1 Kings 2:19
ESV
So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king 's mother, and she sat on his right.
NIV
When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.
NASB
So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king stood to meet her, bowed to her, and sat on his throne; then he had a throne set up for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right.
CSB
So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him about Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her, bowed to her, sat down on his throne, and had a throne placed for the king’s mother. So she sat down at his right hand.
NLT
So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak on Adonijah’s behalf. The king rose from his throne to meet her, and he bowed down before her. When he sat down on his throne again, the king ordered that a throne be brought for his mother, and she sat at his right hand.
KJV
Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.
NKJV
Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the king’s mother; so she sat at his right hand.
What does 1 Kings 2:19 mean?
Two things become clear from the way Solomon greets Bathsheba when she comes to see him as he sits on the throne. First, the two are close, and he has great respect for her. He rises when she comes in and bows before her. Second, Bathsheba is not simply Solomon's mother. She is also seen as the Queen Mother of Israel. This may not have been an official position in the kingdom, but Solomon treats it as such. He has a seat brought for her and put in a place of honor at his right side. A Queen Mother had no actual power in government and could not become the ruler of the land, but the role was recognized in many kingdoms as one of great influence. This was especially true with a young king such as Solomon.He respects her so much that when she reveals she has a request, he agrees without hearing it (1 Kings 2:20). Her request is on behalf of Adonijah, Solomon's half-brother, who tried to assume the kingship when David was old and weak. It was only because of Nathan's quick thinking and Bathsheba's plea that David learned what Adonijah was doing and made Solomon king (1 Kings 1).
Now that David is dead and Solomon is king, Adonijah wants to wed David's last concubine, the only one David never had sex with. Solomon's consideration disappears. Whether Bathsheba understands or not, Solomon knows his brother is trying to use the royal concubine as validation that he, not Solomon, should be king (1 Kings 2:21–22).
