1 Kings 1:50 kjv
And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
1 Kings 1:50 nkjv
Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.
1 Kings 1:50 niv
But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar.
1 Kings 1:50 esv
And Adonijah feared Solomon. So he arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.
1 Kings 1:50 nlt
Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed on to the horns of the altar.
1 Kings 1 50 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 21:14 | "But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by treachery, you shall take him even from My altar, that he may die." | Sanctuary laws and exceptions for willful sin. |
| Num 35:11 | "...you shall appoint for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person unintentionally may flee there." | Provision for refuge from vengeance. |
| Deut 19:3 | "You shall measure the distances and divide into three parts the area of your land... that any manslayer may flee there." | Detailed instructions for cities of refuge. |
| Josh 20:3 | "...so that the manslayer who kills any person without intent or accidentally may flee there..." | Designation of cities of refuge in practice. |
| Ps 57:1 | "Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul takes refuge in You; Yes, in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge..." | Seeking God's protection and mercy. |
| Ps 18:2 | "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust..." | God as a strong refuge. |
| Ps 46:1 | "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble." | God's immediate availability as refuge. |
| Heb 6:18 | "...we might have strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us." | Spiritual refuge in Christ. |
| 1 Ki 1:7 | "...And Adonijah conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and they helped Adonijah." | Adonijah's initial alliance and plan. |
| 1 Ki 1:49 | "So all Adonijah’s guests were afraid, and arose and each man went his way." | Context of guests' flight confirming fear. |
| 1 Ki 1:52 | "And Solomon said, 'If he proves himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall...'" | Solomon's initial act of mercy. |
| 1 Ki 2:28 | "Then Joab fled to the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold of the horns of the altar." | Joab's similar desperate act at the altar. |
| 1 Ki 2:29 | "And King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tabernacle... 'Go, strike him down and bury him.'" | Altar sanctuary revoked for willful sin. |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." | The consequence of Adonijah's treason. |
| Prov 28:1 | "The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion." | Fear of guilt versus courage of innocence. |
| Job 23:15 | "Therefore I am terrified at His presence; When I consider, I am afraid of Him." | Fear in the face of authority or divine judgment. |
| Lam 3:29 | "Let him put his mouth in the dust— There may yet be hope." | Humiliation and hope for mercy. |
| Ezra 9:8 | "And now for a little while grace has been shown from the Lord our God... that we might take hold of a peg in His holy place..." | Metaphorical grasping for stability in God's presence. |
| Acts 17:31 | "...because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained..." | Divine judgment by the King. |
| 2 Chr 1:6 | "And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it." | The physical altar where sanctuary was sought. |
| Isa 45:7 | "I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things." | God's sovereignty over events and consequences. |
| Jer 35:10 | "...so we have dwelt in tents and obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us." | Principle of obedience to authority. |
| Eph 2:13 | "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." | Drawing near to God, ultimately through Christ's atonement symbolized by altar. |
1 Kings 1 verses
1 Kings 1 50 Meaning
1 Kings 1:50 describes Adonijah's desperate reaction upon hearing of Solomon's anointing as king. Overwhelmed by fear of Solomon's judgment for his attempted usurpation, he immediately sought refuge by grasping the horns of the altar, a traditional place of sanctuary and appeal for divine mercy in ancient Israel. This act signifies his acknowledgement of Solomon's rightful kingship and his plea for his life.
1 Kings 1 50 Context
1 Kings chapter 1 depicts the climactic succession crisis during King David's old age and feebleness. Adonijah, David's fourth son, presumptuously declared himself king, supported by influential figures like Joab and Abiathar, circumventing David's prior promise that Solomon would inherit the throne. Informed by Bathsheba and Nathan, David took decisive action, commanding Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah to anoint Solomon as king at Gihon, establishing his reign. This coronation and the celebratory cries reached Adonijah's feast, where he and his supporters were gathered. The verse immediately follows the description of Jonathan, Abiathar's son, bringing the news of Solomon's enthronement to Adonijah's guests, causing them to scatter in fear. Adonijah, now alone and recognizing his immediate peril, takes the desperate act of seeking sanctuary at the altar.
1 Kings 1 50 Word analysis
- And Adonijah (וַאֲדֹנִיָּהוּ - wa’adoniyahu): The name means "My Lord is Yahweh." Ironically, Adonijah sought to claim a kingship that rightfully belonged to one Yahweh had chosen (Solomon), thereby defying God's ordained plan. His desperate act here contrasts with his earlier presumption.
- feared (וַיִּירָא - vayyira'): From the root יָרֵא (yare'). This is a strong fear, denoting alarm, terror, and dread. It signifies a realization of his perilous position and the likely consequence of his treason. It contrasts sharply with the bold confidence he exhibited in attempting to seize the throne.
- because of Solomon (מִפְּנֵי שְׁלֹמֹה - mipp'ney Shlomo): Literally "from the face of Solomon." This implies a fear of Solomon's person, authority, and the swift justice he could enact as the newly enthroned king. It highlights Solomon's now legitimate power and Adonijah's acknowledgment of it.
- and arose (וַיָּקָם - vayyaqom): From the root קוּם (qum), "to rise up, stand." Indicates immediate and decisive action. His flight was not a passive retreat but a desperate, purposeful movement born of urgent fear.
- and went (וַיֵּלֶךְ - vayyelekh): From the root הָלַךְ (halakh), "to go, walk." Conveys the action of his hasty departure towards the altar, without hesitation.
- and caught hold on (וַיַּחֲזֵק - vayyaḥazeq): From the root חָזַק (ḥazaq), "to be strong, grasp, seize firmly." This is a forceful, desperate gripping, not merely touching. It shows his complete dependence on the sanctity of the place for protection, signifying a desperate plea for his life.
- the horns of the altar (בְּקַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ - b'qarnot hammizbeaḥ):
- Horns (קַרְנוֹת - qarnot): These were extensions or projections, typically at the four corners of the altar. In the tabernacle and later the temple, these horns were highly sacred. Blood of sacrifices was applied to them as part of atonement rituals (Lev 4:7, 18, 25, 30).
- Altar (מִזְבֵּחַ - mizbeaḥ): The altar of burnt offering, located in the outer court of the Tabernacle/Temple. It was the central place of sacrifice, atonement, and communion with God. Seeking refuge here implied an appeal to God's mercy and adherence to a custom of sanctuary known throughout the ancient Near East and explicitly provided for in Mosaic Law (e.g., Exod 21:12-14, though with limitations). It signified a desperate plea for clemency and divine intercession against immediate execution.
1 Kings 1 50 Bonus section
- The practice of grasping the horns of the altar as a form of sanctuary was rooted in ancient Near Eastern traditions but integrated into Israelite law (Exod 21:14). It was specifically intended for unintentional manslayers or those seeking mercy from a potential blood avenger. However, it explicitly did not offer protection for premeditated murderers or those who committed grievous sins against the king or the nation. Adonijah's flight suggests his understanding that his act was considered a capital offense (treason).
- The contrast between Adonijah's initial asylum and Joab's later attempt at the same altar (1 Ki 2:28-34) is significant. While Solomon granted Adonijah clemency after his first offense (conditioned on good conduct), he did not extend it to Joab, recognizing that Joab's multiple blood-guilt transgressions (against Abner and Amasa, 2 Sam 3:27; 20:10) were willful and therefore ineligible for altar sanctuary according to Mosaic law. This demonstrates Solomon's understanding and application of God's justice, not arbitrary mercy.
- The "horns of the altar" were places where the blood of the sin offering was applied. This symbolized the expiation of sin and consecration to God. Adonijah clinging to them can be seen as an intuitive recognition of needing atonement and mercy in a desperate situation.
1 Kings 1 50 Commentary
Adonijah's immediate dash to the altar's horns, moments after hearing of Solomon's coronation, is a poignant testament to the fear and desperation that gripped him. Having presumptuously declared himself king, his coup instantly collapsed with the divine affirmation of Solomon's rule. His act of clinging to the altar's horns was an ancient and well-understood plea for asylum, an appeal to the divine mercy associated with the altar as a place of atonement and covenant. By doing so, Adonijah publicly acknowledged Solomon's rightful kingship and submitted himself to Solomon's authority, recognizing that his life was now forfeit without royal clemency. This desperate action sets the stage for Solomon's initial act of grace, demonstrating his measured justice and adherence to divine law even at the outset of his reign, a stark contrast to the swift retribution often seen in ancient Near Eastern successions. It also highlights the sanctity of the altar in Israelite thought, not as a guaranteed escape for all transgressions, but as a symbolic point of last resort for those appealing to a higher authority for their lives.