20 Then ſhe faid, I defire one ſmall petition s of thee, 1 pray thee ſay me not nay : and the king ſaid un- to her, Ask on, my mother, for I will not ſay thee nay t. | | * So ſhe eſteemed it, becauſe ſhe did not perceive his Deſign in it ; and as for that Law, Levit: 18: 7. ſhe might apprehend, that becauſe David knew her not, it was only a Contract be Marriage, and therefore no impediment of her Marrriage to any other after his Death ; which alſo is the Opinion of ſome of the late Learned
Hebrew Doctors. # Suppoling thy requeſt be but ſmall, as thou lay'ſtit is, and not unlawful, nor injurious to my ſelf, or others,
21 And ſhe faid, Let Abiſhag the Shunamite be gi- ven to Adonijah thy brother « to wife.
u By the Father's ſide, whom brotherly Affection and Relation obligeth thee to gratific ; at leaſt, in ſmall things,
22 And king Solomon anſwered and ſaid unto his mother, And why deſt thou ask Abiſbag the Shuna- mite for Adonijah ? ask for him the kingdom alſo x ; ( for he is mine elder brother y ) even for him, and for Abiathar the prieſt, and for Joab the ſon of Zerujah z.
x His deſign is not upon Abiſbag, but upon the Kingdom ; which by this means, he thinks to recover ; partly, becauie ſhe was the laſt kings Wife, Or Concubine, which might ſtrengthen his Pre- tence to the Crown ; See 2 Sam: 3:7. and 12: 8: and 16. 21: and partly, becauſe by her eminent Beauty,and near Relation to David, ſhe had a powerful Intereſt in the Court. Queſt. Was not this too harſh a Cenfſure, and the following Punifhment of it too ſevere ? Anſ. 1. That Adonijah had ſuch a Deſign, is very probable, both from his Temper, for he was an aſpiring and deligning Man, and highly diſcontented with Solomon's Government, and deſirous of a Change ; and from the nature of the thing, becauſe he would nor have made fo dacing and preſumptuous a Requeſt, if he had nor ſome great Deſign in it, 2. It is very likely from the following words, though nor exprefled, that he, and Jeab and 4biathar were engaged in {ome Deſign againſt Solemon, and that Solomon had got Intormation of it 3 and therefore he did, and might reaſonably rake this for an Indication, and the firſt covert act of his Treaſon. 3. Solomon did not pardon Adonijah's Treaſon ſimply,and abſolutely, but upon condition that he carried himſelf worthily, Chap: 1: 52. and this being confefſedly a bold & unworthy Action,and arguing more confidence and preſumption than became him; and carrying in it the appearance and intention of an Inceſtuous Marriage, he might juſtly revive his Guilt, and take this occaſion to execute the Senrence which he formerly deſerved. Ifit be ſaid, That it is very improbable that Adenjah ſhould expect to get the Kingdom from Solemon, who was ſo firmly eſtabliſhed in it with univerſal Ap» plauſe 3 it may be anſwered, That Adonijah was not the only Man that hath fed himſelf with vain hopes and engaged himfB}f in high and treaſonable Deſigns, where, to other wite Men there was but little likelihood of Succeſs : and that he might now be only laying the foundation of what he further intended, when he ſaw a fit time, and getting a pretence for his future Attempts upon the Crown ; either, when S#lomon ſhould loſe the Peoples Affections,as | David had done ; or when Sel:mon fhould die, which alſo A4domijab | might ſecretly procure and haſten ; and he had only Solomons young and tender Son to conteſt with. All which,and many other things, Solomen in his great. Wiſdom might eaſily diſcern ; yea, or have ſome ſecret Intelligence of,though it be not Recorded, y He looks upon the Kingdom as his, by nature and Birthrighr, and the Law of Nations and therefore he might ſeek to recover his own,and ta Caſt me our as an Uſurper. z Who have all an hand in the Plot, though he alone appears 4n it 3 which appears the more likely, be-
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cauſe of Selomns proceeding againſt them all at the ſame time ; as appears in the following Verſes.
23 Then king Solomon ſware by the LORD a, ſaying, * God do ſo to me, and more allo, if Adonijah have not ſpoken this word againſt his own life.
a Once here. and again, v. 24. Which he did to oblige himſelf irrevocably to it, and to prevent all Interceſſions for his Life, it being of ſo great importance to him. :
24 Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath eſtabliſhed me, and ſet me on the throne of David my father b, and who hath made me an bouſe c as he * pro- miſed, Adonijah ſhall be put to death this day d.
b Though Adonijah be my elder Brother, yet I have an undoubted Right and Title to the Crown, and that from the promiſe and ap-
ointment of that God who diſpoſeth of all Kingdoms, and eſpeci- ally this of Jrael, ro whom he pleaſeth ; and therefore Adonijah in this, and his former attempt, is guilty of Treaſon againſt me, and of Rebellion againſt God, c Either, 1. who hath given me Poſterity, as that Phraſe is uſed, Exod. x 21» and elſewhere ; for Rehaboam moſt probably was born before this time 3 by comparing 1 Kings 14. 21. Or rather, 2. who hath eſtabliſhed me in the Houſe and Throne of David - which he thus exprefſerh, to ſignifie, that God hath fulfilled in and to him that Promiſe which he made to David, in 2 Sam. 7.11. where the ſame Phraſe is uſed, and where it doth not ſo much ſignifie the giving of David Poſterity, which he had ſufficiently before that time ; as the ſettlement of the Crown in him and his Seed. d For he knew delays were dangerous in matters of that Nature.
25 And king Solomon ſent by the hand of Benaiah, the fon of Jehoiada e, and he fell upon him f that he
N GC S.
Benaiahs affirmation of it ; for why ſhould he tell a lye without a cauſe? and from his return to tke King for new orders upon Joabs Reſolution not to come thence. « For he {uppoſed, either, thar Solomon would not defile that place with his Blood : or, that he would ſpare him for his reſpe& to it, as he had done Adomjah : or, he had a ſuperſtitious conceit, that his dying there might give his guilty and miſerable Soul ſome advantage.
'31 And the king ſaid unto him, Do as he hath ſaid x, and fall upon him, and bury him ; that thou mayſt cake away the innocent blood x which Joab ſhed from me, and from the houſe of my father,