He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest; and they followed Adonijah and helped him.
Parallel translations
- KJV And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.
- BSB So Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, who supported him.
- NKJV Then he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed and helped Adonijah.
- NASB Now he had conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and they allied themselves with Adonijah.
- NLT Adonijah took Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest into his confidence, and they agreed to help him become king.
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
Adonijah secures the support of Joab the commander and Abiathar the priest. With military and priestly backing, his coup gains weight.
Overview
Adonijah gathers powerful allies: Joab, David's longtime general, and Abiathar, a senior priest. Their defection shows how serious the threat is and divides the leadership of Israel. This alignment sets up the contrasting loyalties of the next verse and the eventual judgment these men face under Solomon.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- 2 Sam 20:25Sheva was scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were priests,
- 1 Kgs 2:22King 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.”
- 2 Sam 20:23Now Joab was over all the army of Israel, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites,
- Ps 2:2The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against Yahweh, and against his Anointed, saying,
- 1 Chr 11:6David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain.” Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was made chief.
- 1 Sam 22:20–23One of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
- 2 Sam 8:16Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder,
- 2 Sam 15:35Don’t you have Zadok and Abiathar the priests there with you? Therefore whatever you hear out of the king’s house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
- 2 Sam 15:24–29Behold, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down God’s ark; and Abiathar went up, until all the people finished passing out of the city.
- 1 Kgs 2:26–35To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields; for you are worthy of death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you bore the Lord Yahweh’s ark before David my father, and because you were afflicted in all in which my father was afflicted.”
- 2 Sam 15:12Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. The conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.
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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 1:7 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
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