1 Raja-raja 5:3

5:3 “You know that my father David was unable to build a temple to honor the Lord ¹  his God, for he was busy fighting battles on all fronts while the Lord subdued his enemies. ² 

1 Raja-raja 8:16-19

8:16 He told David, ³  ‘Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple in which to live. ⁴  But I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’ 8:17 Now my father David had a strong desire ⁵  to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel. ⁶  8:18 The Lord told my father David, ‘It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me. ⁷  8:19 But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’ ⁸ 

1 Raja-raja 8:1

Solomon Moves the Ark into the Temple

8:1 ⁹ Then Solomon convened in Jerusalem ¹⁰  Israel’s elders, all the leaders of the Israelite tribes and families, so they could witness the transferal of the ark of the Lord’s covenant from the city of David (that is, Zion). ¹¹ 

1 Raja-raja 17:4

17:4 Drink from the stream; I have already told ¹²  the ravens to bring you food ¹³  there.”

1 Raja-raja 22:7-8

22:7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?” 22:8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will. ¹⁴  But I despise ¹⁵  him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. ¹⁶  Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things.”

1 Raja-raja 1:3-32

1:3 So they looked through all Israel ¹⁷  for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 1:4 The young woman was very beautiful; she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king did not have sexual relations with her. ¹⁸ 

1:5 Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith, ¹⁹  was promoting himself, ²⁰  boasting, ²¹  “I will be king!” He managed to acquire ²²  chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. ²³  1:6 (Now his father had never corrected ²⁴  him ²⁵  by saying, “Why do you do such things?” He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom. ²⁶ ) 1:7 He collaborated ²⁷  with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported ²⁸  him. ²⁹  1:8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s elite warriors ³⁰  did not ally themselves ³¹  with Adonijah. 1:9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened steers at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, ³²  as well as all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 1:10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the elite warriors, ³³  or his brother Solomon.

1:11 Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Has it been reported to you ³⁴  that Haggith’s son Adonijah has become king behind our master David’s back? ³⁵  1:12 Now ³⁶  let me give you some advice as to how ³⁷  you can save your life and your son Solomon’s life. 1:13 Visit ³⁸  King David and say to him, ‘My master, O king, did you not solemnly promise ³⁹  your servant, “Surely your son Solomon will be king after me; he will sit on my throne”? So why has Adonijah become king?’ 1:14 While ⁴⁰  you are still there speaking to the king, I will arrive ⁴¹  and verify your report.” ⁴² 

1:15 So Bathsheba visited the king in his private quarters. ⁴³  (The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) 1:16 Bathsheba bowed down on the floor before ⁴⁴  the king. The king said, “What do you want?” 1:17 She replied to him, “My master, you swore an oath to your servant by the Lord your God, ‘Solomon your son will be king after me and he will sit on my throne.’ 1:18 But now, look, Adonijah has become king! But you, ⁴⁵  my master the king, are not even aware of it! ⁴⁶  1:19 He has sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab, the commander of the army, but he has not invited your servant Solomon. 1:20 Now, ⁴⁷  my master, O king, all Israel is watching anxiously to see who is named to succeed my master the king on the throne. ⁴⁸  1:21 If a decision is not made, ⁴⁹  when my master the king is buried with his ancestors, ⁵⁰  my son Solomon and I ⁵¹  will be considered state criminals.” ⁵² 

1:22 Just then, ⁵³  while she was still speaking to the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 1:23 The king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” Nathan entered and bowed before the king with his face to the floor. ⁵⁴  1:24 Nathan said, “My master, O king, did you announce, ‘Adonijah will be king after me; he will sit on my throne’? 1:25 For today he has gone down and sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. At this moment ⁵⁵  they are having a feast ⁵⁶  in his presence, and they have declared, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ ⁵⁷  1:26 But he did not invite me – your servant – or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your servant Solomon. 1:27 Has my master the king authorized this without informing your servants ⁵⁸  who should succeed my master the king on his throne?” ⁵⁹ 

David Picks Solomon as His Successor

1:28 King David responded, ⁶⁰  “Summon Bathsheba!” ⁶¹  She came and stood before the king. ⁶²  1:29 The king swore an oath: “As certainly as the Lord lives (he who has rescued me ⁶³  from every danger), 1:30 I will keep ⁶⁴  today the oath I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel: ‘Surely Solomon your son will be king after me; he will sit in my place on my throne.’” 1:31 Bathsheba bowed down to the king with her face to the floor ⁶⁵  and said, “May my master, King David, live forever!”

1:32 King David said, “Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, ⁶⁶  and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” They came before the king,

[5:3]  ¹ tn Heb “a house for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.

[5:3]  ² tn Heb “because of the battles which surrounded him until the Lord placed them under the soles of his feet.”

[8:16]  ³ tn Heb “saying.”

[8:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “to build a house for my name to be there.”

[8:16]  sn To build a temple in which to live (Heb “to build a house for my name to be there”). In the OT, the word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.

[8:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “and it was with the heart of David my father.”

[8:17]  ⁶ tn Heb “to build a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.” The word “name” in the OT sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.

[8:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “Because it was with your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was with your heart.”

[8:19]  ⁸ tn Heb “your son, the one who came out of your body, he will build the temple for my name.”

[8:1]  ⁹ tc The Old Greek translation includes the following words at the beginning of ch. 8: “It so happened that when Solomon finished building the Lord’s temple and his own house, after twenty years.”

[8:1]  ¹⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[8:1]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Then Solomon convened the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of the fathers belonging to the sons of Israel to King Solomon [in] Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David (it is Zion).”

[17:4]  ¹² tn Heb “commanded.”

[17:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “to provide for you.”

[22:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “to seek the Lord from him.”

[22:8]  ¹⁵ tn Or “hate.”

[22:8]  ¹⁶ tn The words “his name is” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[1:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “through all the territory of Israel.”

[1:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “did not know her.”

[1:5]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “son of Haggith,” but since this formula usually designates the father (who in this case was David), the translation specifies that David was Adonijah’s father.

[1:5]  sn Haggith was one of David’s wives (2 Sam 3:4; 2 Chr 3:2).

[1:5]  ²⁰ tn Heb “lifting himself up.”

[1:5]  ²¹ tn Heb “saying.”

[1:5]  ²² tn Or “he acquired for himself.”

[1:5]  ²³ tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”

[1:6]  ²⁴ tn Or “disciplined.”

[1:6]  ²⁵ tn Heb “did not correct him from his days.” The phrase “from his days” means “from his earliest days,” or “ever in his life.” See GKC 382 §119.w, n. 2.

[1:6]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and she gave birth to him after Absalom.” This does not imply they had the same mother; Absalom’s mother was Maacah, not Haggith (2 Sam 3:4).

[1:7]  ²⁷ tn Heb “his words were.”

[1:7]  ²⁸ tn Heb “helped after” (i.e., stood by).

[1:7]  ²⁹ tn Heb “Adonijah.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:8]  ³⁰ tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).

[1:8]  ³¹ tn Heb “were not.”

[1:9]  ³² tc The ancient Greek version omits this appositional phrase.

[1:10]  ³³ tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).

[1:11]  ³⁴ tn Heb “Have you not heard?”

[1:11]  ³⁵ tn Heb “and our master David does not know.”

[1:12]  ³⁶ tn Heb “now, come.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ.

[1:12]  ³⁷ tn Or “so that.”

[1:13]  ³⁸ tn Heb “come, go to.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ.

[1:13]  ³⁹ tn Or “swear an oath to.”

[1:14]  ⁴⁰ tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which here draws attention to Nathan’s concluding word of assurance and support. For this use of the word, see HALOT 252 s.v. הִנֵּה.

[1:14]  ⁴¹ tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will come after you.”

[1:14]  ⁴² tn Heb “fill up [i.e., confirm] your words.”

[1:15]  ⁴³ tn Or “bedroom.”

[1:16]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “bowed low and bowed down to.”

[1:18]  ⁴⁵ tc Instead of עַתָּה (’attah, “now”) many Hebrew mss, along with the Old Greek, Syriac Peshitta, and Latin Vulgate, have the similar sounding independent pronoun אַתָּה (’attah, “you”). This reading is followed in the present translation.

[1:18]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “you do not know [about it].”

[1:20]  ⁴⁷ tc Many Hebrew mss have עַתָּה (’attah, “now”) rather than the similar sounding independent pronoun אַתָּה (’attah, “you”).

[1:20]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “the eyes of all Israel are upon you to declare to them who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him.”

[1:21]  ⁴⁹ tn The words “if a decision is not made” are added for clarification.

[1:21]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “lies down with his fathers.”

[1:21]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “I and my son Solomon.” The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:21]  ⁵² tn Heb “will be guilty”; NASB “considered offenders”; TEV “treated as traitors.”

[1:22]  ⁵³ tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) here draws attention to Nathan’s arrival and invites the audience to view the scene through the eyes of the participants.

[1:23]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “ground.” Since this was indoors, “floor” is more appropriate than “ground.”

[1:25]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “look.”

[1:25]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “eating and drinking.”

[1:25]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “let the king, Adonijah, live!”

[1:27]  ⁵⁸ tc Many Hebrew mss and ancient textual witnesses agree with the Qere in reading this as singular, “your servant.”

[1:27]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “From my master the king is this thing done, and you did not make known to your servants who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him?”

[1:28]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “answered and said.”

[1:28]  ⁶¹ sn Summon Bathsheba. Bathsheba must have left the room when Nathan arrived (see 1:22).

[1:28]  ⁶² tn Heb “she came before the king and stood before the king.”

[1:29]  ⁶³ tn Or “ransomed my life.”

[1:30]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “carry out, perform.”

[1:31]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “bowed low, face [to] the ground, and bowed down to the king.”

[1:32]  ⁶⁶ sn Summon…Nathan. Nathan must have left the room when Bathsheba reentered.