1 Kings 2:35 - Printer Friendly

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.

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 11:22

Benaiah 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).

First Kings 2:28–35 describes the unfortunate end of one of David's greatest allies. David had told Solomon that to have a secure kingdom, he needed to kill Joab, the military commander who had murdered two good men (1 Kings 2:5–6). Solomon waits until Joab commits a crime against him: supporting Solomon's brother Adonijah's coup attempt after Solomon is already king. When Joab hears that Solomon executed Adonijah, he runs to the tabernacle for sanctuary. Solomon has him killed, anyway. Solomon only has one more person to deal with: Shimei, the man from Benjamin who cursed David when David fled from Absalom's coup (1 Kings 2:36–46).

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.