1 Kings 1:26 kjv
But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.
1 Kings 1:26 nkjv
But he has not invited me?me your servant?nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon.
1 Kings 1:26 niv
But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite.
1 Kings 1:26 esv
But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he has not invited.
1 Kings 1:26 nlt
But he did not invite me or Zadok the priest or Benaiah or your servant Solomon.
1 Kings 1 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | "...I will raise up your offspring after you...I will establish his kingdom." | God's promise of an enduring kingdom through David's offspring (Solomon). |
| 1 Chr 22:9-10 | "Behold, a son shall be born to you; he shall be a man of rest...Solomon..." | God identifies Solomon by name as the chosen king. |
| Ps 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with my chosen one...I will establish your offspring." | God's eternal covenant with David's line, assuring succession. |
| 1 Kgs 1:17 | "My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God..." | Bathsheba reminding David of his specific oath regarding Solomon. |
| Ps 132:11-12 | "The Lord swore to David a sure oath...One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne." | God's faithful promise regarding Davidic succession. |
| 1 Kgs 1:1-4 | "...King David was old and advanced in years..." | David's frailty created the opportunity for Adonijah's actions. |
| 2 Sam 15:1-6 | "Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way..." | Absalom's similar approach to gaining popular support and usurping the throne. |
| Num 16:1-3 | "...Korah...and Dathan...stood up before Moses...You have gone too far!" | Korah's rebellion against divinely appointed leadership. |
| Isa 14:12-15 | "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!...I will ascend..." | Lucifer's ambition leading to rebellion, echoing human pride and usurpation. |
| Prov 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | A warning against the hubris displayed by Adonijah. |
| 1 Kgs 1:19 | "But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, or Benaiah..." | Specific individuals were excluded, similar to Bathsheba, indicating partisanship. |
| Lk 14:8-10 | "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not recline..." | Illustration of social hierarchy and invited status in feasts. |
| Mt 22:14 | "For many are called, but few are chosen." | While a different context of calling, it reflects the theme of invitation vs. exclusion. |
| Rev 17:14 | "and those who are with him are called and chosen and faithful." | Highlighting the significance of being 'called' (invited/chosen) in a spiritual sense. |
| Jn 15:16 | "You did not choose me, but I chose you..." | Emphasizing divine election/choice over human initiative, in contrast to Adonijah's self-proclamation. |
| Phil 2:7 | "...but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant..." | Christ's example of humility and servanthood, contrasting with Adonijah's ambition. |
| Lk 1:38 | "And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord...'" | An example of deep humility and submission to God's will. |
| Jn 13:13-16 | "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet." | Jesus' teaching on humble service. |
| Ps 146:3 | "Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation." | A caution against relying on human leaders, especially those who self-appoint. |
| Prov 11:14 | "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." | Highlights the importance of wise counsel from figures like Nathan and Bathsheba. |
1 Kings 1 verses
1 Kings 1 26 Meaning
In 1 Kings 1:26, Bathsheba addresses King David, revealing a critical piece of information concerning Adonijah's attempted usurpation: "But I, even I, your servant, have not been called." This concise statement conveys her deliberate exclusion from Adonijah's gathering, signifying his partisan choices and a direct slight to David's appointed successor, Solomon, and those loyal to him. Her exclusion confirms the gravity of Adonijah's actions, demonstrating his intent to circumvent David's true succession plan.
1 Kings 1 26 Context
1 Kings chapter 1 opens with King David in his old age, physically feeble and nearing death. This precarious situation creates a power vacuum, which Adonijah, David's fourth son, attempts to fill by declaring himself king. He gathers chariots, horsemen, and fifty men to run ahead of him, actions associated with kingship. He then hosts a feast for many key figures, including Joab (the army commander) and Abiathar (the priest), along with other royal sons, pointedly excluding Solomon, Zadok (the priest), Nathan (the prophet), and Benaiah (David's strongman). Bathsheba, alerted by Nathan to Adonijah's coup and reminded of David's oath concerning Solomon's succession, comes before the ailing king. Her statement in verse 26 serves as crucial evidence of Adonijah's illegitimate and exclusionary actions, validating Nathan's warning to David. Culturally, royal succession in ancient Israel was a critical and often contested matter, requiring the king's clear endorsement, especially if it deviated from primogeniture (which it often did with God's intervention). Adonijah's feast was a calculated political move to garner support and assert his claim publicly without legitimate anointing or David's explicit approval.
1 Kings 1 26 Word analysis
But I, even I (וַאֲנִי - wa'aní): The Hebrew wa'aní is a strong conjunction followed by the first-person singular pronoun. The "but" or "and" connects her statement to the preceding accounts of who Adonijah did invite. The repeated "I" or emphatic "even I" underscores her personal stake and highlights her particular omission. It carries a sense of significant self-reference, contrasting herself directly with those who were summoned. It emphasizes the weight of her exclusion and the specific political meaning of this slight directed towards her, and by extension, to Solomon.
your servant (עַבְדְּךָ֙ - 'avdekha): Bathsheba uses this humble self-designation when speaking to the King, which was customary. It demonstrates respect, loyalty, and a posture of submission. This title emphasizes her status within the royal household, a queen mother and wife of the king, who nonetheless identifies herself as one serving the monarch. Her humble tone, despite the profound importance of her message, likely appealed to David and reinforced her faithfulness, in contrast to Adonijah's presumption.
have not been called (לֹא קָרָא לִ֔י - lo' qara' lí): This phrase is direct and unambiguous.
- לֹא (lo'): The standard Hebrew negative particle, meaning "not." It negates the action that follows.
- קָרָא (qara'): This verb means "to call," "to summon," "to invite," or "to proclaim." Here, it clearly means "to summon" or "to invite" to Adonijah's gathering. Its active tense signifies that Adonijah deliberately did not invite her.
- לִ֔י (lí): "to me" or "for me." This is a dative suffix, emphasizing the personal nature of the omission.The phrase as a whole reveals the intentional exclusion. It wasn't an oversight but a conscious decision by Adonijah to exclude Bathsheba and those associated with Solomon, signalling his rebellion and attempt to secure the throne without key, loyal members of David's court, particularly those aligned with God's designated heir. This specific exclusion underscores the political machinations and the attempt to marginalize the true line of succession.
1 Kings 1 26 Bonus section
The seemingly simple declaration in 1 Kings 1:26 underscores the profound strategic importance of Nathan the prophet's counsel to Bathsheba (1 Kgs 1:11-14). He instructed her precisely how to approach the king and what points to make, including highlighting her exclusion. This coordinated effort between Nathan and Bathsheba was not mere palace intrigue but a decisive human intervention aligned with God's divine plan for Solomon's ascent to the throne, as had been revealed to David much earlier (2 Sam 7; 1 Chr 22). Adonijah's "call" for a feast was an attempted declaration of his sovereignty, yet by not calling Bathsheba and other loyalists, he ironically revealed the illegitimacy and narrowness of his support base, ultimately paving the way for God's true king. The selective invitation list exposed Adonijah’s lack of wisdom, serving as damning evidence against his claim.
1 Kings 1 26 Commentary
1 Kings 1:26 is a pivotal verse in Bathsheba's plea to King David regarding Adonijah's attempted coup. Her simple, yet profound, statement—"But I, even I, your servant, have not been called"—serves multiple purposes. First, it objectively verifies the exclusionary nature of Adonijah's gathering. By deliberately omitting David's inner circle—Bathsheba, Nathan, Zadok, Benaiah, and notably Solomon—Adonijah publicly declared his intent to usurp power without divine sanction or royal approval. Bathsheba's absence, despite her high status, was not an oversight but a calculated political snub, designed to sideline Solomon and those who supported him. Her emphasis, "even I," draws David's personal attention to the affront. Second, her status as "your servant" humbly frames her petition, emphasizing loyalty to David, contrasting with Adonijah's disloyalty. Third, this verse subtly reinforces the prophetic guidance that Solomon was David's rightful successor, as Adonijah's rebellion implicitly stood against God's revealed will. Her uninvited status solidified the fact that Adonijah’s "kingship" lacked legitimate and broad support from David's trusted personnel, making his claim appear self-serving and illegitimate in the eyes of the established court.