1 Kings 1:8
ESV
But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David 's mighty men were not with Adonijah.
NIV
But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David’s special guard did not join Adonijah.
NASB
But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
CSB
but the priest Zadok, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the prophet Nathan, Shimei, Rei, and David’s royal guard did not side with Adonijah.
NLT
But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s personal bodyguard refused to support Adonijah.
KJV
But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
NKJV
But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah.
What does 1 Kings 1:8 mean?
Once again, one of David's sons has convinced powerful men of Judah to crown him king. Last time, Absalom tried to take the kingdom from David (2 Samuel 15:1–12). This time, Adonijah wants to rule, despite David already choosing Solomon (1 Kings 1:5, 13). Adonijah has won the support of two of David's most trusted, long-standing, and powerful advisors: his military advisor, Joab, and the priest Abiathar (1 Kings 1:7).But David is also supported. Zadok is the other priest. Aside from a general list of David's people (2 Samuel 8:17), Zadok is first mentioned when David fled Jerusalem from his son Absalom's invasion. Zadok led the Levites with the ark of the covenant, intending to follow David into exile. David told them to stay in Jerusalem; the ark belonged in Jerusalem, and the priests belonged with the ark (2 Samuel 15:24–29). From Jerusalem, Zadok and Abiathar worked with their sons and David's friend Hushai to thwart Absalom's plans (2 Samuel 17).
Benaiah, from Judah, is one of David's mighty warriors and the commander of David's foreign bodyguards: the Cherethites and Pelethites (2 Samuel 8:18; 23:20–22).
Nathan the prophet brought word of God's covenant and told David his son would build the temple (2 Samuel 7:1–17). Nathan also confronted David about his sin against Uriah and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:1–14).
Eighteen men in the Bible have the name Shimei. It's unlikely the Shimei noted here is the Benjaminite who cursed David and whom Solomon will execute (2 Samuel 16:5–14; 1 Kings 2:36–46). He might be the same Shimei who will become Solomon's vintner (1 Chronicles 27:27).
This is the only place in the Bible where Rei is mentioned. His name means "dear friend." He might be Hushai, if he's still alive, or one of Barzillai's sons. All of them helped David when he fled from Absalom (2 Samuel 15:32–37; 17:27–29; 19:31–38; 1 Kings 2:7). This may also be a friend of David's whose name the writer didn't know. David's mighty men are warriors who keep Israel in peace with the surrounding nations (2 Samuel 23:8–39; 1 Chronicles 11:10–47).
Adonijah's supporters are from Judah. David's supporters are either particularly devoted to him, like the mighty men and the mercenaries, or devoted to God, like Nathan and Zadok. At the end of Solomon's reign, the nation will split between Judah and the northern tribes.
