And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, “Why have you done so?” He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.)
What does 1 Kings 1:6 mean?
David is a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). In combat, he shows unprecedented trust in God. He recognizes that everything good in his life has come from the Lord (2 Samuel 23:5). But David is not a perfect man. Among his failings is his inability, or unwillingness, to hold his sons accountable. He is an indulgent, permissive father whose sons take full advantage of this weakness.David unwittingly helped arrange the circumstances that allowed his oldest son, Amnon, to rape Tamar, who was his half-sister and David's daughter. When Amnon was finished and rejected Tamar, David fumed but did nothing. When Absalom, David's second-born and Tamar's full brother, murdered Amnon, David once again did nothing (2 Samuel 13). And when Absalom garnered the support of the people and ran David out of Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15:1–13), all David would say was, "Deal gently with the young man Absalom for my sake" (2 Samuel 18:5).
Apparently, David's fathering skills are consistent. Because he hasn't raised his fourth-born well, Adonijah thinks he can assume the crown. He shares Absalom's ambition, looks, and aesthetic (2 Samuel 14:25–26; 1 Kings 1:5), but he's slightly wiser: he waits until David is nearly incapacitated with age (1 Kings 1:1–4).
Adonijah is described as "born next after Absalom." That's technically true, but in between Amnon and Absalom was Abigail's son Chileab (2 Samuel 3:3), also known as Daniel (1 Chronicles 3:1). He's not mentioned outside the genealogies, leading scholars to assume he died young. The author suggests another possibility that would explain why David's second-born wasn't considered a possible successor.
Abigail was the wise, godly woman who saved her husband and servants from David's vengeance (1 Samuel 25). In return, after Nabal died, David married her, and she had his son. The stories of God's interactions with women in the Old Testament suggest it would be inconsistent with His character to give Abigail a kingly husband and then take her son. The text mentions Nabal's servants, but not his sons: apparently, he didn't have any. It's possible that when Nabal died and David married Abigail, David did so as a levirate marriage to provide Abigail with a son who would inherit Nabal's estate. That would also explain why Abigail is named as "the widow of Nabal" after David had married her (1 Samuel 27:3; 30:5; 2 Samuel 2:2; 3:3).
If that's the case, Chileab inherited Nabal's estate. He was David's biological son, but not his heir.
