1 Kings 2:35
ESV
The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in place of Joab, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.
NIV
The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest.
NASB
And the king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and the king appointed Zadok the priest in place of Abiathar.
CSB
Then the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army, and he appointed the priest Zadok in Abiathar’s place.
NLT
Then the king appointed Benaiah to command the army in place of Joab, and he installed Zadok the priest to take the place of Abiathar.
KJV
And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.
NKJV
The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.
What does 1 Kings 2:35 mean?
Changes in government administration almost always include a change of personnel. Solomon's new administration is no different. David's leadership included Joab, his nephew and commander of the army; co-priests Abiathar and Zadok; God's prophet Nathan; and the captain of the royal guard Benaiah.Before he died, David told his son Solomon to execute Joab for murder (1 Kings 2:5–6). Solomon waited until it seemed Joab was still conspiring against him on behalf of his brother Adonijah (1 Kings 2:28–34).
In his place is Benaiah. Although not a commander on the level of Joab, he's a great warrior in his own right:
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. -–1 Chronicles 11:22Benaiah has been the commander of the Cherethites and Pelethites, two units of foreign bodyguards who were intensely loyal to David (2 Samuel 15:18).
Abiathar also conspired against Solomon, but Solomon judged that his crime didn't deserve death. After Abiathar's father innocently gave David bread and a sword, Saul descended on all the priests serving in Nob and slaughtered them. Only Abiathar escaped. He ran to David and served him by providing God's guidance (1 Samuel 22:6–23; 23:6–14).
Abiathar also brought the ark of the covenant with Zadok when David fled from his son Absalom. The two were willing to go into exile with their king. David told them to return to the city and use their sons as spies. The younger men risked their lives to make sure David and his people reached safety (2 Samuel 15:24–29).
Because of Abiathar's faithful service and the fact that he didn't commit murder, Solomon sent him home to retire (1 Kings 2:26–27). In his place is Zadok, who, it seems, was headquartered at the tabernacle in Gibeon, not with the ark in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16:39).
Solomon has established his authority over the military and the priesthood. He has one more person to deal with: the Benjaminite Shimei, who cursed David and who could still lead a revolt (1 Kings 2:36–46). Only then can "the kingdom [be] established in the hand of Solomon" (1 Kings 2:46).
