1 Kings 2:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And to Abiathar the priest the king said, "Go to Anathoth, to your estate, for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because you shared in all my father 's affliction."

NIV: To Abiathar the priest the king said, "Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and shared all my father’s hardships."

NASB: Then to Abiathar the priest the king said, 'Go to Anathoth to your own field, for you deserve to die; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before my father David, and because you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted.'

CSB: The king said to the priest Abiathar, "Go to your fields in Anathoth. Even though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death today, since you carried the ark of the Lord God in the presence of my father David and you suffered through all that my father suffered."

NLT: Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, 'Go back to your home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not kill you now, because you carried the Ark of the Sovereign Lord for David my father and you shared all his hardships.'

KJV: And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

NKJV: And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields, for you are deserving of death; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before my father David, and because you were afflicted every time my father was afflicted.”

Solomon executed his older brother for conspiring to take the crown (1 Kings 2:22–25). Adonijah's attempt to make himself king was supported by two of the most powerful and influential men in Israel: Joab and Abiathar. Solomon is convinced that they continued to help Adonijah's plot even after David's death (1 Kings 2:22). Solomon decides they must both be dealt with for the future safety and stability of his kingdom.

Yet Solomon refuses to have Abiathar executed. Abiathar had served as a priest since the day King Saul had vengefully killed all the other priests in the town of Nob (1 Samuel 22:16–23). Solomon understands how dangerous and difficult those years were for Abiathar, who joined David in the wilderness, constantly evading Saul.

Abiathar also remained sacrificially loyal to David when Solomon's brother Absalom rebelled against his father. As David and his servants fled Jerusalem, the co-priests Abiathar and Zadok appeared with the ark of the covenant, prepared to go into exile with their king. David told them to return to Jerusalem for the ark's sake, but also to send their sons with news of Absalom's plans (2 Samuel 15:24–29). Because of the bravery of Abiathar and Zadok's sons, David and his people made it to safety (2 Samuel 17:15–22).

Abiathar and his son had been loyal to David, but they didn't support David's choice of Solomon (1 Kings 1:5–7, 41–43). Solomon can't bring himself to execute the priest, so he sends Abiathar off to live out his days in a kind of house arrest in his family estate in the Levitical city of Anathoth, just northeast of Jerusalem.

First Kings 2:26–27 explains how Solomon retires the priest Abiathar. David commissioned Solomon to execute Joab and Shimei. Both had committed serious crimes during David's reign (1 Kings 2:5–9). Due to a renewed rebellion by Adonijah, Solomon's brother, Solomon had to take care of him first (1 Kings 2:20–25). Now, he turns to Adonijah's supporters, starting with the priest Abiathar. Next, Solomon will execute Joab (1 Kings 2:28–34).

In 1 Kings 2, Solomon establishes his kingdom. David tells Solomon to follow God and to deal justly with his officials. After David dies, Solomon executes his rival Adonijah and the murderer Joab. He sends the conspiring priest Abiathar to house arrest and deals with the Benjamite Shimei, who cursed David. Benaiah becomes the military commander, and Zadok the lead priest. Next, Solomon will offer his famous prayer for wisdom (1 Kings 3:6–9).

David's reign ends as his health begins to fail. Watchful rivals try to take advantage of this, attempting to install their preferred heir to the throne (1 Kings 1). This fails, and Solomon is crowned. In 1 Kings 2, Solomon begins the work of inheriting God's covenant with David. Before David dies, he advises Solomon on how to follow God, respond to conspirators, and build the temple (1 Chronicles 22:6–19; 28:9–21). David also throws a more formal coronation ceremony (1 Chronicles 29:22–25). After dealing with the men who would take his crown, Solomon asks God for wisdom; God promises to add honor and wealth (1 Kings 3:6–14).

This was originally the first half of a combined text. First Kings records the end of David's reign and the rule of Solomon. After this, the kingdom is split in two. The northern nation of Israel no longer submits to the king of the southern nation, called Judah. The prophet Elijah first appears in this book. The kings mostly fail to honor the Lord. They participate in idolatry and other sins. This will eventually result in their conquest and exile, as depicted throughout the books of Chronicles.