1 Kings 1:50

Easy-to-Read Version

Adonijah was also afraid of Solomon, so he went to the altar and held onto the horns of the altar.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he got up and went to take hold of the horns of the altar.

Hebrew Names Version
Adoniyahu feared because of Shlomo; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

King James Version
And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

English Standard Version
And Adonijah feared Solomon. So he arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.

New Century Version
Adonijah was also afraid of Solomon, so he went and took hold of the corners of the altar.

New English Translation
Adonijah feared Solomon, so he got up and went and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar.

Amplified Bible
And Adonijah feared Solomon, and he got up and went [to the tabernacle on Mt. Zion] and took hold of the horns of the altar [seeking asylum].

New American Standard Bible
Adonijah also was afraid of Solomon, and he got up, and went, and took hold of the horns of the altar.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Adonijah fearing the presence of Salomon, arose and went, and tooke holde on the hornes of the altar.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and he arose, went, and took hold of the horns of the altar.

Contemporary English Version
Adonijah himself was afraid of what Solomon might do to him, so he ran to the sacred tent and grabbed hold of the corners of the altar for protection.

Complete Jewish Bible
Adoniyah too was afraid because of Shlomo; he got up, went and took hold of the horns of the altar.

Darby Translation
And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose and went and caught hold of the horns of the altar.

George Lamsa Translation
And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.

Good News Translation
Adonijah, in great fear of Solomon, went to the Tent of the Lord 's presence and took hold of the corners of the altar.

Lexham English Bible
Adonijah was afraid because of Solomon, and he got up and went and grasped the horns of the altar.

Literal Translation
And Adonijah was afraid because of Solomon, and he rose up and went and lay hold on the horns of the altar.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Adonias was afrayed of Salomon, and gat him vp, and wete his waye, & toke holde of ye hornes of ye altare.

American Standard Version
And Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

Bible in Basic English
And Adonijah himself was full of fear because of Solomon; and he got up and went to the altar, and put his hands on its horns.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Adonia fearing the presence of Solomon, arose, and went and caught hold on the hornes of the aulter.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

King James Version (1611)
And Adoniiah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the hornes of the Altar.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Adonias feared because of Solomon, and arose, and departed, and laid hold on the horns of the altar.

English Revised Version
And Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

Berean Standard Bible
But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, got up and went to take hold of the horns of the altar.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli Adonye dredde Salomon, and roos, and yede in to the tabernacle of the Lord, and helde the horn of the auter.

Young's Literal Translation
and Adonijah feareth because of Solomon, and riseth, and goeth, and layeth hold on the horns of the altar.

Update Bible Version
And Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

World English Bible
Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

New King James Version
Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.

New Living Translation
Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed on to the horns of the altar.

New Life Bible
And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon. He got up and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.

New Revised Standard
Adonijah, fearing Solomon, got up and went to grasp the horns of the altar.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Adonijah also, feared because of Solomon, - and rose and went, and caught hold of the horns of the altar.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Adonias fearing Solomon, arose and went, and took hold of the horn of the altar.

Revised Standard Version
And Adoni'jah feared Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold of the horns of the altar.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and he arose, went and took hold of the horns of the altar.

Contextual Overview

⁴¹ Meanwhile, Adonijah and his guests were just finishing their meal. They heard the sound of the trumpet, and Joab asked, "What is that noise? What is happening in the city?" ⁴² While Joab was still speaking, Jonathan, son of Abiathar the priest, arrived. Adonijah said, "Come here! You are a good man, so you must be bringing good news." ⁴³ But Jonathan answered, "No, it is not good news for you! King David has made Solomon the new king. ⁴⁴ King David sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and all the king's officers with Solomon out to Gihon Spring. They put Solomon on the king's mule. ⁴⁵ Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon at Gihon Spring and then went back into the city. The people followed them, and now everyone in the city is celebrating. That is the noise you hear. ⁴⁶Solomon is sitting on the king's throne and the king's officers are congratulating King David, saying, ‘King David, you are a great king!' And now we pray that your God will make Solomon a great king too. We pray your God will make him even more famous than you. And we pray that his kingdom will be even greater than yours is! Even King David was there. From his bed, the king bowed before Solomon ⁴⁸ and said, ‘Praise the Lord , the God of Israel. He has put one of my own sons on my throne, and he has let me live to see it.'" ⁴⁹ All of Adonijah's guests were afraid and left very quickly. ⁵⁰ Adonijah was also afraid of Solomon, so he went to the altar and held onto the horns of the altar. ⁵¹ Then someone told Solomon, "Adonijah is afraid of you, King Solomon. He is at the Holy Tent holding onto the horns of the altar, and he refuses to leave. Adonijah says, ‘Tell King Solomon to promise that he will not kill me.'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

caught: 1 Kings 2:28, Exodus 21:14, Exodus 38:2, Psalms 118:27

Reciprocal: Exodus 27:2 - horns of it upon the four corners thereof 1 Kings 2:13 - Adonijah 1 Chronicles 29:24 - all the sons Ecclesiastes 8:3 - stand

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Adonijah feared because of Solomon,.... Lest he should seize him as an usurper and traitor, and put him to death:

and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar; either that which was at Gibeon, where the tabernacle now was; see 1 Kings 3:4; so Jarchi; or rather that which was nearest, the altar that David had built in the threshingfloor of Araunah, 2 Samuel 24:25; the altar was a sort of asylum, or refuge, for such who had committed any crime worthy of death; not by divine appointment, but by custom, it being supposed that none would presume to defile with blood that which was sacred to the Lord; or shed the blood of men where the blood of beasts was poured; or use severity and strict justice, but mercy, where sacrifices were offered to atone for sin, and mercy was shown on account of them; these were notions, and this a custom, which obtained very early, and even among the Jews; see Exodus 21:14; as well as among Gentiles; with whom it was usual, as to flee to the statues of their emperors, and to the temples of their deities, so likewise to their altars; this was customary among the Molossians, Samothracians, Crotoniatae, and Messenians; and particularly the altar of Jupiter Servator was an asylum, or place of refuge, to the Ithacians l. Cornelius Nepos m has given us an instance of one that fled to a temple of Neptune, and sat upon the altar for his security, as here Adonijah laid hold on the horns of this, that none might force him from it.

l Alexander ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 3. c. 20. m Vit. Pausan l. 4. c. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

On the “horns” of the altar, see Exodus 27:2 note. The altar to which Adonijah fled was probably in the “tabernacle” already referred to 1 Kings 1:39.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 1:50. Adonijah feared — He knew he had usurped the kingdom, and had not his father's consent; and, as he finds now that Solomon is appointed by David, he knows well that the people will immediately respect that appointment, and that his case is hopeless; he therefore took sanctuary, and, fleeing to the tabernacle, laid hold on one of the horns of the altar, as if appealing to the protection of God against the violence of men. The altar was a privileged place, and it was deemed sacrilege to molest a man who had taken refuge there. See 1 Kings 2:28.