1 Kings 1:27 kjv
Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not showed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?
1 Kings 1:27 nkjv
Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"
1 Kings 1:27 niv
Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"
1 Kings 1:27 esv
Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you have not told your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"
1 Kings 1:27 nlt
Has my lord the king really done this without letting any of his officials know who should be the next king?"
1 Kings 1 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:12-13 | "I will raise up your offspring... and I will establish his kingdom." | God's promise of a perpetual Davidic dynasty |
| 2 Sam 7:16 | "Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me..." | God's eternal covenant with David's house |
| Psa 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David..." | God's oath to establish David's lineage |
| Psa 89:29 | "I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of..." | Continuity of the Davidic throne |
| 1 Chr 22:9-10 | "A son shall be born to you; he shall be a man of rest... Solomon." | God's specific choice of Solomon as heir |
| 1 Kgs 1:5 | "Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, 'I will..." | Adonijah's self-proclamation as king |
| 1 Kgs 1:13 | "Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant..." | Bathsheba reminds David of his prior oath |
| 1 Kgs 1:17 | "You swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying..." | Reiterating David's sworn promise to her |
| 1 Kgs 1:30 | "For as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, 'Solomon..." | David reaffirms his oath to Bathsheba |
| 1 Kgs 2:15 | "And he said, 'You know that the kingdom was mine... God changed it...'" | Adonijah acknowledges God's choice of Solomon |
| Prov 21:1 | "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord..." | God's sovereignty over rulers' decisions |
| Dan 2:21 | "He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings..." | God's control over human governments |
| Deut 17:15 | "you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses." | Divine selection for Israel's king |
| Judg 9:1-6 | "Then all the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo gathered and..." | Abimelech's violent, illegitimate self-coronation |
| 2 Sam 15:10 | "Absalom has begun to reign in Hebron, and has no told him." | Absalom's previous usurpation attempt |
| Gen 49:10 | "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff..." | Prophecy concerning Judah's enduring royalty |
| Heb 6:13 | "For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater..." | God's absolute commitment to His sworn promises |
| Psa 75:6-7 | "For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west... God is..." | All authority and promotion come from God |
| Rom 13:1 | "For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have..." | All governing authorities are instituted by God |
| Eccl 8:4 | "For the word of the king is powerful, and who can say to him, 'What..." | The weight and authority of a king's command |
| Isa 40:23-24 | "He brings princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth..." | God's power to nullify human authority |
| Psa 33:10 | "The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates..." | God's frustration of human schemes |
1 Kings 1 verses
1 Kings 1 27 Meaning
1 Kings 1:27 is Bathsheba's rhetorical question to King David, skillfully exposing Adonijah's unauthorized usurpation of the throne. She asks if David had indeed commanded this surprising event without informing her, thus implying that such a momentous decision, vital to the stability of the kingdom, should never have been kept secret or decided without the customary communication and blessing, particularly concerning the rightful heir. Her phrasing gently but firmly compels David to address the critical matter of his successor.
1 Kings 1 27 Context
1 Kings 1:27 is set within the turbulent final days of King David's reign. David is described as old and infirm, barely able to govern. Amidst this power vacuum, his eldest surviving son, Adonijah, attempts to seize the throne for himself, gathering supporters and celebrating a pre-coronation feast. This action directly bypasses David's known desire and, more importantly, God's divine choice that Solomon should succeed him (as revealed to David earlier through Nathan, and privately sworn by David to Bathsheba).
Prophet Nathan and Bathsheba orchestrate a swift intervention to counteract Adonijah's plot. Bathsheba's visit to David, followed immediately by Nathan's, aims to remind the aged king of his prior oath to her concerning Solomon and to impress upon him the immediate danger posed by Adonijah's coup. This specific verse, 1 Kings 1:27, is Bathsheba's pointed question, delivered after describing Adonijah's elaborate "coronation." It is a diplomatic yet firm challenge, designed to elicit David's active reaffirmation of Solomon's legitimate succession and his own sovereign authority.
1 Kings 1 27 Word analysis
- "Did my lord the king command this thing," (הַמֵאֵת אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ נִהְיָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה, hamē'ēt 'ădōnî hammelĕk nihyâ haddāvār hazzeh)
- "Did... command": The Hebrew nihyah haddavar hazzeh literally means "has this thing come to pass from my lord the king?" It's not a direct "did you command," but a question of origination or authorization. Bathsheba avoids a direct accusation, instead posing it as a question of astonishing legitimacy. The rhetorical question compels David to consider whether Adonijah's actions align with royal decree or represent an independent, unauthorized rebellion. This phrasing subtly pushes David to reassert his ultimate authority and divine prerogative.
- "my lord the king": A formal, deferential address, appropriate for approaching the monarch. It reinforces David's royal status even as his power appears to be challenged, gently nudging him to act as king.
- "this thing": Refers to Adonijah's self-coronation. By referring to it impersonally, Bathsheba frames it as an objective, undeniable event that demands explanation.
- "and has not told your servant" (וְלֹא הוֹדַעְתָּ אֶת עַבְדֶּךָ, wəlō hôda‘tā ’eṯ ‘aḇdeḵā)
- "and has not told": Implies a breach of trust, protocol, or a deliberate omission of crucial information. Major decisions regarding royal succession were public affairs and required official announcement. The lack of such an announcement from the king indicates Adonijah's act is illegitimate.
- "your servant": Bathsheba refers to herself as "your servant" (עַבְדֶּךָ, 'aḇdeḵā). This humble address emphasizes her subordinate position to the king, yet also implies a trusted relationship where she (as the mother of the chosen heir and a wife of the king) should naturally have been informed about such a significant event, especially since she was privy to the earlier oath concerning Solomon. It contrasts her submission to Adonijah's open rebellion.
- "who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?" (מִי יֵשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אַחֲרָיו, mî yēšēḇ ‘al kissē’ ’ădōnî hammelĕk ’aḥărāw)
- "who should sit": This question directly challenges the legitimacy of Adonijah's claim. It assumes there is a designated successor, hinting at David's previous promises.
- "the throne": (כִּסֵּא, kisseh) The physical symbol of royal authority, power, and sovereignty. The battle over the throne signifies a conflict over legitimate succession and God-given authority.
- "my lord the king after him?": Reiteration of "my lord the king" reinforces David's current supreme authority. The phrase "after him" specifically pertains to the legitimate royal successor, not just anyone taking over power. The question directly probes the designated order of succession that David had already decreed or been given by God.
1 Kings 1 27 Bonus section
The Hebrew phrase for "Did my lord the king command this thing?" (Hamme'et adoni hammelekh nihyah haddavar hazzeh?) carries an idiom that means "Is this from the king?" or "Did the king do this thing?". It is a way of questioning the origin or authorization of an event, especially one so significant. This polite but pointed challenge forces David to address the immediate political crisis and uphold his earlier promise concerning Solomon. This incident highlights the tension between a king's personal wishes, his divine appointment, and the expectations of his household and kingdom regarding proper succession protocol, especially when dealing with such a crucial transition of power that determines the kingdom's stability.
1 Kings 1 27 Commentary
1 Kings 1:27 showcases Bathsheba's shrewd diplomatic skill. Instead of accusing David directly or expressing fear, she poses a rhetorical question that forces David to confront the unauthorized nature of Adonijah's actions. Her implied question—"Could it be that you, the reigning monarch, would command such a monumental change as a successor without notifying those closest to you and crucial to the succession?"—is a potent catalyst. It reminds David of his own divine charge and his previously sworn oaths regarding Solomon. The urgency and implied chaos of Adonijah's act contrast sharply with the expected order of a royal transition determined by God's will and the king's official proclamation. This strategic moment, following Nathan's careful advice, successfully provokes the necessary swift action from the debilitated King David, reasserting God's chosen plan for the Davidic dynasty through Solomon, rather than succumbing to human ambition. The question underscores that legitimate kingship comes not from self-exaltation, but from God's decree, formally affirmed by the existing monarch.