1 Kings 1:35 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You shall then come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my place. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah."

NIV: Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah."

NASB: Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall be king in my place; for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.'

CSB: You are to come up after him, and he is to come in and sit on my throne. He is the one who is to become king in my place; he is the one I have commanded to be ruler over Israel and Judah."

NLT: Then escort him back here, and he will sit on my throne. He will succeed me as king, for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.'

KJV: Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.

NKJV: Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”

Adonijah, David's son, is trying to crown himself as king. He has the support of the warrior Joab, the priest Abiathar, and the officials of Judah (1 Kings 1:5–10). David has only just heard what Adonijah is doing. David is old and weak and apparently doesn't leave his private chambers (1 Kings 1:1–4). But he's still king. On his side are the warrior Benaiah, the priest Zadok, and the prophet Nathan (1 Kings 1:32).

David enlists these loyalists to crown Solomon that very day. Adonijah has had time to prepare. He has a crowd and a great deal of sacrifices. But Solomon has David's approval. David tells his advisors to set Solomon on his own mule, ride him to the Gihon spring, and anoint him. After cheering Solomon, they are to bring him back up to the City of David and sit him on David's throne (1 Kings 1:33–34).

The fact that David mentions both Israel and Judah reveals that the early division between the northern and southern tribes has never fully healed. Saul was king of all Israel, but the nation was still a loose confederation of tribes. David became king of Judah after Saul died, while Saul's son Ish-bosheth was king of the northern tribes of Israel (2 Samuel 2:4, 8). After Ish-bosheth was assassinated, the northern tribes invited David to be their king, as well (2 Samuel 5:1–3). David moved his capital city from the Judean city of Hebron to Jerusalem, in Saul's tribal lands of Benjamin.

David worked hard to unite the tribes, and it worked for a while. After David's army routed Absalom's rebellion, the cracks began to show. Some of the Benjaminites believed that David had stolen the kingdom from Saul's line (2 Samuel 16:5–8). The people of Judah argued with the people of the northern tribes over who loved David more (2 Samuel 19:40–43). After another failed coup by another angry Benjaminite, the men of the northern tribes left (2 Samuel 20:1–2).

So, David's words are important. The elders of Judah preferred Adonijah, but Solomon will be their king. No matter how resentful the northern tribes may become, Solomon will be their king. Sadly, it doesn't last. Solomon's son and heir, Rehoboam, will so mistreat his people that the northern tribes will split away and create a new kingdom under Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:21).

First Kings 1 records Solomon's first anointing as king. David is weak. His fourth son, Adonijah, convinces Joab, Abiathar, and the officials of Judah to declare him king. Nathan the prophet and Bathsheba convince David to crown Solomon. With the help of Zadok the priest and Benaiah the royal guard commander, Solomon becomes king. His first act is to pardon his brother, although the truce doesn't last long. After David dies, Solomon must execute Adonijah for rebellion and Joab for murder, as well as banish Abiathar the priest (1 Kings 2:13–35).

First Kings 1 picks up the story of David's kingship several years after the events at the end of 2 Samuel. David has protected the kingdom, gathered supplies for the temple, and purchased the land (2 Samuel 24:18–25; 1 Chronicles 21:2–5; 29:1–9). It's time for Solomon to take over and build the temple. First, however, David must ensure Solomon is king and that the throne does not fall to Solomon's brother Adonijah. Once crowned, Solomon solidifies his hold by executing Adonijah, Joab, and David's nemesis, Shimei. He also banishes Abiathar, the priest who supported Adonijah. With Nathan, Benaiah, and Zadok beside him, Solomon is ready to rule (1 Kings 2).

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.