Bible Commentaries
1 Kings 2

Verse 2

2:2 I go the {a} way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;

(a) I am ready to die as all men must.

Verse 3

2:3 And keep the {b} charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:

(b) He shows how hard it is to govern and that no one can do it well except he obey God.

Verse 4

2:4 That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in {c} truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

(c) Without hypocrisy.

Verse 5

2:5 Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, [and] what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and {d} shed the blood of war in peace, and {e} put the blood of war upon his girdle that [was] about his loins, and in his shoes that [were] on his feet.

(d) He shed his blood in time of peace, as if there had been war.

(e) He put the bloody sword into his sheath.

Verse 7

2:7 But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: {f} for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.

(f) That is, they dealt mercifully with me.

Verse 9

2:9 Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou [art] a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with {g} blood.

(g) Let him be punished with death, see 1 Kings 2:46.

Verse 13

2:13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, {h} Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.

(h) For she was afraid lest he would work treason against the king.

Verse 15

2:15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and [that] all Israel {i} set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s: for it was his from the LORD.

(i) In sign of their favour and consent.

Verse 19

2:19 Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and {k} bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand.

(k) In token of reverence, and that others by his example might have her in greater honour.

Verse 22

2:22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the {l} kingdom also; for he [is] mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

(l) Meaning, that if he would have granted Abishag, who was so dear to his father, he would later have aspired for the kingdom.

Verse 26

2:26 And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou [art] worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou {m} barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

(m) When he fled before Absalom, 2 Samuel 15:24.

Verse 28

2:28 Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had {n} turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

(n) He took Adonijah’s part when he would have usurped the kingdom 1 Kings 1:7.

Verse 29

2:29 And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, [he is] by the {o} altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.

(o) Thinking to be saved by the holiness of the place.

Verse 31

2:31 And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and {p} fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.

(p) For it was lawful to take the wilful murderer from the altar, Exodus 21:14.

Verse 33

2:33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the {q} head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD.

(q) Joab will be justly punished for the blood that he has cruelly shed.

Verse 35

2:35 And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the {r} priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.

(r) And so took the office of high priest from the house of Eli, and restored it to the house of Phinehas.

Verse 39

2:39 And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the {s} servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants [be] in Gath.

(s) Thus God appoints the ways and means to bring his just judgments on the wicked.

Verse 40

2:40 And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and {t} Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.

(t) His covetous mind moved him to risk his life, rather than to lose the worldly profit he had by his servants.

Verse 44

2:44 The king said moreover to Shimei, {u} Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head;

(u) For though you would deny it, your own conscience accuses you for reviling and doing wrong to my father, 2 Samuel 16:5.

Verse 46

2:46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was {x} established in the hand of Solomon.

(x) Because all his enemies were destroyed.