1 Kings 2:15 kjv
And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the LORD.
1 Kings 2:15 nkjv
Then he said, "You know that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had set their expectations on me, that I should reign. However, the kingdom has been turned over, and has become my brother's; for it was his from the LORD.
1 Kings 2:15 niv
"As you know," he said, "the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the LORD.
1 Kings 2:15 esv
He said, "You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign. However, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother's, for it was his from the LORD.
1 Kings 2:15 nlt
He replied, "As you know, the kingdom was rightfully mine; all Israel wanted me to be the next king. But the tables were turned, and the kingdom went to my brother instead; for that is the way the LORD wanted it.
1 Kings 2 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 2:7-8 | "The LORD makes poor and makes rich... raises the poor from the dust..." | God controls status and raises the humble. |
| 1 Sam 16:1 | "...I have rejected him for reigning over Israel." | God chooses and rejects kings. |
| 1 Sam 16:12-13 | "...the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David." | God's anointing makes a king. |
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | "I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." | God's eternal covenant with David's line. |
| 1 Kgs 1:5 | "Then Adonijah... exalted himself, saying, ‘I will be king’." | Adonijah's self-exaltation. |
| 1 Kgs 1:13 | "Did you not swear to your maidservant, saying, ‘Solomon your son...’" | David's promise of Solomon's kingship. |
| 1 Kgs 1:17 | "‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’." | David's oath concerning Solomon. |
| 1 Kgs 1:48 | "...Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has granted one to sit..." | David blessing God for Solomon's reign. |
| 1 Chr 22:9-10 | "His name shall be Solomon... I will establish the throne of his kingd." | God's specific promise for Solomon. |
| 1 Chr 28:5 | "...chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of..." | David acknowledges God's choice of Solomon. |
| Psa 2:6 | "Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion." | God establishes His chosen king. |
| Psa 75:6-7 | "...God is the Judge: He puts down one and exalts another." | God determines who reigns. |
| Psa 115:3 | "Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases." | God's absolute sovereignty. |
| Prov 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | Warning against ambition. |
| Jer 45:5 | "And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not." | Against selfish ambition. |
| Dan 2:21 | "He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings." | God's control over human rulers. |
| Matt 6:10 | "Your kingdom come. Your will be done..." | Praying for God's will and kingdom. |
| Lk 9:48 | "...For he who is least among you all, that one is great." | Humility in contrast to Adonijah. |
| Rom 13:1 | "...no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are..." | All governmental authority is from God. |
| Phil 2:3 | "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit..." | Against Adonijah's motivations. |
| Jas 4:10 | "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." | The way of humility and exaltation. |
| Job 1:21 | "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of..." | Submission to God's sovereign acts. |
1 Kings 2 verses
1 Kings 2 15 Meaning
1 Kings 2:15 details Adonijah's deceptive plea to Bathsheba after Solomon has secured the throne. He acknowledges that he initially sought the kingship, believing it was rightfully his and had the popular backing of Israel. Crucially, he also admits that the LORD (YHWH) decisively intervened, overturning his ambition and granting the kingdom to his brother, Solomon, affirming that it was Solomon's divinely appointed right from the beginning. This statement attempts to present Adonijah as resigned to God's will, yet it cunningly lays the groundwork for a request that directly undermines Solomon's reign.
1 Kings 2 15 Context
Chapter 2 of 1 Kings opens with David's final instructions to Solomon, primarily focusing on justice, faithfulness to God, and dealing with potential threats to Solomon's throne. David specifically advises Solomon to punish Joab and Shimei, but show kindness to the sons of Barzillai. After David's death and Solomon's full ascension to the throne, Adonijah, who had previously attempted to usurp the throne (1 Kgs 1), approaches Bathsheba with a seemingly humble request to marry Abishag, David's final companion. This verse, 1 Kings 2:15, is Adonijah's elaborate preamble to that request. He is presenting himself as resigned to God's will while subtly highlighting his own past claim and popularity, likely to gain sympathy and political leverage from Bathsheba before making his true, dangerous request.
1 Kings 2 15 Word analysis
- And he said,: Simple introduction to Adonijah's words, setting the scene for his subtle and manipulative address.
- 'You know: (Hebrew: יָדַעְתְּ - yada't), an assertive opening, implying Bathsheba has full prior knowledge of the events and validating Adonijah's account. This seeks to create common ground and lower her guard.
- that the kingdom was mine,: (Hebrew: הַמְּלוּכָה לִי - ha'm'lukhah li - 'the kingship to me'). Adonijah asserts his perceived legitimate claim, likely based on primogeniture (being David's eldest surviving son) and previous support. He believes the institution of kingship was naturally destined for him.
- and that all Israel set their faces on me,: (Hebrew: וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל שָׂמוּ פְּנֵיהֶם עָלַי - v'kol-Yisrael samu fneyhem alay - 'and all Israel set their faces upon me'). This is an idiom meaning to fix one's attention, hopes, or allegiance upon someone. It emphasizes widespread popular support and expectation from the populace, reinforcing his perceived legitimacy.
- that I should reign. (Hebrew: לְמֶלֶךְ לִמְלֹךְ - le'melek limlokh - 'as king to reign'). Expresses the ultimate goal of the "setting faces" and his perceived right: to occupy the throne as king.
- However,: This conjunction signals a significant shift, indicating a contradiction or opposition to his previous assertion of claim and popularity. It prepares for the introduction of divine intervention.
- the LORD has turned away the kingdom from me: (Hebrew: וַיִּסֹּב הַמְּלוּכָה מִמֶּנִּי יְהוָה - vayeasov ha'm'lukhah mimenni YHWH - 'but the LORD turned away the kingship from me'). This is the crucial admission. Adonijah acknowledges the divine hand in his loss. The verb "turned away" (סָבַב - savav) signifies a reversal or change of course, directly attributing this decisive act to Yahweh (YHWH), God's covenant name. This suggests an acknowledgement, however begrudging, of God's supreme sovereignty over succession.
- and given it to my brother,: (Hebrew: וַתְּהִי לְאָחִי - vattehi le'akhi - 'and it was for my brother'). Direct statement of the new reality – the kingship transferred to Solomon. This confirms the reversal of his ambition.
- for it was his from the LORD.': (Hebrew: כִּי מֵיְהוָה הָיְתָה לוֹ - ki me-YHWH haytah lo - 'for from the LORD it was his'). This final clause emphatically reiterates divine appointment. It establishes Solomon's reign as legitimate not by human choice or primogeniture, but by direct divine will, removing any lingering doubt about the origin of Solomon's authority.
1 Kings 2 15 Bonus section
The Hebrew phrasing "all Israel set their faces on me" (שָׂמוּ פְּנֵיהֶם עָלַי) is an evocative idiom. It speaks of not just visual focus, but a resolved orientation or fixed determination towards Adonijah as king. This highlights the widespread, tangible popular support he had cultivated prior to Solomon's enthronement. This popularity made his prior attempted coup (1 Kgs 1) a significant threat, which required swift and decisive action by David to secure Solomon's legitimate ascension. Adonijah's recollection of this fact is a calculated attempt to remind Bathsheba of his former strength, subtly implying that despite God's intervention, he still holds some intrinsic "claim" or weight, which adds gravity to his seemingly innocuous request.
1 Kings 2 15 Commentary
Adonijah's statement in 1 Kings 2:15 is a masterclass in subtle manipulation, not a genuine embrace of humility. He begins by affirming what Bathsheba and indeed, everyone, knew: that he considered himself the rightful heir, complete with significant public support. This opening establishes his grievance and validates his prior actions. However, the crucial turn is his explicit acknowledgement that "the LORD has turned away the kingdom from me and given it to my brother, for it was his from the LORD." On the surface, this appears to be a humble submission to God's will, admitting divine sovereignty over the throne. Yet, the strategic nature of this confession cannot be overstated.
By stating that the kingdom "was his from the LORD," Adonijah is implicitly presenting himself as no longer a threat or an aspiring rival. He wants Bathsheba to believe he has fully accepted God's decree. This confession serves as a rhetorical shield for his subsequent, truly audacious request concerning Abishag. It seeks to disarm suspicion and appeal to Bathsheba's presumed piety and political awareness. He positions himself as a "poor, resigned" figure, allowing his past claim and current (perceived) surrender to God to earn him favor. However, true surrender to God’s will involves not seeking further personal advantage against it. Adonijah's subsequent action, which seeks to marry a woman who had "slept in the bosom of the king" and thereby symbolize a claim to the throne, exposes the falseness of his "humility" and his continued ambition to undermine Solomon's God-given authority.