1 Kings 1:50

Contextual Overview

⁴¹Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, "What's the meaning of all the noise in the city?" ⁴¹ Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, "What's the meaning of all the noise in the city?" ⁴¹And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. Then Joab heard the sound of the trumpet and said, "Why is the sound of the city such an uproar?" ⁴¹ Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, "Why is the city making such an uproar?" ⁴¹ And Adonia and al the ghestes that he had called vnto him, hearde it [euen] as they had made an ende of eating. And when Ioab hearde the sounde of the trumpet, he sayde: What meaneth this noyse and vprore in the citie? ⁴¹ And Adonijah heard, and all those invited, who were with him. And they stopped eating. And Joab heard the sound of the ram's horn, and said, What is this noise roaring from the city? 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?" ⁴¹ Adoni'jah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. And when Jo'ab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, "What does this uproar in the city mean?" ⁴¹ Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Why is this noise of the city being in an uproar? ⁴¹ And Adoniiah and all the ghests that were with him, heard it as they had made an end of eating: and when Ioab heard the sound of the trumpet, hee said, Wherefore is this noise of the citie, being in an vproare?

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.