Bathsheba bowed down before the king. “What can I do for you?” he asked her.
Parallel translations
- WEB Bathsheba bowed, and showed respect to the king. The king said, “What would you like?”
- KJV And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou?
- BSB And Bathsheba bowed down in homage to the king, who asked, “What is your desire?”
- NKJV And Bathsheba bowed and did homage to the king. Then the king said, “What is your wish?”
- NASB Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself before the king. And the king said, “What is on your mind?”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Bathsheba bows respectfully, and David asks what she desires. Proper court protocol opens her petition.
Overview
Bathsheba shows due honor to the king before making her request, modeling respect even toward a feeble ruler. David's question gives her the opening to speak. The brief exchange sets the stage for her appeal on Solomon's behalf.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 1 Sam 24:8David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and showed respect.
- 1 Sam 20:41As soon as the boy was gone, David arose out of the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. They kissed one another, and wept one with another, and David wept the most.
- 1 Sam 25:23When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got off of her donkey, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground.
- Matt 20:21He said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom.”
- Esth 7:2The king said again to Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, “What is your petition, queen Esther? It shall be granted you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.”
- 1 Kgs 1:23They told the king, saying, “Behold, Nathan the prophet!” When he had come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
- Matt 20:32Jesus stood still, and called them, and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
- 1 Kgs 2:20Then she said, “I ask one small petition of you; don’t deny me.” The king said to her, “Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny you.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 1:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.