1 Kings 1:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

NIV: Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

NASB: So now come, please let me give you advice, and save your life and the life of your son Solomon.

CSB: Now please come and let me advise you. Save your life and the life of your son Solomon.

NLT: If you want to save your own life and the life of your son Solomon, follow my advice.

KJV: Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

NKJV: Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

Nathan has come to Bathsheba to make sure she survives, and her son becomes king.

David is notoriously bad at disciplining his sons. When his eldest son Absalom raped his own half-sister Tamar, David effectively did nothing. When Tamar's full brother Absalom murdered her attacker, David again did nothing (2 Samuel 13). David's permissiveness then allowed Absalom to set up a civil war. And in the heat of battle, David commanded the army to spare his traitorous son's life (2 Samuel 15:7–12; 18:5).

Now, David's son Adonijah is putting on a coronation ceremony for himself. This directly defies David's wishes—and God's plan—that Solomon will be king (1 Kings 1:5–10). Nathan needs to figure out what will motivate David to act against his own son.

It was common practice during this era in the ancient Near East for a new king to quickly execute every other person who might have any claim to the throne. Jehu will destroy Ahab's family (2 Kings 9:1—10:11). Queen Athaliah will try to kill her remaining family (2 Kings 11:1). Herod the Great will not only murder his own sons, but he will also destroy the baby boys of Bethlehem when he hears the Messiah has been born (Matthew 2:16–18).

Adonijah has invited his brothers to his coronation. If they swear submission to him, he won't kill them or their families when he becomes king (1 Kings 1:9–10). But he doesn't invite Solomon. Apparently, he knows David wants Solomon to be king. Solomon must die for Adonijah's kingdom to be established. And if Solomon's life is in danger, so is his mother's.

Bathsheba immediately agrees to Nathan's plan to make sure David knows what's going on.

First Kings 1:11–14 is Nathan's enlistment of Bathsheba to ensure her son becomes king. David's son Adonijah is throwing a coronation party with the support of Joab, Abiathar, and the officials of Judah (1 Kings 1:5–10). Nathan and Bathsheba know God wants Solomon to be king. Nathan will let Bathsheba break the news to David, then he'll arrive and confirm her words. By the end of the day, Solomon will be king and Adonijah will beg his brother for his life (1 Kings 1:15–50).

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.