Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. Even though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death at this time, since you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David, and you suffered through all that my father suffered.”
Parallel translations
- WEB To 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.”
- KJV And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the LORD God before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.
- NKJV And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields, for you are deserving of death; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before my father David, and because you were afflicted every time my father was afflicted.”
- NASB Then to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth to your own field, for you deserve to die; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before my father David, and because you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted.”
- NLT Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not kill you now, because you carried the Ark of the Sovereign Lord for David my father and you shared all his hardships.”
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
Solomon banishes Abiathar the priest to his hometown rather than executing him, sparing his life out of respect for his past service to David. Mercy tempers justice for a man complicit in Adonijah's plot.
Overview
Abiathar had supported Adonijah's bid for the throne and so deserved death, yet Solomon spares him because he had borne the ark before David and shared David's sufferings. The king removes him from priestly office but honors his earlier loyalty. The scene displays a measured justice that distinguishes degrees of guilt and remembers past faithfulness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Josh 21:18Anathoth, and Almon—four cities, together with their pasturelands.
- 1 Sam 22:20–23But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.
- Jer 1:1These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
- 1 Sam 26:16This thing you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, all of you deserve to die, since you did not protect your lord, the LORD’s anointed. Now look around. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?”
- Matt 10:42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”
- 2 Sam 15:24–29Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until the people had passed out of the city.
- Gal 3:4Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it really was for nothing?
- 1 Kgs 2:35And the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army, and he appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place.
- 2 Sam 12:5David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
- Luke 22:28You are the ones who have stood by Me in My trials.
- 1 Kgs 1:25For today he has gone down and sacrificed an abundance of oxen, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’
- 1 Kgs 1:7So Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, who supported him.
- Isa 10:30Cry aloud, O Daughter of Gallim! Listen, O Laishah! O wretched Anathoth!
- 1 Chr 15:11–12David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.
- 1 Sam 23:6–9(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
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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 2:26 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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