1 Kings 1:2

Contextual Overview

¹ Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he got no heat. ¹ King David was now very old, and no matter how many blankets covered him, he could not keep warm. ¹ Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. ¹ At this time King David was very old, and although his servants covered him with blankets, he could not keep warm. ¹ King David was very old; even when they covered him with blankets, he could not get warm. ¹ Now king David was old [and] advanced in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he got no heat. ¹ Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he got no heat. ¹Now King David was old, advanced in years; they covered him with clothes, but he could not get warm. ¹ Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. ¹ And kyng Dauid wax eld, and hadde ful many daies of age; and whanne he was hilid with clothis, he was not maad hoot.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Let there be sought: Heb. Let them seek

a young virgin: Heb. a damsel, a virgin. stand. Deuteronomy 10:8, 1 Samuel 16:21, 1 Samuel 16:22, 2 Chronicles 29:11

cherish him: Heb. be a cherisher unto him

lie: Genesis 16:5, Deuteronomy 13:6, 2 Samuel 12:3, Micah 7:5

get heat: Ecclesiastes 4:11

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 1:15 - very old 1 Kings 2:17 - Abishag 2 Kings 15:38 - Jotham Esther 2:2 - Let there be

Cross-References

Genesis 1:12
The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:12
And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:12
The earth produced plants with grain for seeds and trees that made fruits with seeds in them. Each seed grew its own kind of plant. God saw that all this was good.

Genesis 1:12
The land produced vegetation—plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:12
And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after its kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after its kind: and God saw that it [was] good.

Genesis 1:12
The earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with its seed in it, after their kind: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:12
The earth sprouted and abundantly produced vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, according to their kind; and God saw that it was good and He affirmed and sustained it.

Genesis 1:12
And the erthe brouyte forth greene erbe and makynge seed bi his kynde, and a tre makynge fruyt, and ech hauynge seed by his kynde. And God seiy that it was good.

Genesis 1:12
And the earth bringeth forth tender grass, herb sowing seed after its kind, and tree making fruit (whose seed [is] in itself) after its kind; and God seeth that [it is] good;

Genesis 1:12
The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore his servants said unto him,.... His physicians; so Joseph's physicians are called his servants, Genesis 50:2;

let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin; not only a young woman, but a virgin, that has more natural heat than women that have bore children have, which is abated thereby:

and let her stand before the king: minister to him, serve him with whatsoever he should want to eat or drink; and so by being in his presence, and taking things at her hand, she might be the more ingratiated into his affections:

and let her cherish him; as the husband the wife, so she her husband, as doubtless David was; and that by giving him cordials to cheer his spirits, and everything that was convenient for him, and particularly by lying with him. Kimchi interprets the word of her being profitable to him, in which sense the word is used, Job 22:2; that is, by warming him; Ben Gersom understands it of her being made mistress of his treasures, according to the sense of the word in Isaiah 22:15; that she might have the command of his purse, and provide anything proper for him, without being taken notice of or obstructed; but the Targum is better,

"and let her be near him,''

lie close unto him, and even in his bosom, as in the next clause:

and let her lie in his bosom; which shows that it was proposed that he should marry her, at least that she should become his concubine wife, since this phrase is descriptive of a wife, Micah 7:5; nor can it be thought his physicians would advise, or he agree to have a young woman admitted to his bed, without marriage; and if this had not been the case, it would not have answered the design of Adonijah in requesting her in marriage after his father's death, which was to make way to ascend the throne when opportunity should offer; nor would his request have been so much resented by Solomon as it was, 1 Kings 2:17;

that my lord the king may get heat: and somewhat similar to this, Galen, that great physician, prescribed in like cases d.

d Vid. Poli Synopsin in loc.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Since the Jewish law allowed polygamy, David’s conduct in following - what has been said to have been - physician’s advice, was blameless.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 1:2. Let there be sought - a young virgin — This was the best remedy which in his state could be prescribed. His nearly exhausted frame would infallibly absorb from her young and healthy body an additional portion of animal heat, and consequently trim and revive the flame of animal life. This is properly, as I have elsewhere expressed it, Friar Bacon's secret for the cure of old age.