1 Kings 2 23

1 Kings 2:23 kjv

Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.

1 Kings 2:23 nkjv

Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, "May God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life!

1 Kings 2:23 niv

Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request!

1 Kings 2:23 esv

Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, "God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life!

1 Kings 2:23 nlt

Then King Solomon made a vow before the LORD: "May God strike me and even kill me if Adonijah has not sealed his fate with this request.

1 Kings 2 verses

1 Kings 2 23 Meaning

In 1 Kings 2:23, King Solomon declares a solemn oath before the Lord, asserting that Adonijah's request for Abishag as his wife is a deliberate act of treason, meriting death. Solomon views this seemingly innocent plea as a thinly veiled attempt to usurp his newly established throne, leveraging symbolic royal power. By invoking a self-imprecatory oath, Solomon underscores the absolute certainty and divine backing of his judgment, signifying that Adonijah's actions have indeed brought about his own demise.

1 Kings 2 23 Context

This verse occurs at a critical juncture in Solomon's early reign, following his ascension to the throne after his father David's death. Adonijah, David's elder surviving son who had previously attempted to usurp the throne (1 Kgs 1:5-10), now approaches Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, requesting to marry Abishag, David's concubine from his final days. While seemingly a minor request for the hand of a former royal concubine, such an act was fraught with political significance in the ancient Near East. Taking a deceased king's concubines was often seen as a symbolic act of inheriting his power and laying claim to the throne itself, as evidenced by Absalom's public act in 2 Samuel 16:20-22. Solomon, acutely aware of Adonijah's past ambitions and the deeply symbolic nature of the request, perceives it not as an innocent plea, but as a renewed act of sedition against his authority. This decisive declaration and the subsequent execution of Adonijah (1 Kgs 2:25) serve as a clear message to all potential rivals and consolidate Solomon's hold on the kingdom, ensuring the stability David sought for his lineage.

1 Kings 2 23 Word analysis

• "Then King Solomon swore": Hebrew: wayyishshābha‘ hammelekh Shelomoh (וַיִּשָּׁבַע הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה). The verb shaba (שָׁבַע) means "to swear an oath." This highlights the solemnity and binding nature of Solomon's declaration. A king's oath, especially when invoking God, was extremely powerful and typically irreversible in ancient Israel, signifying an unwavering resolve and commitment to the stated action.
• "by the Lord": Hebrew: baYHWH (בַּיהוָה). Directly invoking the covenant name of God, YHWH, makes this a divinely attested oath. It transforms a human declaration into a sacred promise with God as the witness and potential enforcer. This emphasizes that Solomon believes his judgment aligns with divine will, solidifying his reign through God's authority.
• "saying, "God do so to me and more also": Hebrew: kō ye‘aśeh lı̂ Elohim w ᵊkhō yôsīp̄ (כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה לִּי אֱלֹהִים וְכֹה יוֹסִף). This is a common and severe biblical oath of imprecation (e.g., Ruth 1:17, 1 Sam 3:17). The speaker invokes a self-curse, implying that God should inflict unspecified punishment, and even "more," upon them if their subsequent statement is not absolutely true or if they fail to fulfill their declared intention. It expresses utmost certainty and commitment, demonstrating Solomon's absolute conviction in Adonijah's guilt and his determination to act decisively.
• "if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life!": Hebrew: 'im-lo' dabbēre dabbēr Adoniyyahu 'eth-haddābār hazzeh b'nafsho (אִם־לֹא דִּבֶּר אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה בְּנַפְשׁוֹ).
  • "if...has not": The Hebrew 'im-lo' (אִם־לֹא) idiomatically introduces a negative condition, meaning "surely" or "indeed." It indicates that the speaker is emphatically convinced of the truth of the subsequent statement. So, Solomon is declaring "Surely Adonijah has spoken this word against his own life!"
  • "spoken this word": Refers to Adonijah's request through Bathsheba for Abishag. Solomon clearly interprets the intent behind the words as hostile.
  • "against his own life!": Hebrew: b'nafsho (בְּנַפְשׁוֹ), literally "in his soul/being." This idiom means that the speech itself has sealed Adonijah's fate, making him liable to capital punishment. It implies Adonijah's words carry their own fatal consequences because they are treasonous. His request was self-incriminating.

1 Kings 2 23 Bonus section

The immediate execution of Adonijah, prompted by this oath, marks a critical shift from David's often lenient and somewhat fractured rule to Solomon's more decisive and unified monarchy. While seemingly harsh, Solomon's actions were likely viewed within the biblical narrative as a necessary political cleansing to secure the peaceful transfer of power, as God had promised to establish Solomon's kingdom. It serves as an example of swift royal justice aimed at removing perceived threats to stability. Furthermore, Adonijah's appeal to Bathsheba indicates a subtle political play; he was either genuinely naive about the implications or calculatingly hoped Bathsheba's intervention would soften Solomon, knowing she had influence as the queen mother and David's favorite wife. Solomon's response clarifies that such manipulations against royal authority, regardless of the mediator, would not be tolerated.

1 Kings 2 23 Commentary

King Solomon's oath in 1 Kings 2:23 represents a decisive moment in his consolidation of power. He perceives Adonijah's request for Abishag, the deceased King David's final concubine, not as a benign marital aspiration, but as a strategic political maneuver and a fresh challenge to his throne. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, inheriting a king's harem or taking a deceased king's concubine was often viewed as claiming succession or legitimizing a kingship. Solomon, having just secured the throne after Adonijah's prior attempt at usurpation, understood the profound symbolic threat. His solemn, divinely invoked oath, "God do so to me and more also," signals his unwavering determination and divine endorsement for his judgment. This resolute action demonstrates Solomon's commitment to secure his reign by ruthlessly eliminating potential rivals, laying a foundation for stability in the Davidic kingdom through strength and immediate justice. It reflects his pragmatic, even severe, wisdom in safeguarding his newly established royal authority.