1:5 Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith, 1 was promoting himself, 2 boasting, 3 “I will be king!” He managed to acquire 4 chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. 5 1:6 (Now his father had never corrected 6 him 7 by saying, “Why do you do such things?” He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom. 8 ) 1:7 He collaborated 9 with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported 10 him. 11 1:8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s elite warriors 12 did not ally themselves 13 with Adonijah. 1:9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened steers at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, 14 as well as all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 1:10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the elite warriors, 15 or his brother Solomon.
1 tn Heb “son of Haggith,” but since this formula usually designates the father (who in this case was David), the translation specifies that David was Adonijah’s father.
sn Haggith was one of David’s wives (2 Sam 3:4; 2 Chr 3:2).
2 tn Heb “lifting himself up.”
3 tn Heb “saying.”
4 tn Or “he acquired for himself.”
5 tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”
6 tn Or “disciplined.”
7 tn Heb “did not correct him from his days.” The phrase “from his days” means “from his earliest days,” or “ever in his life.” See GKC 382 §119.w, n. 2.
8 tn Heb “and she gave birth to him after Absalom.” This does not imply they had the same mother; Absalom’s mother was Maacah, not Haggith (2 Sam 3:4).
9 tn Heb “his words were.”
10 tn Heb “helped after” (i.e., stood by).
11 tn Heb “Adonijah.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
12 tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
13 tn Heb “were not.”
14 tc The ancient Greek version omits this appositional phrase.
15 tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
16 sn Grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. The “horns” of the altar were the horn-shaped projections on the four corners of the altar (see Exod 27:2). By going to the holy place and grabbing hold of the horns of the altar, Adonijah was seeking asylum from Solomon.
17 tn Heb “King Solomon.” The name and title have been replaced by the pronoun (“you”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
18 tn Or “swear an oath to.”
19 tn Heb “if he is a man of strength [or ability].” In this context, where Adonijah calls himself a “servant,” implying allegiance to the new king, the phrase אִישׁ חַיִל (’ish khayil) probably carries the sense of “a worthy man,” that is, “loyal” (see HALOT 311 s.v. חַיִל).
20 tn Heb “but if evil is found in him.”
21 tn Heb “sent and they brought him down.”
22 tn Heb “Go to your house.”