mighty men 6, and Solomon his brother he called nor. X b Becauſe he knew they favoured Solomon his Competitor. - x 11: 4 Wherefore Nathan ſpake c unto Bathiheba the 44 mother of Solomon 4, ſaying, Haſt thou not heard by that Adonijah the ſon of * Haggith doth reign, and , : 6," David our lord knoweth 3: not e? . _ ay y c Being prompted to it both by his Piery in fulfilling the will of © God declared to him, and by him to David concerning Solomems Succeſſion,. 2 Sam: 7: 13: 1 Chron; 22:8, 9. and by his prudence, as knowing that Adenijah hated him for being the principal inſtru- ment of S»#omons advancement, d Who being retired and private in her apartment, was yet ignorant of what was done dhroad and, who was likely ro be moſt zealous it: the cauſe,and moſt prevalenr | with David. e So far is he'from conſeriting ro it,#s thou may'ſt fear or others think, that they have not yer acquainted him with ir. 12 Now therefore come, let me, T pray thee, give thee counſel, that thou mayeſt ſave thine own life, and the life of thy ſon Solomon f. _ f For he will never reckon himſelf fafe till 'hiis Competitor and his Friends be taken our'of the 'way. Hp 12 Go, and get thee in unto king David, and'fay
committed the fame wickedneſs which he had done, and yet feared
unto him, Didft not thou, my lord, O king, ſwear g WS, unto
| + Heb. ſhalt be ſo1=
-- ers.”
{Heb-
« Lething A donijah tive.
A»
®. ap» | L [+.Chron:” nnto thine hand-maid &, ſaying, * Afſuredly Solomon 2. 9e
thy {on ſhall reign after me,- and he ſhall ſit upon my throne i; > Why then doth Adonijah reign & ?
g i. e- Thou didſt ſwear ; which David himſelf owneth, v: 30. which probably he did to fatisfie Bathſbeba's doubts and fears about it, and to oblige himſelf to a compliance with the Divine Will de- clared about it- See Chap; 2: 15: and 1 Chron: 28: 5. hþ So ſhecal leth her ſelf, to teſtifie her reverence and ſubjeQion to him, not only as her husband, but as her King. # Another expreſſion of the Game thing, to ſignifie David's ſincerity and fervency in his Swear- ing, which adds to his obligation. k How comes this to paſs? Or why doſt thou ſuffer it ?
14 Behold, while thou yet talkeſt there with: the
king, I will alſo come in after thee, and | confirm thy words.
TT" NCS
15 | And Bathſheba went in unto the king,into the
chamber : and the king was very old, and Abiſhag the
' Shunamite miniſtred unto the king.
16 And Bathſheba bowed, and did obeiſance unto the king : and the king ſaid, F What wouldeſt thou ?
17 And ſhe ſaid unto him, My lord, thou ſwareſt by the LORD thy God / unto thine handmaid, ſaying, Aſfuredly, Solomon thy ſon ſhall reign after me, and he ſhall fit upon my throne.
1 To whom thou art highly obliged, whoſe name thou juſtly feareſt and honoureſt, and therefore thou wilr'ſt not pollute it by Perjury, but make Conſcience of thy Oath.
18 And now behold, Adonijjah reigneth ; and now
my lord the king, thou knowelt z: not m.
m This fhe adds, part, leſt ſhe ſhould ſeem to accuſe the King
of inconſtancy and perfidiouſneſs; and partly, to aggravate Adoni- jahs Crime, for that groſs negle& and contempt of the King, which did accompany it.
19 And he hath ſlain oxen, and fat catrel, and ſheep in abundance, and hath called all the ſons of the king, and Abiathar the prieſt, and Joab the captain of the hoſt : but Solomon thy ſervant hath he not
called.
» Who is not ſo preſumpruousas Xdmijeh, uſurping the Throne before his time, but carries himſelf modeſtly and ſubmiſlively, as thy ſon and Servant, and Subje&.
20 And thou,my lord,O king, the eyes of all Iſrael are upon thee o, that thou ſhouldeſt tell them who (ball fit upon the throne of my lord the king p after him g.
0 The generality of the People are in ſuſpence, whether Adonijahs praQices be with thy conſent or no, and wait for thy Sentence, which they will readily embrace. p She ſpeaks only in general,as owning the Kings Prerogative to give the Crown to which of his Sons he pleaſed, if he had nor reſtrained himſelf by his Oath to Solomon. 4q i. e, Affeer thy death. Whereby the taxeth Adonijahs Ambition, who uſurped the Crown whitleſt his Father lived.
21 Otherwiſe ic ſhail come to paſs, when my lord the king ſhall ſleep with his fathers r, that I and my ſon Solomon ſhall be counted F offenders /.
7 ic e, Die as his Fathers did. See Gen: 47: 30. { We ſhall be puniſhed with death as MalefaQors, as guilty of praGtiſing againſt the right Heir of the Crown, and transferring the Kingdom to Se- lomen, and covering our ambitious deſigns with a pretence of Re- ligion.
22 T And lo, while ſhe yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet alſo came in ?.
t To diſcourſe with the King ; which made it fit for her to withdraw, as ſhe did, v. 28.
23 And they told the king, ſaying, Behold, Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himſelf before the king with his face to the ground. | |
24 And Nathan ſaid, My lord, O king, haſt thou
| aid u, Adonijah ſball reign after me, and he ſhall fic
upan my throne ?
u Is this done by thy conſent, without which it ſeems ſtrange that he .durſt attempt it ?
25 For. he is gone down this day, and hath ſlain
© oxen, and fat catrel, and ſheep in abundance, and hath - called all the kings ſons, and the captains of the hoſt,
and Abiathar the prieſt ; and behold, they eat and drink before him, and fay, + God fave king Adonijah.
26 Bur me, even me thy ſervant x, and Zadok the prieſt, and Benaiah the ſon of Jehoiada, and thy ſer- vant Solomon hath he not called.
x Whom he knew to be acquainted with thy mind,and with the mind of God in this mattter : And therefere his negle& of me herein gives me cauſe to ſuſpe& that this is done withour thy privity : which now I come to know.
%
\ 27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and
thou haft not ſhewed zt unto thy ſervant y, who ſhould ſit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
y Who, having been an inſtrument in delivering Gods meſſage to thee conceraing thy Succeſſor, might reaſonably expect that if the king had changed his Mind,or God had fince made ſome reve- lation contrary to the former, thou wouldeſt have acquainted me with it, as being both a Prophet of the Lord, and one whom thou haſt always found Faithful to thee,and to whom thou haſt uſed to communacat thy ſecret counſels.
. .-
28 © Then king David anſwered and ſaid, Call me Bathſheba & : and ſhe came + into the kings preſence, T Heb, and ſtood before the king. 2 Fore th