1 Kings 1:6

1:5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. be king: Heb. reign

And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. at any: Heb. from his days

KJV

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His father had not displeased him at any time in saying, “Why have you done so?” and he was also a very handsome man; and he was born after Absalom.

And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.

And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why have you done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bore him after Absalom.

1:7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. he: Heb. his words were with following: Heb. helped after Adonijah

What does 1 Kings 1:6 mean?

1 Kings 1:6 is a verse in the book of 1 Kings, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include אָב (ʼâb), עָצַב (ʻâtsab), יוֹם (yôwm). It connects to 3 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

And

his

fatherאָבʼâb/awb/H1father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application

had

not

displeasedעָצַבʻâtsab/aw-tsab'/H6087properly, to carve, i.e. fabricate or fashion; hence (in a bad sense) to worry, pain or anger

him

any

timeיוֹםyôwm/yome/H3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)

saying,אָמַרʼâmar/aw-mar'/H559to say (used with great latitude)

Why

hast

thou

done

so?עָשָׂהʻâsâh/aw-saw'/H6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application

and

also

was

veryמְאֹדmᵉʼôd/meh-ode'/H3966properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated)

goodlyטוֹבṭôwb/tobe/H2896good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)

man;

and

his

mother

bareיָלַדyâlad/yaw-lad'/H3205to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage

him

afterאַחַרʼachar/akh-ar'/H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)

Absalom.אֲבִישָׁלוֹםʼĂbîyshâlôwm/ab-ee-shaw-lome'/H53Abshalom, a son of David; also (the fuller form) a later Israelite

any:

Heb.

from

his

days

Commentary on 1 Kings 1:6

HENRY_FULL · 1 Kings 1:6–9

="x-p" 40 Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel. 41 And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan? 42 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's cost? or hath he given us any gift? 43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. David came over Jordan attended and assisted only by the men of Judah; but when he had advanced as far as Gilgal, the first stage on this side Jordan, half the people of Israel (that is, of their elders and great men) had come to wait upon him, to kiss his hand, and congratulate him on his return, but found they came too late to witness the solemnity of his first entrance. This put them out of humour, and occasioned a quarrel between them and the men of Judah, which was a damp to the joy of the day, and the beginning of further mischief. Here is, 1. The complaint which the men of Israel brought to the king against the men of Judah ( v. 41 ), that they had performed the ceremony of bringing the king over Jordan, and not given them notice, that they might have come to join in it. This reflected upon them, as if they were not so well affected to the king and his restoration as the men of Judah were, whereas the king himself knew that they had spoken of it before the men of Judah thought of it, v. 11 . It seemed likewise as if they intended to monopolize the king's favours when he had come back, and to be looked upon as his only friends. See what mischief comes from pride and jealousy. 2. The excuse which the men of Judah made for themselves, v. 42 . (1.) They plead relations to the king: " He is near of kin to us, and therefore in a matter of mere ceremony, as this was, we may claim precedency. It was into our country that he was to be brought, and therefore who so fit as we to bring him?" (2.) They deny the insinuated charge of self-seeking in what they had done: " Have we eaten at all of the king's cost? No, we have all borne our own charges. Hath he given us any gift? No, we have no design to engross the advantages of his return; you have come time enough to share in them." Too many that attend princes do so only for what they can get. 3. The men of Israel's vindication of their charge, v. 43 . They pleaded, " We have ten parts in the king " (Judah having Simeon only, whose lot lay within his, to join with him), "and therefore it is a slight upon us that our advice was not asked about bringing back the king. " See how uncertain the multitude is. They were lately striving against the king, to drive him out; now they are striving about him, which shall honour him most. A good man and a good cause will thus recover their credit and interest, though, for a time, they may seem to have lost them. See what is commonly the origin of strife, nothing so much as impatience of contempt or the least seeming slight. The men of Judah would have done better if they had taken their brethren's advice and assistance; but, since they did not, why should the men of Israel be so grievously offended? If a good work be done, and well done, let us not be displeased, nor the work disparaged, though we had no hand in it. 4. The scripture takes notice, by way of blame, which of the contending parties managed the cause with most passion: The words of the men of Judah were fiercer than those of the men of Israel. Though we have right and reason on our side, yet, if we express ourselves with fierceness, God takes notice of it and is much displeased with it.

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

1 Kings 1:12

Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

1 Kings 5:1

And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David.

1 Chronicles 2:3

The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.

Topics

Civil Service Kings

People & places in this verse

People

Absalom

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with 1 Kings 1:6.

Genesis 1:31

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 2:18

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. meet: Heb. as before him

Genesis 3:14

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Genesis 1:11

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. grass: Heb. tender grass

Genesis 1:12

And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:14

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: the day: Heb. between the day and between the night

Genesis 1:16

And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. to rule the day: Heb. for the rule of the day, etc.

Genesis 1:18

And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

Frequently asked questions

What does 1 Kings 1:6 say?

1 Kings 1:6 (King James Version) reads: "And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. at any: Heb. from his days"

Is 1 Kings 1:6 in the Old or New Testament?

1 Kings 1:6 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of 1 Kings.

Reflect

As you read 1 Kings 1:6, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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