1 Kings 2 · Verse 22

1 Kings 2:22

And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
1 Kings 2:22, King James Version

1 Kings 2:22 in other translations

BSBKing Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my older brother, you might as well request the kingdom for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”
WEBKing Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.”
ASVAnd king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
YLTAnd king Solomon answereth and saith to his mother, ‘And why art thou asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? also ask for him the kingdom--for he is mine elder brother--even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.'
DARBYAnd king Solomon answered and said to his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
BBEThen King Solomon made answer and said to his mother, Why are you requesting me to give Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah? Take the kingdom for him in addition, for he is my older brother, and Abiathar the priest and Joab, the son of Zeruiah, are on his side.
WebsterAnd king Solomon answered and said to his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunamite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is my elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

What does 1 Kings 2:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
22. why dost thou ask Abishag ... ask for him the kingdom also--(See on 2Sa 16:5; also see on 2Sa 12:8). Solomon's indignation was roused; he in a moment penetrated the artful scheme, and from his associating the names of Abiathar and Joab, he seems to have suspected or known that those deep schemers had been the prompters of Adonijah.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Kings 2:12-25

Solomon received Bathsheba with all the respect that was owing to a mother; but let none be asked for that which they ought not to grant. It ill becomes a good man to prefer a bad request, or to appear in a bad cause. According to eastern customs it was plain that Adonijah sought to be king, by his asking for Abishag as his wife, and Solomon could not be safe while he lived. Ambitious, turbulent spirits commonly…

Read the full comment on 1 Kings 2:12-25 →

1 Kings 2:22 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּעַן֩vai.ya.'Anand he answeredH6030
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
שְׁלֹמֹ֜הshe.lo.MohSolomonH8010
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
לְאִמּ֗וֹle.'i.Moto mother hisH517
וְלָמָה֩ve.la.Mahand <to> why?H4100
אַ֨תְּ'at[are] youH859
שֹׁאֶ֜לֶתsho.'E.letaskingH7592
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אֲבִישַׁ֤ג'a.vi.ShagAbishagH49
הַשֻּׁנַמִּית֙ha.shu.na.Mitthe ShunammiteH7767
לַאֲדֹ֣נִיָּ֔הוּla.'a.Do.ni.Ya.hufor AdonijahH138
וְשַֽׁאֲלִי\־ve.sha.'a.li-and askH7592
לוֹ֙lofor him
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַמְּלוּכָ֔הha.me.lu.Khahthe kingshipH4410
כִּ֛יkiforH3588
ה֥וּאhu'heH1931
אָחִ֖י'a.Chi[is] brother myH251
הַגָּד֣וֹלha.ga.Dol<the> oldH1419
מִמֶּ֑נִּיmi.Me.nimore than meH4480
וְלוֹ֙ve.Loand for him
וּלְאֶבְיָתָ֣רu.le.'ev.ya.Tarand for AbiatharH54
הַכֹּהֵ֔ןha.ko.Henthe priestH3548
וּלְיוֹאָ֖בu.le.yo.'Avand for JoabH3097
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
צְרוּיָֽה\׃\ \פtze.ru.YahZeruiahH6870

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Kings 2:22

  • 1 Chronicles 3:2

    The third, Absalom the son of Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur: the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith:

  • James 4:3

    Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

  • 1 Kings 1:24-25

    And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king’s sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah.

  • 2 Samuel 12:8

    And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

  • 1 Kings 1:5-7

    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. 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 he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.

  • 1 Kings 1:11

    Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath–sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?

  • 1 Chronicles 3:5

    And these were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bath–shua the daughter of Ammiel:

  • Mark 10:38

    But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

  • Matthew 20:22

    But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
why dost.
Mt 20:22; Mr 10:38; Jas 4:3
the kingdom.
1:5-7,11,24,25

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Kings 2:21

    And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

  • 1 Kings 2:22

    And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

  • 1 Kings 2:23

    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.

Read all of 1 Kings 2

1 Kings 2:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y el rey Salomón respondió, y dijo á su madre: ¿Por qué pides á Abisag Sunamita para Adonía? Demanda también para él el reino, porque él es mi hermano mayor; y tiene también á Abiathar sacerdote, y á Joab hijo de Sarvia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le roi Salomon répondit et dit à sa mère: Et pourquoi demandes-tu Abishag, la Sunamite, pour Adonija? Demande aussi pour lui le royaume, car il est mon frère plus âgé que moi, – et pour lui, et pour Abiathar, le sacrificateur, et pour Joab, fils de Tseruïa.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da antwortete der König Salomo und sprach zu seiner Mutter: Und warum bittest du um Abischag, die Sunamitin, für Adonija? Bitte für ihn auch um das Königtum, -denn er ist mein älterer Bruder-sowohl für ihn, als für Abjathar, den Priester, und für Joab, den Sohn der Zeruja!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Responditque rex Salomon, et dixit matri suæ: Quare postulas Abisag Sunamitidem Adoniæ? postula ei et regnum: ipse est enim frater meus major me, et habet Abiathar sacerdotem, et Joab filium Sarviæ.