What happensPermalink
King David is old and unable to keep warm, so Abishag the Shunammite is brought to care for him, though he has no relations with her. Seeing his father’s weakness, Adonijah exalts himself and gathers supporters to claim the throne. Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan remind David of his promise that Solomon would reign. David orders Zadok and Nathan to anoint Solomon publicly as king, securing the succession before his death.
Why it mattersPermalink
As David’s life wanes, the question looms: which son will inherit the promise of 2 Samuel 7? Like Absalom before him, Adonijah “exalts himself,” but the true king is established not by self-assertion but by prophetic word and priestly anointing. From the outset, Kings shows that Yahweh—not ambition—determines the royal line.
Key versePermalink
And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, “Long live King Solomon!”