David's dying charge to Solomon — walk in God's ways, and settle the accounts of Joab and Shimei; David dies, and the throne is secured as Adonijah, Joab, Abiathar, and Shimei meet their ends.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying:
verse value 2091
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "his·son" (בְנ֖וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·came·near" (וַיִּקְרְב֥וּ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·they·came·near" (וַיִּקְרְב֥וּ), "days·of·David" (יְמֵֽי־דָוִ֖ד). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "days·of·David" (root יום, 100x in I Kings). First appearance of the root קרב ("and·they·came·near") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·die', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיִּקְרְב֥וּ [and·they·came·near] (324) + יְמֵֽי־דָוִ֖ד [days·of·David] (74) + לָמ֑וּת [to·die] (476) + וַיְצַ֛ו [and·he·charged] (112) + אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹ֥ה [Solomon] (776) + בְנ֖וֹ [his·son] (58) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 2091.
’I go the way of all the earth; be you strong therefore, and show thyself a man;
verse value 2001
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "going" (הֹלֵ֔ךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·the·earth" (כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "all·the·earth" (כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ), "and·you·will·strengthen" (וְחָזַקְתָּ֖). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·shall·be" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "going" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings); "to·man" (root איש, 79x in I Kings). First appearance of the root אנכי ("I") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·the·earth', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: אָנֹכִ֣י [I] (81) + הֹלֵ֔ךְ [going] (55) + בְּדֶ֖רֶךְ [in·way·of] (226) + כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ [all·the·earth] (346) + וְחָזַקְתָּ֖ [and·you·will·strengthen] (521) + וְהָיִ֥יתָֽ [and·you·shall·be] (431) + לְאִֽישׁ [to·man] (341) = 2001.
Radak
“And you shall be to a man.” [This means] one who is diligent and has mastery over his soul, and who conquers his evil inclination. And so does the Targum of Jonathan [render it]: “to a man who fears sins.” And its explanation is: “And you shall guard,” etc. And likewise, “and Amasa, son of a man” — meaning, great and honored. And likewise, “they were all great and honored men.”
Ralbag
"And you shall be strong and become a man." This means that your actions should not be the actions of a youth or a boy, but rather the actions of a mature man. And this, indeed, will be achieved through settled deliberation.
Metzudat David
In the way, etc. Meaning: as is the custom practiced among all people.
And you shall be a man. Although you are still a youth, strengthen yourself to be like a man complete in his years; for I shall die, and I will not be to guide you in the way you shall go.
Malbim
"I am going the way of all the earth": At that time, according to the commentators, Solomon was twelve years old, as it is stated (1 Chronicles 29:1), "Solomon my son... a youth and tender." While David was still alive, Solomon stood at his right hand, both in governing the people and in learning Torah and moral instruction from him. He [David] told him: since he [David] is now going the way of all the earth, he [Solomon] must strengthen himself, both in governing the people—"and you shall be a man"—as befits a ruler who governs a great multitude, so that he will not fear anyone.
and keep the charge of Hashem your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do, and whithersoever you turn thyself;
verse value 12051
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 107 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 12051 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "there" (שָֽׁם, 2 letters) and the longest is "charge·of" (אֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 551: all·that, all·that. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "charge·of" (אֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת), "in·his·ways" (בִּדְרָכָיו֙), "his·statutes" (חֻקֹּתָ֤יו). The root שמר appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "all·that" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "you·will·do" (root עשה, 143x in I Kings). First appearance of the root שמר ("and·you·shall·keep") in I Kings. First appearance of the root חקה ("his·statutes") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Moses', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 9 words.
Radak
“You shall keep the charge of the Lord your God.” Just as it says, “And you shall keep My charge, so as not to do after the detestable practices,” [and] “to walk in His ways” — what is the standard of [His] attributes? He is gracious; therefore, you too should be gracious. He is merciful; therefore, you too should be merciful.
"To guard His statutes." The commandments whose reasons were not revealed.
"His commandments." Those in which the word "commandment" is explicitly stated, such as the sending away of the unclean [from the camp] and the annulment of vows, and the like.
“And His judgments.” The laws.
And His testimonies. Which are testimony and remembrance, like Sabbath and the festivals and the like, which are for remembrance. Now, throughout the entire Torah, in "His testimonies" the vav appears in the reading, and it functions as the third root letter (the "lamed" of the verb-pattern), even though this root belongs to the class of roots weak in the middle letter (hollow roots) — [here] the middle root letter (the "ayin" of the verb-pattern) was transposed [to the final position]. And so too in "in the way of Your testimonies I have rejoiced" (Psalms 119:14) and the like.
“Teshkil.” As its Targumic translation: “You will succeed.”
"All that you shall do." Like [reading אֵת as] "in all that you shall do," in which case "you shall succeed" is an intransitive verb; or אֵת may be taken in its plain sense [as the direct-object marker], in which case "you shall succeed" is a transitive verb — meaning: by your keeping the commandments, you will bring success, you, in all that you do and in all that you turn to there.
Ralbag
"And you shall keep the charge of the Lord your God." This means that one should guard in his heart that which the Lord commands him to guard. And this is indeed accomplished through the study of the Torah, and that study should be with contemplation of the ultimate purpose, namely, that you walk in the ways of the Lord as mentioned in the Torah, and to keep all the statutes, commandments, judgments, and testimonies written in the Torah of Moses. For through this study you will understand and know everything that is proper for you to do in every matter that befalls you, and because of this you will be prepared to conduct yourself according to the ways of the Torah in all your actions. And through this as well, you will understand and know everything to which you should direct your efforts. The analogy is this: if a person does not know that he is obligated to sit in a sukkah during the Festival of Sukkot, he will not direct himself to strive in its construction, and this will be the cause that he does not fulfill this commandment, or the intended meaning is that your guarding of the statutes of the Lord and His commandments, judgments, and testimonies, as written in the Torah of Moses, will be the cause that you succeed in everything you do, and in everything to which you direct yourself, success will come to you. This is the matter of their statement: "In whatever he turns, he succeeds" — that David succeeded more than all the servants of Saul.
Metzudat David
The charge of the Lord. The matters that the Lord commanded to keep. And do not lean upon your own understanding.
To walk in His ways. To be merciful and full of kindness like Him.
His statutes. They are the commandments whose reasons were not revealed, and they are like a statute and decree.
His commandments. What is between man and the Omnipresent.
And His judgments. What is between man and his fellow.
And His testimonies. They are the commandments whose reasons are to testify to the wonders of the Lord, such as the Sabbath and the appointed seasons of the Lord and their like.
That you may prosper. Meaning: when you keep all the commandments, you will further derive from them everything that you do, matters that were not stated in the Torah; for from them you will take wisdom to serve the Lord.
And that, etc. It is a repetition of the matter in different words.
Malbim
And you shall keep [the commandments], and in conduct regarding matters between man and God, it will be the opposite, as it is stated: "If I had not set myself and quieted my soul like a weaned child upon its mother" (Psalms 131:2); he should be like a small child whom his mother guides in all his steps. Thus, you shall keep the charge of the Lord, as written in the Torah of Moses, and you shall not rely on your own understanding. And it explains "to walk in His ways": this refers to matters of character traits; for what are His ways? That He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger—these are His ways. "And to keep His statutes" refers to commandments that have no rational reason; "His commandments" refers to commandments that have a rational reason; "and His judgments" refers to commandments between man and his fellow; and "His testimonies" refers to commandments that testify to the creation of the world and the Exodus from Egypt, such as the Sabbaths and the festivals, and the like. And only as written in the Torah of Moses, without addition or subtraction, as it is stated: "So that you do not turn aside from the commandment to the right or to the left" (Deuteronomy 17:20). "That you may prosper": He said that through this you will gain in two ways: 1. From the aspect of the commandment itself, for thereby you will understand your deeds. And we have already explained that there is a difference between one who is successful and one who is wise: success depends on fortune, whereas wisdom depends on the goodness of a person's intellect to always choose the good middles. And this the commandments of the Torah and its judgments will teach you. And there is one who understands what he does, but not what he turns toward; for when he turns to seek the middles, he will find many of them not good and will abandon them, until he chooses the best of the middles and walks in them, and then he will understand in his way. And there is one who understands all that he turns toward, for even if he chooses middles that do not lead to the ultimate goal, he will return them to good through his intellect, in such a way that he will achieve from them what is desired. And this is what is written, that he will understand even all that he turns toward, there.
that Hashem may establish His word which He spoke concerning me, saying: If your children take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you, said He, a man on the throne of Israel.
verse value 7223
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 101 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֜ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·you" (לְךָ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·in·all·their·soul" (וּבְכׇל־נַפְשָׁ֑ם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 271: saying, saying. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "he·will·raise·up" (יָקִ֨ים). The root דבר appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "saying" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings). First appearance of the root אמת ("in·truth") in I Kings. First appearance of the root לבב ("in·all·their·heart") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·in·all·their·soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 7 words.
Ralbag
"To confirm the Lord's word," etc. He explained to him that there would already come to him, from his observance of the priesthood, another benefit, namely, the permanence of the monarchy for him and his descendants.
Metzudat David
Saying, let not be cut off. Because the words were lengthy, he said again 'saying.'
Malbim
“Lema’an” (in order that): You will gain from the side of the Lord’s commandment, and that He promised me an eternal kingdom for generations, and He attached it to a condition, as it is written, “If your children will keep My covenant…” and also, “Their children shall sit upon your throne forever.” And in that you will keep the commandments of the Lord, it is inevitable that the Lord will fulfill His word. And although one should not perform commandments with the intention of receiving reward, here the intention is in order that the Lord may fulfill His word, for the Lord desires that the throne of David be established for all generations, and this itself is the will of the Lord. In the matter that when he performs the commandments for this ultimate purpose, it is also for the ultimate purpose that the Lord may fulfill His word, which is the will of the Lord. And as it is written, “In order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord…” in order that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He spoke concerning him. And the fact that the word “leimor” (saying) is doubled, alludes to what our Sages of blessed memory said (Berakhot 7a): “Every good decree that proceeds from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, even if it is conditional, He does not retract,” for His utterance brings the matter into existence, and the condition cannot undo something that has been spoken by the Lord. Here, however, it is not so, for He preceded the condition to the utterance, as if to say: “If your children will keep their way…” then “leimor” (saying) — “I will not cut off from you a man.” That is to say, only then will He speak and decree it. After the condition is fulfilled, then the utterance will occur, in such a way that if the condition is not fulfilled, He did not speak at all, and this good decree did not proceed from His mouth.
Cross-references: II Samuel 7:12; I Kings 9:5; Psalms 119:38
Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, even what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.
verse value 11504
Insights
Verse structure: 30 words, 138 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֜י, 2 letters) and the longest is "blood·of·battle" (דְּמֵֽי־מִלְחָמָ֖ה, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: which, that, that. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "to·two·captains·of" (לִשְׁנֵֽי־שָׂרֵ֣י), "to·Abner" (לְאַבְנֵ֨ר), "and·to·Amasa" (וְלַעֲמָשָׂ֤א). The root אשר appears 4 times in this verse. 24 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which·he·did" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "did" (root עשה, 143x in I Kings); "Israel" (root ישראל, 120x in I Kings). First appearance of the root שנים ("to·two·captains·of") in I Kings. First appearance of the root הרג ("and·he·slew·them") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·peace', dividing the verse into phrases of 21 and 9 words.
Rashi
"That which he did to me." For he [Joab] showed the letter that David had sent by the hand of Uriah (in Midrash Tanchuma, ad loc.):
“Blood of war in peace.” For they had peace with him, and they did not guard themselves against him.
“With his girdle that was upon his loins.” He had girded his sword, attached to his loins, not in the usual manner of those who gird themselves, when he went out to meet Amasa, with the blade pointing downward so that it would fall, as it is stated (2 Samuel 20:8): “And he went out, and it fell.” And when it fell and he picked it up, Amasa assumed that he had picked it up only to lift it from the ground, and thus did not guard himself against the sword that was in Joab’s hand.
"And the sandal that was on his foot." He killed Abner through a ruse, for he asked him [about] a maimed woman (one lacking a hand) — how does she perform ḥalitzah? — as it is stated there (2 Samuel 3:27): "And Joab drew him aside into the gate to speak with him 'basheli.'" The word "basheli" is akin to the term "shel" in "your sandal" (shel na'alekha).
Radak
“And you also.” “And you also” is included to teach that regarding the commandment of the Lord, which He commanded him to walk in the ways of the Lord, it is said: “And this too is among the ways of the Lord, to eradicate the men of wickedness,” for “you know what Joab did to me,” etc. Alternatively, “And you also know” means: just as I know, so do you know; and I do not need to inform you, but rather to command you concerning him, to eradicate him from the world.
"What he did to me." The meaning is: what he did to the two commanders of Israel's armies, he did to me as well by doing to them what he did — for I had promised Abner and received him with my love, and Amasa too was acting on my mission and drawing the men of Judah to me. And some interpret "what he did to me" as [referring to] his killing of Absalom. According to this interpretation, "what he did to the two commanders" would be missing the conjunctive vav, [i.e., should read] "and what he did." And according to the midrashic interpretation, "what he did to me" [refers to] his showing him the letter that David had sent to him by the hand of Uriah.
“Regarding the two commanders of the armies of Israel.” For Abner was the commander of the army, and Amasa was appointed by Absalom as commander of the army, and it was David’s intention to subsequently appoint him as commander of the army. Moreover, Amasa was prominent in Judah and served as the commander of the army of Judah, and it is written concerning him further: “And he won the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man.”
And he killed them. In peace. Its meaning is with "and he killed them," namely, "and he killed them in peace," and he regarded their blood as if it were the blood of war. Or the explanation is: "And he regarded the blood of war as the blood of Asael," for the blood of war was Asael's blood, because Asael was a pursuer of Abner. He regarded them as the blood of peace, as if Abner had killed Asael in peace, avenging his vengeance upon Abner. And likewise, he killed him in peace, for he invited him to speak with him, and he did not guard himself against him. And Amasa too he killed in peace, for he said to him, "Peace be to you, my brother," and embraced him by the beard to kiss him, and he had no grounds to kill him. And he placed that blood which he had made into the blood of war—he placed it in his belt that was on his loins, as it is stated, "And on his loins was girded a sword fastened to him," and in his sandal that was on his feet, for they fell dead at his feet. And Jonathan the Targumist translated the verse thus: "For he killed them with his cunning," etc., as printed above. And there are those who expound "and in his sandal that was on his feet" to mean that he killed Abner with cunning, and asked him, "If you were maimed [without hands], how would you remove it?" And he bent down and showed him that it is removed with two [hands/motions]; then he struck him. And this is what it means, "to speak with him in peace," the language of "your sandal." And behold, it says, "and in his sandal that was on his feet."
Ralbag
"that which Joab, the son of Zeruiah, did to me." This means: concerning the matter of Absalom — Joab transgressed his [David's] command and killed him [Absalom], and afterward he spoke harshly to David, as mentioned in what preceded.
And he put the blood of war in peace. This means: regarding the killing of Abner, for he killed him at a time when he was at peace with him, because [Abner] had killed Asahel, his brother, in war. And behold, Abner was then at peace with him, for he came to the king to bring him the kingdom, and he sent him away, and he went in peace.
"And he put the blood of war in his girdle that was on his loins, and in his shoe that was on his foot." This refers back to Amasa, for Joab placed the weapon of war when he killed him, in his girdle that was on his loins, and in his shoe that was on his foot, because he had placed the scabbard of his sword attached to his girdle, and he did not place the sword inside it as is customary. And when Amasa saw this, he bent down to fix his shoe that was on his foot, and then, as he bent down, the sword fell from its scabbard to the ground, and Joab took it from there. For this reason, Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab's hand. And since the matter was thus, behold, it is confirmed that Joab placed the blood of war in these vessels, which are not prepared for the side of war at all.
Metzudat David
And you also know. Meaning: just as I know, so you know, and there is no need to tell you the details of the matters.
That he did to me. And he returns and explains that this is what he did to the two commanders, etc., for since they came under David's assurance and went on his errand, and despite all this Joab killed them -- it is reckoned to David as a disgrace in this.
To the two commanders of the armies. For also Amasa was commander of the army to Absalom; and even in David's mind it was to establish him in place of Joab.
Blood of war. The blood that was fit to be shed in my men of war, he shed in my men of peace.
And put the blood of war. The blood that was fit to be shed in war with renowned valor, he shed in my men of peace with his treachery.
In his girdle, etc. Meaning: in that he girt his sword attached at his waist, spread [wide], so that it would be easy to fall with a slight bend. And when he went out to meet Amasa he bent down slightly to fix his sandal, and the sword fell from its sheath; and he lifted it with his hand and struck him fatally. And Amasa did not guard himself, for he saw that it had fallen by itself from the sheath.
Malbim
(5-6) The Questions: Why did he command him to kill Joab after he had not killed him himself, because there was no warning and he feared him? And how did he place a stumbling block before his son, who was a youth and tender? And why here did it say, "and his gray hair shall not go down to Sheol in peace"? And how did he transgress the oath that he had sworn to keep him alive? And what difference is it to me whether he killed him through an agent during his lifetime or after his death? And what is the meaning of "and also you knew," for the word "and also" is superfluous?
And also you know: the word "and also" is connected to "and you shall do according to your wisdom." After He commanded him that he should not deviate from the Torah of Moses, and that he should not rely on his own wisdom and judgment, it was said that nevertheless there are matters in which he was granted the power to act according to his wisdom, and not according to the laws of the Torah. These are the laws of the king, which differ from the laws of the Torah: for the king may execute without prior warning, and may execute many in one day when it is a matter of immediate necessity. Although this is not in accordance with the law of the Torah, this power was granted to him in order to establish a protective fence and to stand in the breach. In these matters he will act solely according to his wisdom. And the matter of Joab was of this nature, for according to the law of the Torah he was not liable to the death penalty, since there was no prior warning. [David] commanded that he [Solomon] execute him according to the law of kingship. Therefore, although he did not kill him while he was alive—because he saw that at that time there was an immediate need to keep him alive, as there was no other person fit to command the army—he said that he should act according to his wisdom, in accordance with the needs of the time. Regarding this it says "and also," meaning that along with the laws of the Torah, you may also judge according to your wisdom.
It explains what Joab's sin was: 1. "You know what he did to me"—he committed some transgression against David, which was secret and known only to David and also to Solomon. Our Sages of blessed memory explained that he revealed the letter that David had sent him concerning Uriah, and thereby he publicized disgrace. 2. "What he did to the two commanders of the army." And in this he aggravated his sin in three ways: 1. "And he killed them." 2. "And he put the blood of war in peace," for these two commanders had initially fought against David: Abner was with Ish-bosheth, and Amasa with Absalom. At that time he could have killed them in the course of warfare. But he killed them both after they had made peace with David, as if they were still engaged in war. Such an act destroys the matter of kingship and the customs of states, to kill commanders who have made a covenant with them after the war has ended. This is a transgression of custom and concerns the honor of the monarchy, especially since he was made commander of his army, and it appeared that he acted by David's command. 3. "And he put the blood of war in his belt that was upon his loins." He did not kill them face to face, but rather through deceit, by means of the belt from which the sword fell, and by loosening the strap of his sandal and leaning forward, while Amasa was not on his guard, as Rashi explains.
Do therefore according to your wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.
verse value 3362
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "Sheol" (שְׁאֹֽל, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·not·you·shall·bring·down" (וְלֹֽא־תוֹרֵ֧ד, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "as·your·wisdom" (כְּחׇכְמָתֶ֑ךָ), "and·not·you·shall·bring·down" (וְלֹֽא־תוֹרֵ֧ד), "his·old·age" (שֵׂיבָת֛וֹ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·shall·make" (root עשה, 143x in I Kings). First appearance of the root חכם ("as·your·wisdom") in I Kings. First appearance of the root שאל ("Sheol") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·your·wisdom', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְעָשִׂ֖יתָ [and·you·shall·make] (786) + כְּחׇכְמָתֶ֑ךָ [as·your·wisdom] (508) + וְלֹֽא־תוֹרֵ֧ד [and·not·you·shall·bring·down] (647) + שֵׂיבָת֛וֹ [his·old·age] (718) + בְּשָׁלֹ֖ם [in·peace] (372) + שְׁאֹֽל [Sheol] (331) = 3362.
Rashi
"And you shall not bring down his gray head in peace to Sheol." Do not allow him to die by his own death and fall into Gehinnom.
Radak
"And you shall do according to your wisdom." This means that you shall not put him to death until you find a cause against him, even though he is liable to death, for he fought the wars of the Lord and good qualities were found in him; it is only that he killed these two captains without cause. Therefore, act according to your wisdom, so that you may bring him to a cause and reason that will make him liable to execution.
"And let not his gray hairs go down in peace to Sheol." This means: Do not allow him to die by his own natural death, but rather let him be killed, just as he killed [others].
Ralbag
"And you shall not bring down his gray hairs in peace to Sheol." This means: Act with wisdom in such a way that you do not allow him to die a natural death, for he has already greatly committed these wondrous evils, and the rest of the people will be disciplined from doing likewise, and they too will fear to kick against the kingdom.
Metzudat David
According to your wisdom. According to your wisdom you will find a cause for him.
And you shall not let his gray hair go down. Meaning: although he is a man of gray hair, do not honor his face; and see that he not go down to the grave in peace in a natural death.
Malbim
And therefore, "and you shall do according to your wisdom"—as you see fit, since it is a matter of immediate necessity to punish him—in such a way that his gray hair does not go down to Sheol in peace: he [David] did not command specifically to kill him, only that he not go down [to Sheol] in peace; for he shall punish him in whatever manner he sees fit by his wisdom.
But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at your table; for so they drew nigh to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.
verse value 3083
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 67 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֔י, 3 letters) and the longest is "you·shall·do·kindness" (תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־חֶ֔סֶד, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "Barzillai" (בַרְזִלַּ֤י), "the·Gileadite" (הַגִּלְעָדִי֙), "you·shall·do·kindness" (תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־חֶ֔סֶד). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·shall·be" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "you·shall·do·kindness" (root עשה, 143x in I Kings); "to·me" (root אל, 102x in I Kings). First appearance of the root שלחן ("your·table") in I Kings. First appearance of the root ברח ("in·my·fleeing") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·table', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְלִבְנֵ֨י [and·to·sons·of] (98) + בַרְזִלַּ֤י [Barzillai] (249) + הַגִּלְעָדִי֙ [the·Gileadite] (122) + תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־חֶ֔סֶד [you·shall·do·kindness] (847) + וְהָי֖וּ [and·they·shall·be] (27) + בְּאֹכְלֵ֣י [eating] (63) + שֻׁלְחָנֶ֑ךָ [your·table] (408) + כִּי־כֵן֙ [for·so] (100) + קָרְב֣וּ [they·midsted] (308) + אֵלַ֔י [to·me] (41) + בְּבׇרְחִ֕י [in·my·fleeing] (222) + מִפְּנֵ֖י [from·face·of] (180) + אַבְשָׁל֥וֹם [Absalom] (379) + אָחִֽיךָ [your·brother] (39) = 3083.
Radak
"For so they drew near to me." In this manner they drew near to me with food and drink, as it is written: "Couches and basins, wheat and barley were brought to David," and it is written: "And he sustained the king during his stay at Mahanaim." And so the Targum of Jonathan renders it: "They supplied my needs."
Metzudat David
For thus. Meaning: in this very matter they brought me to eat at their father's table. And as though saying: you will yet do them kindness besides that they will be among those who eat at your table; for this is repayment of reward, and it is not called 'kindness.'
Metzudat Zion
Karvu elai. They brought me near [showed me kindness]:
Malbim
And to the sons of Barzillai, etc., "for thus they drew near to me": this means that this will be measure for measure, for thus they drew near with their table; therefore, they shall eat at your table. And this closeness occurred when I fled from Absalom, at which time they were not expecting recompense.
Cross-references: II Samuel 17:27; II Samuel 19:32
And, behold, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by Hashem, saying: I will not put you to death with the sword.
verse value 5878
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 106 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְה֤וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֤וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·Benjamite" (בֶֽן־הַיְמִינִי֮, 8 letters). 12 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "son·of·Gera" (בֶן־גֵּרָ֥א), "the·Benjamite" (בֶֽן־הַיְמִינִי֮), "of·Bahurim" (מִבַּחֻרִים֒). The root בין appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "by·Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "my·going" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings). First appearance of the root קלל ("he·cursed·me") in I Kings. First appearance of the root ירדן ("the·Jordan") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Mahanaim', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 9 words.
Rashi
"A harsh curse." [Meaning] explicit/clear, as in (Job 16:3): "What urges you on (mah yamritzukha)?" and (Job 6:25): "How forceful are they (mah nimretzu)" — akin to "how sweet/pleasing are they" (mah nimletzu).
Radak
“And behold, he is with you.” That is to say, even though he is from the tribe of Benjamin, he is under your authority and within your jurisdiction, so that you may bring him to death. Alternatively, the phrase “And behold, he is with you” means that he is in Jerusalem, so that you will be able to find a pretext and cause to put him to death. In the midrashic interpretation, it is explained that he was his superior and was teaching him, and this is the meaning of “with you.”
“Cursed me.” He dishonored me through words and deeds:
"Nimretzet" [Harsh]. [It means] strong — that he said to him: "Man of blood, man of Belial," and cast dust upon him, like "How forceful are the words of uprightness" (Job 6:25). And there are those who interpret it as an acronym.
He descended to meet me, so that I might forgive him, and I swore to him that I would not kill him. Even though I swore to him that I would not kill him, he is liable to death. In order to preserve my oath, “You shall not kill him,” until you find for him a cause and a sin, you should arrange the matter so that he comes to sin, thereby giving you a legal basis against him in order to put him to death, for you are a wise man and you know how to find a pretext for him.
Ralbag
And behold, with you is Shimei son of Gera. He said this because he had been with him at the time of his anointing, as it is stated, "And Shimei and Rei and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah." And it also seems that he remained with him in his service, since he was residing in Jerusalem, as you will find mentioned in what follows.
And he cursed me with a vehement curse. Strong and harsh, as is evident from his words to him when he fled from Absalom:
Metzudat David
With you. And he means: your friend who sits with you constantly. And our Sages of blessed memory said that he used to teach him Torah.
On the day I went to Mahanaim. For when he fled from Absalom, he went as far as Mahanaim, and dwelt there until his return to Jerusalem.
And he went down. To appease me. And I swore to him then not to put him to death. And because of this I cannot myself take my revenge from him.
Metzudat Zion
Kilaleni. From the language of slighting and contempt:
Nimretzat. Strong, like (Micah 2:10) 'a severe destruction' (vechevel nimretz):
Malbim
And behold, your people: Abarbanel explains that he [David] said to him, "Behold, Shimei is among your own people, one of your counselors, for he was Solomon's teacher (and also what is stated in I Kings 1:8, 'Neither Shimei nor Rei were with Adonijah,' refers to Shimei ben Gera). Know that it is fitting that you distance yourself from him, for he is a man of evil deeds: 1. He cursed me; 2. He came down to meet me at the Jordan, and thereby compelled me to swear an oath to him, as it is stated, 'And I came today as the first of all the house of Joseph.' In this there is sufficient arrogance and wrath."
Now therefore hold him not guiltless, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his hoar head down to the grave with blood.’
verse value 6214
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 58 letters. Verse gematria: 6214 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֛י, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·not·acquit·him" (אַל־תְּנַקֵּ֔הוּ, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "do·not·acquit·him" (אַל־תְּנַקֵּ֔הוּ), "to·him" (תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לּ֔וֹ), "and·you·shall·bring·down" (וְהוֹרַדְתָּ֧). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "to·him" (root עשה, 143x in I Kings); "do·not·acquit·him" (root איל, 125x in I Kings). First appearance of the root שאול ("the·grave") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 8 words.
Rashi
"For you are a wise man." Set your heart to find for him a capital offense on account of another matter, and this is [the meaning of] "and you shall know what you shall do to him."
Ralbag
“And now do not acquit him.” This means: Even though he is with you, and you have no direct pretext or justification to put him to death—nor for the fact that he cursed and reviled him, since I have already sworn to him that I would not kill him—nevertheless, you shall act in such a manner that he will not go unpunished. For you are a wise man, and you will find ways by which you can bring upon him the penalty of death, so that you will cause his gray hairs to go down to the grave in bloodshed, unlike the manner of all men.
Metzudat David
And now. Since you will reign in my stead, do not acquit him of this sin, without paying him the due reward.
For you are a wise man. And you can find the cause for what you will do to him.
His gray hair. Meaning: do not be concerned to honor him on account of his gray hair.
With blood, to Sheol. Meaning: do not let him die on his bed, but rather let his blood be shed by the sword.
Malbim
And now he wishes to say: I have sworn and forgiven him; but now, if he sins against you, do not acquit him. For you are a wise man, and you will know what to do to him—to test him whether he will keep the king’s word as he ought, or if you find evil in him, you will bring his gray hairs down to Sheol in blood, and you shall not forgive him.
And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
verse value 1495
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. Verse gematria: 1495 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "David" (דָּוִ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·his·fathers" (עִם־אֲבֹתָ֑יו, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: David, David. The root דוד appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "with·his·fathers" (root עם, 95x in I Kings); "David" (root דוד, 69x in I Kings); "in·the·city·of" (root עיר, 44x in I Kings). First appearance of the root קבר ("and·he·was·buried") in I Kings. First appearance of the root עיר ("in·the·city·of") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·his·fathers', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב [and·he·slept] (338) + דָּוִ֖ד [David] (14) + עִם־אֲבֹתָ֑יו [with·his·fathers] (529) + וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר [and·he·was·buried] (318) + בְּעִ֥יר [in·the·city·of] (282) + דָּוִֽד [David] (14) = 1495.
Radak
In the City of David. This is Zion:
Ralbag
"And David slept with his fathers." This teaches that his fathers were righteous and upright like him.
"And he was buried in the City of David. It is Zion:"
And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.
verse value 5565
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "and·the·days" (אֲשֶׁ֨ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·in·Jerusalem" (וּבִירוּשָׁלִַ֣ם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 400: years, years. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "in·Hebron" (בְּחֶבְר֤וֹן), "and·in·Jerusalem" (וּבִירוּשָׁלִַ֣ם). The root מלך appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·the·days" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "he·reigned" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "over·Israel" (root על, 127x in I Kings). First appearance of the root ארבע ("forty") in I Kings. First appearance of the root שנה ("year") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'year', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 9 words.
Metzudat David
Seven years. And in II Samuel (2:11) it is also said 'six months.' And he did not bother to count them here, for he was pursued by Absalom for six months corresponding to them.
Malbim
"And the days" has already been mentioned in the Book of Samuel, and the text altered it here because Solomon also reigned during this same time period. This is included in what is stated, "And Solomon sat on the throne of David his father." The distinction is that David first reigned for seven years in Hebron with a kingship that was not comprehensive, whereas Solomon's kingdom was firmly established immediately upon his accession.
And Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established firmly.
verse value 1924
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 32 letters. Verse gematria: 1924 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "dwelt" (יָשַׁ֕ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·Solomon" (וּשְׁלֹמֹ֕ה, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·it·was·established" (וַתִּכֹּ֥ן), "his·kingdom" (מַלְכֻת֖וֹ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "his·kingdom" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "his·father" (root אב, 74x in I Kings). First appearance of the root כון ("and·it·was·established") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·father', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וּשְׁלֹמֹ֕ה [and·Solomon] (381) + יָשַׁ֕ב [dwelt] (312) + עַל־כִּסֵּ֖א [upon·throne·of] (181) + דָּוִ֣ד [David] (14) + אָבִ֑יו [his·father] (19) + וַתִּכֹּ֥ן [and·it·was·established] (476) + מַלְכֻת֖וֹ [his·kingdom] (496) + מְאֹֽד [very] (45) = 1924.
Rashi
"And his kingdom was firmly established." Even over the supernal [heavenly] beings.
Radak
"ותכון" (And it was established). After he had put to death those who seemed likely to become an adversary to him, as it is stated, "After the death of Shimei, the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon:"
Ralbag
“And Solomon sat on the throne of David his father.” This teaches that he seized upon the deeds of his ancestors.
Metzudat David
And his kingdom was established. Not like his father, who was at times pursued in his kingship, by Absalom and by Sheba the son of Bichri; for his kingship was very stable.
Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said: ‘Do you come peaceably?’ And he said: ‘Peaceably.’
verse value 3473
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "your·coming" (בֹּאֶ֑ךָ, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Bath-sheba" (אֶל־בַּת־שֶׁ֙בַע֙, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "the·peace" (הֲשָׁל֣וֹם), "your·coming" (בֹּאֶ֑ךָ). The root בוא appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "mother·of·Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "to·Bath-sheba" (root איל, 125x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·coming', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיָּבֹ֞א [and·came] (19) + אֲדֹנִיָּ֣הוּ [Adonijah] (76) + בֶן־חַגִּ֗ית [son·of·Haggith] (473) + אֶל־בַּת־שֶׁ֙בַע֙ [to·Bath-sheba] (805) + אֵם־שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה [mother·of·Solomon] (416) + וַתֹּ֖אמֶר [and·she·said] (647) + הֲשָׁל֣וֹם [the·peace] (381) + בֹּאֶ֑ךָ [your·coming] (23) + וַיֹּ֖אמֶר [and·said] (257) + שָׁלֽוֹם [peaceably] (376) = 3473.
Metzudat David
Peace in your coming. She asked him whether his coming was in peace, or whether he came to quarrel with her about something.
He said moreover: ‘I have somewhat to say to you.’ And she said: ‘Say on.’
verse value 1417
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 22 letters. Verse gematria: 1417 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֖י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·said" (וַיֹּ֕אמֶר, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 206: a·word, speak. The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "a·word" (root דבר, 191x in I Kings); "to·you" (root אל, 102x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֕אמֶר [and·said] (257) + דָּבָ֥ר [a·word] (206) + לִ֖י [to·me] (40) + אֵלָ֑יִךְ [to·you] (61) + וַתֹּ֖אמֶר [and·she·said] (647) + דַּבֵּֽר [speak] (206) = 1417.
And he said: ‘You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign; however the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s; for it was his from Hashem.
verse value 4692
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 79 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (לּֽוֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "you" (אַ֤תְּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·Israel" (כׇֽל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 420: was, was. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "a·thousand" (כִּי־לִי֙), "and·upon·me" (וְעָלַ֞י), "their·faces" (פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם). The root היה appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·kingdom" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "from·Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings). First appearance of the root סבב ("and·turned") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'king', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 8 words.
Radak
"For it was from the Lord that it was given to him." For it is known that the prophet Nathan said on behalf of the Lord that Solomon would be king. And even so, Adonijah sought to challenge the kingship if he could, and he asked for Abishag, for she was permitted to him, since his father David had not known her sexually. However, one may not make use of a king's scepter unless he is himself king. And it was as a pretext that Adonijah requested her, and Bathsheba did not perceive the matter.
Metzudat David
For me , etc. For his question was about Abishag, and the essence of his intention was to exalt himself further and say 'I shall be king.' And he desired to make preparation for this, to take Abishag, to make use of the king's service, which is fitting only for a king. And he feared lest she perceive the matter; for this reason he preceded and said: was not the kingship always fitting for me, for I am the eldest of the brothers? And even all desired me from then on. And despite all this Solomon reigned, for it was from the Lord. And if so, who is a fool to come here, to be wiser than the decree of the Omnipresent?
Malbim
(15–22) The Questions: How did Adonijah dare to speak in such terms, given that he held the kingship and Israel wanted him? Did he not know that this would provoke the king's anger, and that he should have requested to say instead that he loved her and desired her? And how was Bathsheba persuaded by his words, which he expressed as if they were piercing like swords? Moreover, what is stated in verse 22, "and to him, and to Abiathar," etc., is difficult to understand. And how did this arouse the king's wrath against Abiathar and Joab?
"You know that the kingship was mine" – this refers to the matter of "two faces," meaning it can be understood in one way as if he were saying: Since the kingship was fitting for me, whether on account of my lineage, as I am the firstborn, and regarding this he said, "the kingship was mine"; or on account of the will of the people, who agreed upon me, and regarding this he said, "and all Israel set their faces toward me to reign." Yet the kingship was transferred and became my brother's, for it was taken from the place where it was fitting to be to another place. And if so, in any case, I ought to be appeased with what they will give me as a small portion: a woman whom the king had used. For even though a commoner does not use the scepter of a king, I am not a commoner, for the kingship came to me initially. And in another way, he rectified his words in what he concluded, "for it was from the Lord to him," meaning that what prevents a commoner from using the king's scepter applies only to a king who rules by the consent of the people. For since in essence he is a man like all men, it is necessary to designate his honor through specific conventional markers that a commoner may not use, for thereby his honor and dignity are preserved. Not so with a king who rules by his own right, for the kingship is inherently his; he does not need these conventional designations. As it is stated in the Midrash: "A king of flesh and blood — one may not ride his horse, nor sit on his throne, nor use his scepter," but the Holy One, blessed be He, people ride on His horse and sit on His throne, etc. Hence it is said: "Who is this, the King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory." This means that since the honor of the kingship of the Name is inherent in Him, and He Himself is the King of Glory, not by consent and choice of the people, it does not apply to Him that another should not use His scepter, for His honor does not depend on these signs agreed upon by the people. And this is what is written, "The Lord is the King of Glory," meaning that He Himself is the King of Glory, not by means of the people. And if so, regarding Solomon as well, since his kingship did not come to him from the people but from the Lord, the kingship and honor being inherent to him, he has no reason to object if a stranger uses the king's scepter.
And now I ask one petition of you, deny me not.’ And she said to him: ‘Say on.’
verse value 4283
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "one" (אַחַת֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "do·not·turn·away" (אַל־תָּשִׁ֖בִי, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "do·not·turn·away" (אַל־תָּשִׁ֖בִי). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "speak" (root דבר, 191x in I Kings); "do·not·turn·away" (root איל, 125x in I Kings). First appearance of the root אחד ("one") in I Kings. First appearance of the root פני ("my·face") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·face', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְעַתָּ֗ה [now] (481) + שְׁאֵלָ֤ה [request] (336) + אַחַת֙ [one] (409) + אָֽנֹכִי֙ [I] (81) + שֹׁאֵ֣ל [asks] (331) + מֵֽאִתָּ֔ךְ [of·you] (461) + אַל־תָּשִׁ֖בִי [do·not·turn·away] (743) + אֶת־פָּנָ֑י [my·face] (541) + וַתֹּ֥אמֶר [and·she·said] (647) + אֵלָ֖יו [to·him] (47) + דַּבֵּֽר [speak] (206) = 4283.
Metzudat David
And now. Since there is no concern about the kingship.
Do not send me back, etc. Meaning: do not send me back empty-handed, without fulfilling my request.
And he said: ‘Speak, I pray you, to Solomon the king—for he will not say you nay—that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.’ .
verse value 4373
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "Abishag" (אֶת־אֲבִישַׁ֥ג, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "say·please" (אִמְרִי־נָא֙), "not·He·will·withdraw" (לֹֽא־יָשִׁ֖יב), "and·he·will·give·me" (וְיִתֶּן־לִ֛י). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "to·Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings). First appearance of the root שוב ("not·He·will·withdraw") in I Kings. First appearance of the root אשה ("to·wife") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·face', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֗אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אִמְרִי־נָא֙ [say·please] (302) + לִשְׁלֹמֹ֣ה [to·Solomon] (405) + הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ [king] (95) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + לֹֽא־יָשִׁ֖יב [not·He·will·withdraw] (353) + אֶת־פָּנָ֑יִךְ [your·face] (561) + וְיִתֶּן־לִ֛י [and·he·will·give·me] (506) + אֶת־אֲבִישַׁ֥ג [Abishag] (717) + הַשּׁוּנַמִּ֖ית [the·Shunammite] (811) + לְאִשָּֽׁה [to·wife] (336) = 4373.
And Bath-sheba said: ‘Well; I will speak for you to the king.’
verse value 1982
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "good" (ט֑וֹב, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·the·king" (אֶל־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ, 6 letters). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "I·will·speak" (root דבר, 191x in I Kings); "for·you" (root על, 127x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'good', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַתֹּ֥אמֶר [and·she·said] (647) + בַּת־שֶׁ֖בַע [Bath-sheba] (774) + ט֑וֹב [good] (17) + אָנֹכִ֕י [I] (81) + אֲדַבֵּ֥ר [I·will·speak] (207) + עָלֶ֖יךָ [for·you] (130) + אֶל־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ [to·the·king] (126) = 1982.
Metzudat David
Good. The matter is proper and fitting, and therefore I will speak for you to the king.
Bath-sheba therefore went to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand.
verse value 5846
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 89 letters. The shortest word is "to·her" (לָ֗הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·Adonijah" (עַל־אֲדֹנִיָּ֑הוּ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 95: king, king. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "to·him" (לְדַבֶּר־ל֖וֹ), "for·Adonijah" (עַל־אֲדֹנִיָּ֑הוּ), "to·meet·her" (לִקְרָאתָ֜הּ). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "to·him" (root דבר, 191x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings). First appearance of the root ימין ("to·his·right") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·Adonijah', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 13 words.
Rashi
"To speak to him." To speak on his behalf, on behalf of Adonijah:
"to the mother of the king." Our Sages said (Bava Batra 91b): "To the mother of the monarchy," namely Ruth.
Radak
“And he sat on his throne.” After he arose to meet her and bowed down to her, he returned to his place on his throne, and commanded that a throne be set for his mother, that she might sit at his right hand. And there is one who expounds: “The mother of the king” refers to the mother of the kingdom, and she is Ruth, for she was still alive at that time; but this is very far-fetched.
Metzudat David
Concerning Adonijah. On account of Adonijah's request.
To meet her. To go to meet her.
Malbim
"To speak to him concerning Adonijah": every utterance that follows the word "to him" means "for his sake." Bathsheba thought that this would also be for the benefit of Solomon, for in this way he [Adonijah] would return to love him [Solomon], once his heart's desire would be fulfilled. And this is what is written: "to speak to him"—for the sake of Solomon's benefit.
Then she said: ‘I ask one small petition of you; deny me not.’ And the king said to her: ‘Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny you.’
verse value 5817
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 70 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·he·said·to·her" (וַיֹּֽאמֶר־לָ֤הּ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "do·not·turn·away" (אַל־תָּ֖שֶׁב), "and·he·said·to·her" (וַיֹּֽאמֶר־לָ֤הּ), "ask" (שַׁאֲלִ֣י). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·she·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "do·not·turn·away" (root איל, 125x in I Kings). First appearance of the root קטן ("young") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·face', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 7 words.
And she said: ‘Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother to wife.’
verse value 3110
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 36 letters. The shortest word is "shall·be·assigned" (יֻתַּ֖ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "Abishag" (אֶת־אֲבִישַׁ֣ג, 7 letters). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "shall·be·assigned" (root נתן, 113x in I Kings); "to·wife" (root אשה, 35x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·Shunammite', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַתֹּ֕אמֶר [and·she·said] (647) + יֻתַּ֖ן [shall·be·assigned] (460) + אֶת־אֲבִישַׁ֣ג [Abishag] (717) + הַשֻּׁנַמִּ֑ית [the·Shunammite] (805) + לַאֲדֹנִיָּ֥הוּ [to·Adonijah] (106) + אָחִ֖יךָ [your·brother] (39) + לְאִשָּֽׁה [to·wife] (336) = 3110.
Radak
"Yiten." It is not a masculine verb form used for a feminine subject; rather, its meaning is "yutan" [it will be given], referring to "the gift," and she is Abishag. The masculine grammatical form applies to the matter itself, just as in the phrase "melakhah [work] shall be done."
And king Solomon answered and said to his mother: ‘And why do you 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.’
verse value 6109
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 110 letters. The shortest word is "you" (אַ֨תְּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·kingdom" (אֶת־הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·why" (וְלָמָה֩), "and·ask·for·him" (וְשַֽׁאֲלִי־לוֹ֙), "the·kingdom" (אֶת־הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings). First appearance of the root מה ("and·why") in I Kings. First appearance of the root מן ("from·me") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 18 and 5 words.
Rashi
"And ask for him the kingship." From when he makes use of the king's scepter — that is the beginning of sovereignty.
Radak
"And request for him the kingdom." Solomon understood that he was seeking it as a pretext, because it was forbidden to make use of Abishag unless he were king; and if they were to give him Abishag, he would assume that he had seized the kingship. And he understood that Abiathar and Joab, who had supported his hand, advised him to this. Therefore he said to him, "And to Abiathar and to Joab, son of Zeruiah." And so does the Targum of Jonathan render it: "Was not this counsel devised by him, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab son of Zeruiah?"
Ralbag
“And to Adonijah, and to Abiathar the priest, and to Joab the son of Zeruiah.” This means that he [Adonijah] was more worthy to reign, because he was greater than I, for the kingdom is fitting to belong to the elder, as it is said, “And the kingdom He gave to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.” And the high priesthood was also more fitting for Abiathar, for it was his first, before it belonged to Zadok, and it also came to him from his forefathers. And Joab the son of Zeruiah was also more fitting to be commander of the army than any other, for he was the first in this command. And since the matter is thus—that he is more worthy of kingship, and those who assisted him are more worthy of their respective offices—this will lead, to a small degree, to a cause that will return the kingship to Adonijah. And for this reason he seeks Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, to strengthen his hand and the hands of his supporters, that the kingship is fitting to be his. For if riding on the mule upon which the king rode was a sign of kingship, as previously stated, how much more so is taking as a wife one who lay in the king’s lap a sign of kingship. And since the matter is thus, it is clear that this was Adonijah’s scheme to draw the kingship to himself.
Metzudat David
And why do you ask, etc. And ask, etc. For Solomon understood the matter, that he would seek a pretext to stir up the kingship. And for this reason he said in a manner of teasing and mockery: why do you ask for the matter that brings about kingship? Is it not better to ask for him the kingship itself? For since he is older than me, as he said in the preface of his request.
And to him , etc. Meaning: and just as you will ask for him what is fitting for him, so ask to restore to Abiathar and to Joab what is fitting for them; for they are all of one counsel, so that they may hold fast to their own.
Malbim
And why did you ask about Abishag, etc., in contrast to what she recounted to him regarding all the words of Adonijah, who had stated beforehand, “For the kingdom was mine,” etc.? He replied: Was the kingdom not his by right, since he was the elder brother? You should have asked him about the kingdom, not about Abishag. And since he said, “All Israel looked to me to be king,” referring to the fact that Abiathar and Joab directed their intentions toward him, even then Abishag would not have helped, for they desired that he be anointed king; what benefit would they have gained from his taking a wife? And therefore, you should have asked about the kingdom, in which case you would also have inquired on behalf of Abiathar and Joab regarding what they desired.
Then king Solomon swore by Hashem, saying: ‘God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.
verse value 3269
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 68 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִים֙) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֣ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·to·me" (יַֽעֲשֶׂה־לִּ֤י, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "do·to·me" (יַֽעֲשֶׂה־לִּ֤י), "will·He·add" (יוֹסִ֔יף), "in·his·soul" (בְנַפְשׁ֔וֹ). The root כה appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "saying" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "by·Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings). First appearance of the root כה ("thus") in I Kings. First appearance of the root יסף ("will·He·add") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 11 words.
Metzudat David
Thus shall it be done, etc. It is a matter of an oath; and he threatened but did not spell it out, and there are many like it in Scripture.
Upon his soul. Upon the destruction of his soul, for he will die for it.
Malbim
"And the king swore, etc., 'for he spoke with his life,' meaning that this statement was uttered at the cost of his own life, for certainly he understood that there was danger to him in this question. And on account of the marriage to Abishag, he would not have risked his life, had he not devised a scheme whereby, by using the king's scepter, he would be able to rebel."
Now therefore as Hashem lives, who has established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, as He promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death this day.’
verse value 4861
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 82 letters. Notable word values: "my·father" (אָבִ֔י) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "and·surely" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·He·seated·me" (וַיּֽוֹשִׁיבַ֙נִי֙, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "He·has·established·me" (הֱכִינַ֗נִי), "and·He·seated·me" (וַיּֽוֹשִׁיבַ֙נִי֙), "made·for·me" (עָשָׂה־לִ֛י). The root אשר appears 3 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "who" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "as·Hashem·lives" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "house" (root בית, 191x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'He·promised', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 4 words.
Rashi
"Who has made me a house." The royal dynasty, as He [God] spoke by the hand of Nathan [the prophet]:
Radak
And He set me down. With a patach in place of a tzere. So too, "my husband will love me."
“Make Me a house.” A royal house. And so does Jonathan’s Targum: “And establish for Me a kingdom.”
Metzudat David
He made for me a house. Meaning: a house of kingship. And it is a repetition of the matter in different words.
Metzudat Zion
Hakinneni. He prepared me:
Malbim
"And now, as the Lord lives, who has prepared me, etc.," and the meaning is: The promise of the Lord was that I would be a man of rest, and that He made for me a house, such that my seed would also reign after me. And because of this, I am compelled to eradicate every rebel and every slanderer, so that the general peace promised to me by the Lord will not be nullified. Therefore, today Adonijah shall be put to death.
And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him, so that he died.
verse value 1703
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 40 letters. Verse gematria: 1703 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "in·hand·of" (בְּיַ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Jehoiada" (בֶן־יְהוֹיָדָ֑ע, 8 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "son·of·Jehoiada" (root בין, 107x in I Kings). First appearance of the root יד ("in·hand·of") in I Kings. First appearance of the root פגע ("and·he·fell·upon·him") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'son·of·Jehoiada', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ [and·he·sent] (354) + הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ [king] (95) + שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה [Solomon] (375) + בְּיַ֖ד [in·hand·of] (16) + בְּנָיָ֣הוּ [Benaiah] (73) + בֶן־יְהוֹיָדָ֑ע [son·of·Jehoiada] (157) + וַיִּפְגַּע־בּ֖וֹ [and·he·fell·upon·him] (177) + וַיָּמֹֽת [and·he·died] (456) = 1703.
Radak
"With the hand of Benaiah." Although he was a priest and forbidden to become impure through contact with the dead, when he came into contact with him, he did not die immediately, and he withdrew his hand from him before his death. Or, alternatively, although a priest is forbidden to become impure through contact with the dead, in a place of a mitzvah he becomes impure. And to carry out the king's command is a mitzvah. Similarly, a priest is permitted to engage in obligatory wars and to become impure. Therefore, Solomon appointed him as commander of the army. And so we explained in the Book of Samuel regarding the verse: "He struck down the two Ariel [lion-like warriors] of Moab."
Metzudat David
And he struck him. And although he [Benaiah] was a priest and forbidden to become impure through contact with the dead, he withdrew from him while his soul was still in him [before he was fully dead].
Metzudat Zion
Vipage. A matter of a mortal blow, like (II Samuel 1:15) 'come and strike him' (gesh page bo):
And to Abiathar the priest said the king: ‘Get you to Anathoth, to your own fields; for you are deserving of death; but I will not at this time put you to death, because you did bear the ark of the Lord Hashem before David my father, and because you were afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.’
verse value 8039
Insights
Verse structure: 27 words, 109 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "go" (לֵ֣ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "wherein·he·was·afflicted" (אֲשֶֽׁר־הִתְעַנָּ֖ה, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 13: my·father, my·father. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "Anathoth" (עֲנָתֹת֙), "to·your·fields" (עַל־שָׂדֶ֔יךָ), "and·in·the·day" (וּבַיּ֨וֹם). The root כי appears 2 times in this verse. 24 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wherein·he·was·afflicted" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings). First appearance of the root שדה ("to·your·fields") in I Kings. First appearance of the root נשא ("because·you·bore") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 16 words.
Rashi
"[To] Anathoth, go." He was from there.
"For you are a man of death," because you rebelled against the kingship of my father when you were with Adonijah, to crown him without his [David's] knowledge.
"Because you carried the ark." When my father fled from before Absalom.
"And that you were afflicted" with him in that distress, as it is stated (II Samuel 17:29): 'For they said, the people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.'
Radak
"Anathoth." "A man of Anathoth," for he was from there. And Anathoth belonged to the priests, as it is written in the Book of Joshua: "From the priests who were in Anathoth." Similarly, "I am prayer," meaning I am a man of prayer; "a false witness," meaning a man of falsehood; "Damesek Eliezer," meaning a man of Damascus. Alternatively, the phrase "to Anathoth, go" means "go to Anathoth," as in the Targum of Jonathan: "to your fields" [rendered as] "to your inheritance," that is, "go, go to Anathoth." And similarly, the Targum of Jonathan renders it: "go to your town." And the preposition "al" is used in place of "el": so too, "Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house" [1 Samuel 2:11], and "she prayed to the LORD" [1 Samuel 1:10], like "el ADONAI."
"A man subject to death": He is liable to the death penalty, namely, one who rebels against the royal authority. And Abiathar rebelled against David, for his hand was with Adonijah, and he knew that it was David's intention to anoint Solomon [as king]. Or even if he had not known [of David's intention], it would still have been considered rebellion to anoint a king during David's lifetime without his permission.
The hardship [he endured]: He went with David when he fled from Saul, and when he fled from Absalom, and they endured the hardships of the journey, as it is written: "For they said, the people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness."
Ralbag
And to Abiathar the priest, the king said, “Anathoth—go to your fields, for you are a man of death.” Now Abiathar was dwelling in Anathoth, and therefore the king said to him that he should separate from him and go to Anathoth, to the field that was his there. And the king said that he was a “man of death” because he had dishonored the king by anointing a king other than himself. And he said to him that on that day he would not put him to death, because he had carried the Ark of the Lord before David. And this was at the time when he fled from Absalom, during which he was carrying it, until David desired that it be returned to Jerusalem.
“And that you were afflicted in all that my father was afflicted.” This means that he was distressed by his [David's] distress, and this occurred when he came to David after Saul had slain Nob, the city of the priests; for after that, he did not separate from David at all, and David would inquire of him through the Urim and Thummim. And at the time when he was fleeing from Absalom, he was likewise distressed by his affliction, to the extent that he was already ascending with him, were it not that David restrained him from doing so.
Metzudat David
And to Abiathar the priest he said. Upon seeing that he still stood in his rebellion, to give counsel to Adonijah to take Abishag.
Go to Anathoth for you. Meaning: go to your place, Anathoth, for it was a city of the priests.
For you are a man of death. On account of that you were in the plot of rebellion, to make Adonijah king without the knowledge of my father the king; and therefore you shall no longer sit here to see my face.
And on this day. Meaning: and even today, it is apparent that you still hold to your rebellion, in giving counsel to Adonijah to ask for Abishag, to find a pretext in the matter of kingship. Despite all this I will not put you to death.
Before David my father. When he was fleeing from Absalom.
And you afflicted yourself. And because you were afflicted and constrained in my father's distress, when he was pursued by Saul.
Metzudat Zion
Hit'anita. From the language of affliction and distress:
So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest to Hashem; that the word of Hashem might be fulfilled, which He spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
verse value 4900
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 60 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 4900 = 70². The shortest word is "priest" (כֹּהֵ֖ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "Abiathar" (אֶת־אֶבְיָתָ֔ר, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·drove·out" (וַיְגָ֤רֶשׁ), "Abiathar" (אֶת־אֶבְיָתָ֔ר), "from·being" (מִֽהְי֥וֹת). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "from·being" (root היה, 196x in I Kings). First appearance of the root שלה ("in·Shiloh") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 8 words. Full calculation: וַיְגָ֤רֶשׁ [and·drove·out] (519) + שְׁלֹמֹה֙ [Solomon] (375) + אֶת־אֶבְיָתָ֔ר [Abiathar] (1014) + מִֽהְי֥וֹת [from·being] (461) + כֹּהֵ֖ן [priest] (75) + לַיהֹוָ֑ה [to·Hashem] (56) + לְמַלֵּא֙ [to·fill] (101) + אֶת־דְּבַ֣ר [the·word·of] (607) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [which] (501) + דִּבֶּ֛ר [He·spoke] (206) + עַל־בֵּ֥ית [concerning·the·house·of] (512) + עֵלִ֖י [Eli] (110) + בְּשִׁלֹֽה [in·Shiloh] (337) = 4900.
Rashi
"That which He spoke concerning the house of Eli" (I Samuel 2:35), "And I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest," etc. (ibid. verse 32): "You shall look upon the enemy of My dwelling," etc., and once Shiloh was destroyed, there was no esteemed house for the service of the Holy One, blessed be He. And now, when the Chosen House was to be built, the Holy One, blessed be He, fulfilled His word to expel the sons of Eli.
Radak
"From being a priest": This means the High Priest. From that time onward, the punishment began to take effect upon the House of Eli, as it is said, "Attach me, I pray, to one of the priesthoods," for they shall never again hold any authority in the priesthood; rather, they shall be dependent upon others, who will exercise authority over them. And Abiathar was from the House of Eli.
Ralbag
To fulfill the word of the Lord which He spoke concerning the house of Eli at Shiloh. This is what God, blessed be He, said concerning the house of Eli: “And I will establish for Myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to that which is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My Anointed all his days.” And behold, it is explained that His Anointed is the most excellent among them all in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, more than all who were before him and after him, and he is Solomon. For it is fitting that he be chosen to be king all his days, and he is Solomon, concerning whom God, blessed be He, said: “And My lovingkindness shall not depart from him,” etc. And he was the Anointed of God, blessed be He, through Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet.
Metzudat David
From being a priest. Meaning: from serving any longer as high priest.
To fulfill the word of the Lord. This reason was to fulfill the word of the Lord, etc.
At Shiloh. While the tabernacle was at Shiloh, the word of the LORD spoke concerning the house of Eli, that the high priesthood would be taken from them; and Abiathar was of the sons of Eli.
And the tidings came to Joab; for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled to the Tent of Hashem, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
verse value 2817
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 82 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·the·report" (וְהַשְּׁמֻעָה֙, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 64: stretched, stretched. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·the·report" (וְהַשְּׁמֻעָה֙), "to·Joab" (עַד־יוֹאָ֔ב), "and·fled" (וַיָּ֤נׇס). The root יואב appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "to·the·tent·of" (root איל, 125x in I Kings); "went·in" (root בוא, 109x in I Kings). First appearance of the root נטה ("stretched") in I Kings. First appearance of the root נוס ("and·fled") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'stretched', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 7 words.
Rashi
"And the report came to Joab." The report of King David's commandment that he had issued to have him killed, and [Joab] knew that Solomon was his enemy.
For Joab leaned toward Adonijah, but he did not lean toward Absalom. In short, he did seek to lean [toward Absalom], but he was afraid that the moisture of David was still present.
Radak
And the news: The news that Adonijah was slain and Abiathar was exiled caused him to fear for himself, because he had leaned toward Adonijah. He had not leaned toward Absalom; for had he leaned toward Absalom and not toward Adonijah, he would not have had cause to fear. Since all Israel desired to make Absalom king, there was no rebellion that would incur the death penalty. For if so, Amasa would have been liable to death, yet David told him to appoint him commander of the army, and only later sought his blood at the hand of Joab. But in this rebellion, he was liable to death, for he knew that it was in David’s heart to make Solomon king, and he rebelled against David and against Solomon, and leaned toward Adonijah. Before Solomon killed Adonijah, he did not fear, because he had not heard what David commanded Solomon, and he was not afraid of the rebellion, saying, “Behold, Adonijah rebelled, and behold, Solomon pardoned him, saying to him, ‘Not a hair of his head shall fall to the ground.’” Thus, he also pardoned his helpers. But when he heard that Adonijah was slain and Abiathar was exiled from the priesthood, he feared for himself and fled to the Tent of the Lord, where the Ark was in Jerusalem, and he held fast to the horns of the altar to take refuge there, for there was an altar there, as it is written, “For there David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Ark.” And Solomon did not kill him until now, because he said, “Until he finds some slight pretext to put him to death,” for so David commanded him, “And you shall do according to your wisdom.” And he was waiting for him until he would find a pretext to put him to death. And when it was reported to Solomon that he had gone and held fast to the horns of the altar, he said, “This is a slight rebellion, that he thinks to save himself from my hand. And behold, he is still in his intent and in his rebellion, since he fled from me, and I did not say to put him to death.” Therefore, he commanded Benaiah to strike him. And our Sages of blessed memory gave another reason: Regarding “He had not leaned toward Absalom,” they said, “He sought to lean, but did not lean.” That is to say, even in the matter of Absalom, Joab rebelled in his heart and sought to lean, but did not lean after him, saying, “The vitality of David is still intact,” meaning his strength. But in the matter of Adonijah, when David was old and lying on his bed, he leaned toward Adonijah openly. And the wise man Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra said that Joab did not lean toward Absalom because he knew that he was not worthy of the kingship, and likewise he considered Solomon.
Ralbag
For Joab leaned after Adonijah, but after Absalom he did not lean. The intention of this is that Joab felt himself guilty from two sides: one, that he leaned after Adonijah to anoint him king without David’s counsel; and the second, that he did not lean after Absalom to save him from death, as David had commanded him.
"And he seized the horns of the altar." You should know that his grasping the horns of the altar did not avail him, because he had killed people intentionally and with deceit. For this reason, the king agreed that he should die there. Even though there was no formal warning (hatra'ah), the king could punish more severely than the laws of the Torah in order to discipline the people. This is derived from this passage and from many other places, such as from what David commanded regarding the killing of the messenger who reported Saul's death, and Rechab and Baanah, for their confession that they had killed Ish-bosheth. Also, it did not avail Joab to seize the horns of the altar, because he was not a priest and did not have the service in his hands. However, it is proper that we learn from this that this grasping of the horns of the altar would have availed him so that they would not hand him over to the king to be put to death, had he not been liable to death by a court. This is derived from this passage, as explained in the thirteenth chapter of Sanhedrin.
Metzudat David
And the report. What he killed Adonijah and banished Abiathar, came to Joab. Meaning: from that report he feared for his soul, for he too was with them in the plot of rebellion.
And after Absalom he did not incline. For if he had inclined also after Absalom, he would not then have fallen and been inferior to the rest of the king's servants who were with Adonijah. And despite all this nothing was done to them. But since he did not incline after Absalom, although the majority of Israel inclined after him, and after Adonijah he inclined -- if so it is apparent, surely this was because he saw that Solomon had grown and was fit for kingship; and because of his hatred, he inclined after Adonijah. And he thought that because of this Solomon's heart would burn to kill him.
The tent of the Lord. In front of which were the ark and the altar.
By the horns of the altar. Thinking that he would not defile the place by killing him there.
Malbim
(28–34) The Questions: From what the verse states, "And after Absalom he did not turn," which implies that because of this his sin will be greater now, how can this be? Why does it repeat, "Thus spoke Joab and thus he answered me"? Why did he say, "and you shall bury him," when surely he would be buried? What did Joab gain by saying, "thus I will die"? Why did Solomon curse him and his seed, whereas his death should already have served as atonement for his sins?
And the news came to Joab, and he explained the reason why Joab feared for his life more than Abiathar did: because he had leaned toward Adonijah, whereas he had not leaned toward Absalom. For if he had also leaned toward Absalom, thinking that the kingship belongs to the firstborn, he would not now be subject to the death penalty, since he had acted according to his belief that the firstborn is the one who reigns. But since he had not leaned toward Absalom, and on the contrary had killed Absalom, then surely he became liable to death for what he did now, by committing this very sin that Absalom had committed, in that he sought to anoint Adonijah as king. Moreover, since he had not leaned toward Absalom, it necessarily follows that his leaning toward Adonijah was not because he thought that the firstborn should reign, but rather because he feared Solomon, knowing his own transgressions, namely the sin of having killed Amasa. Therefore he fled to the tent of the Lord, because he knew that he was liable to death. And our Sages of blessed memory said that he made three errors: 1. That the altar grants refuge only to a priest who is engaged in his service; against this it says, "And Joab fled." 2. That it grants refuge only in the permanent Temple; and regarding this it says, "to the tent of the Lord." 3. That it grants refuge only for its roof, not for its horns; and regarding this it says, "and he grasped the horns of the altar."
And it was told king Solomon: ‘Joab is fled to the Tent of Hashem, and, behold, he is by the altar.’ Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying: ‘Go, fall upon him.’
verse value 2861
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 76 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "that" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Jehoiada" (בֶן־יְהוֹיָדָ֛ע, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 375: Solomon, Solomon. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "fall·upon·him" (פְּגַע־בּֽוֹ). The root שלמה appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "saying" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings). First appearance of the root אצל ("by") in I Kings. First appearance of the root בניה ("Benaiah") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'altar', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 7 words.
Radak
"By the altar." Just as it is stated that he grasped the horns of the altar, our Sages of blessed memory said that Joab erred in this matter, for the altar did not provide asylum except for unintentional sins and for those who had fled to the top of it, as it is written: "From my altar" and not "Upon my altar."
And Benaiah came to the Tent of Hashem, and said to him: ‘Thus says the king: Come forth.’ And he said: ‘Nay; but I will die here.’ And Benaiah brought back word to the king, saying: ‘Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.’
verse value 3616
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 91 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "go·out" (צֵ֔א, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·king" (אֶת־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "thus·spoke" (כֹּֽה־דִבֶּ֥ר). The root אמר appears 4 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings). First appearance of the root יצא ("go·out") in I Kings. First appearance of the root פה ("here") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·die', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 9 words.
Rashi
And he said, "No." There are two things I will not accept upon myself: the curses that your father David cursed me with at the death of Abner (II Samuel 3:29): 'May they fall upon the head of Joab' — let Solomon accept them upon himself, and afterward I will go out.
Radak
"Not so; here I will die." He said this in order to punish Solomon according to his thought, that he should kill him at the altar of the Lord. And our Sages of blessed memory, some of them said that the property of those executed by royal decree belongs to the king, and because of this he did not wish to go out, so that his property would not belong to the king. Solomon said to Benaiah, "Do I need his wealth?" Do as he said and strike him. And some of them said that their property belongs to the heirs, like those executed by the court. And what he said, "Not so; here I will die," he did not say except for the sake of temporary life, to prolong his days until Benaiah would go to Solomon and return. And further in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: Was Joab, who was a great sage and head of the Sanhedrin, as it is stated, "Sitting in the seat of wisdom," not aware that it is written in the Torah, "If a man acts presumptuously against his neighbor to kill him by guile, you shall take him from My altar to die"? Why did he go and grasp the horns of the altar? Was it not he who killed Abner and Amasa by guile? And Solomon sent to bring him out from there and to judge him in court. Rather, Joab said: Those executed by the court are not buried in the tombs of their fathers, but they have their own [burial place]. It is better for me to die here and be buried in the tombs of my fathers. And this is what he said, "Not so; here I will die." And according to the opinion of the author of this interpretation, the meaning of "And bury him well" comes, namely, that he struck him there as he said, and buried him in the tombs of his fathers.
Thus spoke Joab, and thus he answered me. The doubling of the word is in the manner of Scripture, for he did not say to him anything other than: "No, here I will die." And it is possible that he said to him other things, and the conclusion of the matter was: "No, here I will die." And our Sages of blessed memory said that he said to him: "Go and tell Solomon that he should not judge me with two judgments: if he desires to kill me, let him accept upon himself the curses with which his father cursed me; and if not, let him leave me with the curses with which his father cursed me." And Solomon said to Benaiah: "Do as he has spoken, and strike him down, and I will accept the curses." And indeed we saw that this was fulfilled in his [Solomon's] descendants: from Rehoboam, as it is written, "And King Rehoboam exerted himself to mount the chariot" (2 Chronicles 10:18); and it is written, "and whatever the one with the discharge rides upon [shall be impure]" (Leviticus 15:9). They interpreted this from the language of "exerted himself," [indicating] that riding was difficult for him due to the illness of the discharge. He was a leper, from Uzziah, of whom it is written, "And the leprosy broke out on his forehead" (2 Chronicles 26:19). He leaned on a staff, from Asa, of whom it is written, "And Asa was diseased in his feet" (1 Kings 15:23). He fell by the sword, from Josiah, of whom it is written, "And the archers shot at King Josiah" (2 Chronicles 35:23). He lacked bread, from Jeconiah, of whom it is written, "His regular ration was given to him from the king" (2 Kings 25:30).
Metzudat David
Thus says the king, go out. For he thought that such was the king's mind, to bring him out with cunning and put him to death, so as not to defile the place of the ark.
No. For Joab understood the matter that in any case he would put him to death; and he said: I will not go out, for here I will die. And his mind was to cause Solomon to sin, in that he would defile the tent of the ark when they would kill him there.
And thus he answered me. A repetition of the matter in different words.
Metzudat Zion
Aneni. From the language of answering and response:
Malbim
Thus spoke Joab, and thus was I answered: This implies that besides the answer “No, for here I will die”, there were still other matters between them, for this is what it says: “Thus spoke Joab.” And our Sages of blessed memory stated in the Jerusalem Talmud that Joab wished to be judged by the Sanhedrin, because the property of those executed by the king goes to the king, whereas the property of those executed by the court goes to the heirs. And in the Midrash they said: Joab said, “Those executed by the court are not buried in their fathers’ tombs; it is better that I die here and be buried in my fathers’ tomb.” And this is precisely what is indicated in the verse.
And the king said to him: ‘Do as he has said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that you may take away the blood, which Joab shed without cause, from me and from my father’s house.
verse value 4845
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 69 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֣וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֣וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·fall·upon·him" (וּפְגַע־בּ֖וֹ, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·fall·upon·him" (וּפְגַע־בּ֖וֹ), "and·bury·him" (וּקְבַרְתּ֑וֹ), "and·take·away" (וַהֲסִירֹ֣תָ). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "as" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings). First appearance of the root סור ("and·take·away") in I Kings. First appearance of the root שפך ("has·poured·out") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·bury·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 10 words.
Rashi
"Do as the word has said." I accept them upon myself; therefore, all these were attached to the seed of David: Uzziah was a leper, Asa held a staff [due to his infirmity], Jehoiakim fell by the sword, and Zedekiah lacked bread.
Radak
As He spoke. That you should put him to death, for one cannot argue in this case, since he killed the two officers with cunning and intent, and it is written: "From My altar you shall take him to die."
"And you shall bury him." And exert effort in his burial, for he was a great commander of the army. But concerning Adonijah, there was no need to warn him about his burial, for he was a king's son.
Ralbag
“And he struck him down and buried him.” This means that you should command that he be buried immediately, for Benaiah was a priest and was not permitted to become ritually impure through contact with Joab. Therefore, it subsequently states, “And he put him to death and buried him in his own house,” in order to indicate that he had already been buried by others.
Metzudat David
As he spoke. To put him to death there.
And strike him. A repetition of his words to hasten him [and although his father commanded to find a cause to kill him, behold this is the cause he found, for even this is reckoned as some rebellion, in fleeing from the king].
And you shall bury him. Not that Benaiah himself would bury him, for he was a priest. But his intention was to command that they bury him in a fitting grave, for he was a commander and a great man.
And you shall remove. In that you put him to death, another merit will be added, for you will remove the punishment of innocent blood from me and from my father's house. For if he is not killed, there will be upon us some punishment, for not having eradicated the evil.
Malbim
“Do to him as he has spoken, and strike him down and bury him”: This means that he should be buried in the tomb of his fathers, as he had spoken. Now, Solomon desired to put him to death because he was a rebel and had sided with Adonijah, and in this case he would be counted among those slain by the king’s decree. But if the Sanhedrin were to execute him, it would be on account of his having killed Abner and Amasa. And this is what the verse means: “and remove the innocent blood which he shed”—for this matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin. Furthermore, our Sages of blessed memory said that Joab’s words implied that Solomon should accept upon himself the curses that David had pronounced upon him when he killed Abner, as it is stated (2 Samuel 3:29): “Let there never fail from the house of Joab one that has an issue, or a leper, etc.” And this is what the text says:
And Hashem will return his blood upon his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, and my father David knew it not: Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.
verse value 8088
Insights
Verse structure: 24 words, 113 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֨ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·two·men" (בִּשְׁנֵֽי־אֲ֠נָשִׁ֠ים, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 593: captain·of·host·of, captain·of·host·of. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "upon·his·head" (עַל־רֹאשׁ֗וֹ), "in·two·men" (בִּשְׁנֵֽי־אֲ֠נָשִׁ֠ים), "just" (צַדִּקִ֨ים). The root בין appears 2 times in this verse. 22 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "because" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "Israel" (root ישראל, 120x in I Kings). First appearance of the root ראש ("upon·his·head") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'knew', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 8 words.
Radak
"Righteous and good men" were better than him. They did not shed innocent blood as he did, and it is possible that they had additional merits over him. Our Sages interpreted the phrase "righteous and good men" to mean that they were righteous and good in speech and in heart, yet they did not act [according to the king's command]. For regarding what was said, "And the king said to the runners standing by him, 'Turn around and kill the priests of the Lord,'" they interpreted this verse as referring to Abner and Amasa, who were standing over him. The explanation of the verse is that it refers to the runners and to those who were standing over him, for Abner and Amasa were commanders, not runners. And so does the Targum of Jonathan render it: "And the servants of the king did not wish [to do so]." Although Saul commanded them verbally to kill, they did not wish to do so. But he [David] sent a letter to Joab to orchestrate the death of Uriah, and Joab did so. Behold, both of them were more righteous than he and better than he, in that they expounded [the exegetical rule of] the words "akh" and "rak" [as exclusionary/limiting terms], whereas he did not so expound. For when Saul commanded them to kill the priests of the Lord, they said: It is written, "Any man who defies your word shall be put to death." One might think that even if Saul commanded to transgress the words of the Torah, and a person defied his word, he should be put to death. Therefore the Torah states, "Only be strong and very courageous," [teaching that] "akh" and "rak" are exclusionary/limiting terms. Behold, they interpreted the verse properly, and they defied Saul's word so as not to kill the priests of the Lord. But Joab did not interpret it thus, for as soon as David sent [the letter] to orchestrate the death of Uriah, he did so immediately.
"But my father David did not know." For perhaps one might have supposed that David knew of Abner's death, since he [Abner] had been a supporter of the house of Saul. Yet he showed [his innocence] by his mourning over him and his fasting, until the people recognized that the killing of Abner was not by the king's order. Similarly, regarding Amasa, perhaps one might have supposed that David knew, since he [Amasa] had inclined after Absalom. Therefore he said, "But my father David did not know," for he had said to him, "Summon the men of Judah to me," and "you, stand here."
Metzudat David
And the Lord shall return. Now that he is killed, behold the Lord has returned the punishment of innocent blood upon his head. And he explains what the blood is, and said: who struck, etc.
And my father David did not know. Before he struck them down. And my father has no guilt in this; and upon him is the sin.
Commander of the army of Judah. Perhaps only over Judah alone did Absalom appoint him commander of the army.
Malbim
(32–33) And the Lord returned his blood upon his head, etc., and their blood shall return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his seed, that He returned, that even though he was judged with death, he is also worthy of a curse, for apart from the judgment, his sentence is more severe: 1. That he killed two men, 2. That they were righteous and good, 3. That he killed them with the sword and my father David did not know, for killing with the sword was practiced according to royal law, and he killed them as if by the king's command, and the king did not know, and thereby he damaged the honor of David, 4. That the slain were officers of the armies of Israel and Judah, and therefore, apart from what the Lord returned his blood upon his head, their blood shall also return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his seed forever, and the curses shall fall upon him and not upon the house of David, for to David and to his seed shall be peace, and our Sages of blessed memory said that he was not justified in this, and the curses were fulfilled in the seed of the house of David.
So shall their blood return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever; but to David, and to his seed, and to his house, and to his throne, shall there be peace for ever from Hashem.’
verse value 3645
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 74 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "with" (מֵעִ֥ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·his·seed" (וּ֠לְזַרְע֠וֹ, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "their·blood" (דְמֵיהֶם֙), "his·seed" (זַרְע֖וֹ), "and·to·David" (וּלְדָוִ֡ד). The root ראש appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "it·will·be" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "and·to·his·house" (root בית, 191x in I Kings). First appearance of the root זרע ("his·seed") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·ever', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 9 words.
Radak
"And upon the head of his seed." Just as David, his [Solomon's] father, cursed his [Joab's] seed, as he said, "and let it not be cut off from the house...," etc.
Metzudat David
And their blood shall return. Meaning: although Joab dies, nevertheless the punishment of the blood will return upon his head, to receive recompense after death; and also upon his seed it will rest forever. For death is also on account of the rebellion, and he has not yet received a complete punishment for the blood he shed.
And to his house. Meaning: to his royal house. And he said 'to his throne' for additional explanation. And he means: that there will be peace, both in the matter of the body and in the matter of the kingship.
There shall be peace. For what more is to be done, since he has been killed and I have removed the evil?
Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.
verse value 1976
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 45 letters. Verse gematria: 1976 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·went·up" (וַיַּ֗עַל, 4 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Jehoiada" (בֶּן־יְה֣וֹיָדָ֔ע, 8 letters). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·his·house" (root בית, 191x in I Kings); "son·of·Jehoiada" (root בין, 107x in I Kings); "and·went·up" (root עלה, 60x in I Kings). First appearance of the root מדבר ("in·the·wilderness") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·killed·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיַּ֗עַל [and·went·up] (116) + בְּנָיָ֙הוּ֙ [Benaiah] (73) + בֶּן־יְה֣וֹיָדָ֔ע [son·of·Jehoiada] (157) + וַיִּפְגַּע־בּ֖וֹ [and·he·fell·upon·him] (177) + וַיְמִתֵ֑הוּ [and·killed·him] (467) + וַיִּקָּבֵ֥ר [and·he·was·buried] (318) + בְּבֵית֖וֹ [in·his·house] (420) + בַּמִּדְבָּֽר [in·the·wilderness] (248) = 1976.
Rashi
"In his house in the wilderness." This means that his house was ownerless, like the wilderness, available to the poor.
Radak
"And Benaiah went up" – he went up to the tent where the Ark and the altar were, for Joab had taken hold of its horns, and it was an elevated place.
"In his house in the wilderness." The term "wilderness" refers to a place where there is no settlement whatsoever. However, the term "wilderness" can also refer to a place that is within a settled area but is not cultivated; it is left for the grazing of livestock, as explained in the Book of Samuel regarding the verse, "passing by the way of the wilderness." Similarly, the meaning of "wilderness" here is a place where he had pasture for his livestock and where he also had a house, and in that very place he was buried. There is a homiletical interpretation: Just as this wilderness is ownerless and available to all, so too was the house of Joab ownerless and available to all, for he was exceedingly generous. Another interpretation: Just as this wilderness is free from stolen property, so too was the house of Joab free from stolen property. Another interpretation: Was he really buried in a wilderness? Rather, since he was killed, the Israelites became like a wilderness.
Ralbag
"And he was buried in his house in the wilderness." This means that he was already buried near his house in the wilderness, which was there; or it intends to say that he was buried in the wilderness, and it was his proper home, for it is not fitting for a man like him to dwell in a city, because he had killed men by trickery and deceit.
Metzudat David
In his house, in the wilderness. In the house that was his in the wilderness, in the place where they pastured his cattle. And our Sages of blessed memory said (Sanhedrin 49a): that his house was ownerless property for the poor, like the wilderness which is ownerless for all.
Malbim
"And he was buried in his house in the wilderness": Abarbanel explains that he had a house in the wilderness to provide sustenance for travelers passing through, and it was a house of charity and kindness, and there he was buried as a remembrance of his righteous deeds.
And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host; and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.
verse value 4917
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 60 letters. The shortest word is "gave" (נָתַ֣ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Jehoiada" (בֶן־יְהוֹיָדָ֛ע, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 95: king, king. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·Zadok" (וְאֶת־צָד֤וֹק). The root נתן appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·gave" (root נתן, 113x in I Kings); "son·of·Jehoiada" (root בין, 107x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'over·the·host', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיִּתֵּ֨ן [and·gave] (466) + הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ [king] (95) + אֶת־בְּנָיָ֧הוּ [Benaiah] (474) + בֶן־יְהוֹיָדָ֛ע [son·of·Jehoiada] (157) + תַּחְתָּ֖יו [in·his·place] (824) + עַל־הַצָּבָ֑א [over·the·host] (198) + וְאֶת־צָד֤וֹק [and·Zadok] (607) + הַכֹּהֵן֙ [priest] (80) + נָתַ֣ן [gave] (500) + הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ [king] (95) + תַּ֖חַת [in·place·of] (808) + אֶבְיָתָֽר [Abiathar] (613) = 4917.
Metzudat David
In place of Abiathar. To serve from now in his place as high priest.
And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him: Build you a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.
verse value 4700
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 64 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֗וֹ) = 36, double chai. Verse gematria: 4700 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֗וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·Jerusalem" (בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "build·for·yourself" (בְּֽנֵה־לְךָ֥), "and·not·go·out" (וְלֹא־תֵצֵ֥א). The root שם appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "house" (root בית, 191x in I Kings). First appearance of the root בנה ("build·for·yourself") in I Kings. First appearance of the root אן ("where?") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'there', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Rashi
"And you shall not go out from there." In order that he be readily available to him, and that he may find a transgression for which he deserves death.
Radak
"Build yourself a house." For his house was in Bahurim, and he commanded him to build himself a house in Jerusalem, as explained, so that it would be ready [available] to him, and he would find a pretext to put him to death.
Metzudat David
In Jerusalem. For until now his house had been in Bahurim.
And you shall dwell there. And his intention was to be available to him, to find a cause for him.
Metzudat Zion
Ana v'ana. Here and there:
Malbim
(36-42) The Questions: From what is written, “You shall not go here and there,” it implies any direction; and from what is written, “On the day of your going out, you shall cross the Kidron Valley,” it implies that he is only warned regarding the side of the Kidron Valley, not regarding another side. And in verse 42, it only cites what is written, “On the day of your going out, you shall go here and there.”
And he said to him, “Build yourself a house.” Behold, this warning was sealed [with the following interpretation]: From what is stated, “Build yourself a house, and you shall dwell there,” it implies that he did not insist strictly except that he establish his residence there. And if he goes out and returns immediately, he is not subject to the warning. And one can say that what is stated, “and you shall not go here and there,” refers to a complete departure, such that he uproots his residence from Jerusalem. However, from what is stated, “and it shall come to pass on the day you go out… you shall die by death,” it implies that immediately on that very day he becomes liable to death, even if he returns there. And from what is stated, “and it shall come to pass on the day you go out and you cross the Kidron Valley,” it implies that he did not insist strictly except if he crosses the Kidron Valley, which was the way one would go to Bahurim (as you will see in 2 Samuel 15:23). But if he went out in another direction, not via the Kidron Valley, he would not die. Yet, from what is stated, “and you shall not go from there here and there,” it implies that he should not go out in any direction. And this depends on the reason for the warning: if it was a form of imprisonment, wherein he was to remain in one place, he is warned not to go out in any direction, but rather to remain in his confinement. And if it was only because they suspected that he would conspire a rebellion among the men of his tribe, he is warned only against going via the Kidron Valley to the men of his tribe, but not against going to any other place where there is no suspicion of rebellion and conspiracy.
For on the day you go out, and pass over the brook Kidron, know you for certain that you shall surely die; your blood shall be upon your own head.’
verse value 4619
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 54 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "that" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·cross·over" (וְעָֽבַרְתָּ֙, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 30: that, it·will·be. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·you·shall·cross·over" (וְעָֽבַרְתָּ֙), "the·brook" (אֶת־נַ֣חַל), "your·blood" (דָּמְךָ֖). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "in·day·of" (root יום, 100x in I Kings); "that" (root כי, 94x in I Kings). First appearance of the root עבר ("and·you·shall·cross·over") in I Kings. First appearance of the root נחל ("the·brook") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·shall·die', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָ֣ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + בְּי֣וֹם [in·day·of] (58) + צֵאתְךָ֗ [your·going·out] (511) + וְעָֽבַרְתָּ֙ [and·you·shall·cross·over] (678) + אֶת־נַ֣חַל [the·brook] (489) + קִדְר֔וֹן [Kidron] (360) + יָדֹ֥עַ [surely] (84) + תֵּדַ֖ע [you·will·know] (474) + כִּ֣י [that] (30) + מ֣וֹת [surely] (446) + תָּמ֑וּת [you·shall·die] (846) + דָּמְךָ֖ [your·blood] (64) + יִהְיֶ֥ה [it·will·be] (30) + בְרֹאשֶֽׁךָ [in·your·head] (523) = 4619.
Metzudat David
The brook Kidron. Which was near Jerusalem, and by way of it people go out from the city.
Your blood. The sin of your death will be upon your head, for it was incumbent upon you to guard yourself.
And Shimei said to the king: ‘The saying is good; as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do.’ And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.
verse value 4141
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 68 letters. The shortest word is "so" (כֵּ֖ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·Jerusalem" (בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 420: Shimei, Shimei. The root שמעי appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "as" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "to·the·king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Your·servant', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Metzudat David
Good is the matter. Meaning: this matter is fitting in itself, and I desire it. And if so, surely I will be careful in the king's matter.
And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying: ‘Behold, your servants are in Gath.’
verse value 4832
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 76 letters. The shortest word is "winepress" (גַּ֑ת, 2 letters) and the longest is "two·servants" (שְׁנֵֽי־עֲבָדִים֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 450: of·Shimei, to·Shimei. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·they·fled" (וַיִּבְרְח֤וּ), "two·servants" (שְׁנֵֽי־עֲבָדִים֙), "son·of·Maacah" (בֶּֽן־מַעֲכָ֖ה). The root שנה appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "saying" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "and·it·was" (root היה, 196x in I Kings). First appearance of the root גת ("winepress") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'winepress', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish, to seek his servants; and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.
verse value 4759
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 65 letters. The shortest word is "to·Gath" (גַּ֙תָה֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "his·servants" (אֶת־עֲבָדָ֑יו, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 493: his·servants, his·servants. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·saddled" (וַֽיַּחֲבֹשׁ֙), "his·ass" (אֶת־חֲמֹר֔וֹ), "to·Gath" (גַּ֙תָה֙). The root שמעי appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·went" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings); "and·brought" (root בוא, 109x in I Kings); "his·servants" (root עבד, 78x in I Kings). First appearance of the root חבש ("and·saddled") in I Kings. First appearance of the root חמור ("his·ass") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·servants', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיָּ֣קׇם [and·arose] (156) + שִׁמְעִ֗י [Shimei] (420) + וַֽיַּחֲבֹשׁ֙ [and·saddled] (326) + אֶת־חֲמֹר֔וֹ [his·ass] (655) + וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ [and·went] (66) + גַּ֙תָה֙ [to·Gath] (408) + אֶל־אָכִ֔ישׁ [to·Achish] (362) + לְבַקֵּ֖שׁ [to·seek] (432) + אֶת־עֲבָדָ֑יו [his·servants] (493) + וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ [and·went] (66) + שִׁמְעִ֔י [Shimei] (420) + וַיָּבֵ֥א [and·brought] (19) + אֶת־עֲבָדָ֖יו [his·servants] (493) + מִגַּֽת [from·Gath] (443) = 4759.
Metzudat David
And he went. In order to go on the donkey to Gath.
To seek. To ask Achish, to return to him his servants.
Metzudat Zion
V'yachbosh. A matter of fitting the saddle, like (II Samuel 17:23) 'he saddled the donkey' (v'yachbosh et ha-chamor):
Malbim
And Shimei arose. Here, Shimei relied on the reasoning that he was only warned against crossing the Kidron Valley due to the suspicion of rebellion, but not against going to Gath, which is west of Jerusalem and among the cities of the nations, where there is no suspicion of rebellion. This is especially so since it was known that his departure was compelled by force, in order to seek his servants. And this is what the verse states: 1. "And he went to Gath," and he reasoned that regarding this he was not warned; 2. "That he went to Achish, not to his own people"; 3. "That he went to seek his servants," and it was evident that he did not go to conspire; 4. "And Shimei went and brought his servants"—thus he went and returned immediately, and did not transgress the commandment that he was ordered to dwell in Jerusalem.
And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come back.
verse value 2280
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "winepress" (גַּ֖ת, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·Jerusalem" (מִירוּשָׁלִַ֛ם, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "that·he·went" (כִּי־הָלַ֨ךְ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "that·he·went" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings); "and·returned" (root שוב, 61x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Solomon', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיֻּגַּ֖ד [and·it·was·told] (23) + לִשְׁלֹמֹ֑ה [to·Solomon] (405) + כִּי־הָלַ֨ךְ [that·he·went] (85) + שִׁמְעִ֧י [Shimei] (420) + מִירוּשָׁלִַ֛ם [from·Jerusalem] (626) + גַּ֖ת [winepress] (403) + וַיָּשֹֽׁב [and·returned] (318) = 2280.
And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him: ‘Did I not make you to swear by Hashem, and forewarned you, saying: Know for certain, that on the day you go out, and walk abroad any whither, you shall surely die? and you said to me: The saying is good; I have heard it.
verse value 7535
Insights
Verse structure: 27 words, 109 letters. The shortest word is "against·you" (בְּךָ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·made·you·swear" (הִשְׁבַּעְתִּ֣יךָ, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "I·made·you·swear" (הִשְׁבַּעְתִּ֣יךָ), "and·I·warned" (וָאָעִ֤ד). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 21 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "by·Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·shall·die', dividing the verse into phrases of 22 and 5 words.
Rashi
"And I warned you." This is language of forewarning.
Radak
"Have I not made you swear?" Although the oath was not explicitly mentioned above, and only a warning was issued to him, it appears that he was made to swear after this was said to him, and he did not deny it. And my father, of blessed memory, explained that the king's command is akin to an oath, as it is stated: "I [say]: Keep the king's order, because of the oath of God" [Ecclesiastes 8:2].
"And I have testified against you" — namely, I did not command you in a manner that would allow you to deny the matter, but rather I said this thing to you in the presence of others, and I made you swear by God, blessed be He, and you accepted the commandment and the oath, and you said, "The thing is good." And now you have transgressed two things: the oath of God, and the commandment which I commanded you.
Metzudat David
I made you swear. For Solomon made him swear on this matter, and although it was not mentioned.
And I warned. Meaning: I warned you to be careful in the matter. And on account of that the way of the one who warns is to warn with witnesses, he said in the language 'and I warned.'
And you said. You said then that the matter is also proper in my eyes, and I am not coerced in it. And I heard it, meaning: I accept the matter by oath.
Malbim
And he said to him, "Did I not make you swear by the Lord?" He replied to him, "Did you not swear by the Lord? You should have scrutinized [the matter] carefully and not sought to find ways to permit [the violation] through doubt. For behold, 'I warned you: on the day you go out and wander here and there, you shall surely die.' This means that from what I said, 'On the day you go out, you shall surely die,' it is clear that the warning applied even to a temporary departure. And from what was stated, 'And you wander here and there,' it is clear that the warning applied even to another direction and another place. Yet you said, 'The thing is good, I have heard' — and you accepted the oath as it was according to my intention. You should have been mindful of the severity of the oath, and not gone out even to Gath, even for a short time."
Why then have you not kept the oath of Hashem, and the commandment that I have charged you with?’
verse value 3996
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3996 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·the·commandment" (וְאֶת־הַמִּצְוָ֖ה, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·the·commandment" (וְאֶת־הַמִּצְוָ֖ה), "that·I·charged" (אֲשֶׁר־צִוִּ֥יתִי). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·I·charged" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "upon·you" (root על, 127x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words.
Rashi
The oath of the Lord, by which I made you swear by the Lord:
Metzudat David
And why. And if indeed you accepted upon yourself willingly by oath, why did you not keep?
The king said moreover to Shimei: ‘You know all the wickedness which your heart is privy to, that you did to David my father; therefore Hashem shall return your wickedness upon your own head.
verse value 6364
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 74 letters. Notable word values: "my·father" (אָבִ֑י) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). Verse gematria: 6364 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "you" (אַתָּ֤ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Shimei" (אֶל־שִׁמְעִ֗י, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: which, that. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "to·Shimei" (אֶל־שִׁמְעִ֗י), "your·heart" (לְבָ֣בְךָ֔), "your·wickedness" (אֶת־רָעָתְךָ֖). The root ידע appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·father', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 4 words.
Radak
“Which your heart knows.” Even though many saw and heard what you did to David my father, you yourself know your evil thoughts that you harbored against him more than what you said with your mouth.
And the Lord will return your evil upon you. For the cause was from Him, as it is written, "And God caused it to come to his hand" [Exodus 21:13], because you were liable to death for your cursing of David my father, and he swore to you that he would not put you to death; [so] God brought it about through your own hand. Another interpretation: you are liable to death on his account, namely the transgression of the oath of the LORD and of the commandment I commanded you.
Ralbag
And the king said to Shimei, “You know all the evil...” Now, the king said this because perhaps those who see it would accuse him of putting him to death without a proper cause for which he could be blamed. Therefore, he explained to him that from another perspective he deserved to be put to death, namely, because he cursed and reviled David; for had it not been for this, he would not have punished him with death for leaving Jerusalem. However, through this stratagem, he found a basis to judge him as a rebel, thereby collecting his debt from those curses that he had hurled at King David.
Metzudat David
You know. As though saying: I will tell you what caused this folly, and it is the matter that you know. And since he did not desire to bring forth with his lips the curses that he cursed, he said: what your heart knows that you did to my father. And on account of the punishment of this sin, this folly came to you.
And the Lord shall return. Although my father David did not return your evil reward upon your head, behold the Lord has returned, for you acted foolishly, so that you would be put to death.
Malbim
“You knew all the evil that was in your heart” means that when he cursed David, he could have claimed that he acted unintentionally, reasoning that David was pursued because of his sins and that God had abandoned him. However, the fact that the Lord brought it about that you would transgress the oath and die at the hands of his [David's] son, this is proof that your heart knew of the evil. This means that the act was not unintentional and done without knowledge; rather, your heart knew at that time that you were doing evil and that you acted deliberately. Therefore, “the Lord will return your evil upon your own head.”
But king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before Hashem for ever.’
verse value 1377
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 42 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "David" (דָוִ֗ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "until·forever" (עַד־עוֹלָֽם, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "throne" (וְכִסֵּ֣א), "established" (נָכ֛וֹן). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·the·king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "it·will·be" (root היה, 196x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'blessed', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְהַמֶּ֥לֶךְ [and·the·king] (101) + שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה [Solomon] (375) + בָּר֑וּךְ [blessed] (228) + וְכִסֵּ֣א [throne] (87) + דָוִ֗ד [David] (14) + יִהְיֶ֥ה [it·will·be] (30) + נָכ֛וֹן [established] (126) + לִפְנֵ֥י [to·face·of] (170) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + עַד־עוֹלָֽם [until·forever] (220) = 1377.
Metzudat David
And King Solomon shall be blessed. Meaning: all will bless him, upon seeing that he did not show favor to his friend and teacher, in desecrating the oath of the Lord.
And the throne of David shall be established. For the oath of David has been fulfilled, for he was not killed on his account.
Metzudat Zion
Nechon. Prepared:
Malbim
And King Solomon is blessed, and it will not be counted against him as a sin for having caused you this stumbling block, for it is from the Lord, by means of your iniquity. And this is proof that the throne of David will be established forever, since the Lord has contended the case of his [David's] reproach.
So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out, and fell upon him, so that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
verse value 2246
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 57 letters. The shortest word is "and·commanded" (וַיְצַ֣ו, 4 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Jehoiada" (בֶּן־יְה֣וֹיָדָ֔ע, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·the·kingdom" (וְהַמַּמְלָכָ֥ה), "was·established" (נָכ֖וֹנָה), "in·hand·of·Solomon" (בְּיַד־שְׁלֹמֹֽה). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "in·hand·of·Solomon" (root שלמה, 162x in I Kings); "son·of·Jehoiada" (root בין, 107x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·he·died', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיְצַ֣ו [and·commanded] (112) + הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ [king] (95) + אֶת־בְּנָיָ֙הוּ֙ [Benaiah] (474) + בֶּן־יְה֣וֹיָדָ֔ע [son·of·Jehoiada] (157) + וַיֵּצֵ֕א [and·he·went·out] (107) + וַיִּפְגַּע־בּ֖וֹ [and·he·fell·upon·him] (177) + וַיָּמֹ֑ת [and·he·died] (456) + וְהַמַּמְלָכָ֥ה [and·the·kingdom] (146) + נָכ֖וֹנָה [was·established] (131) + בְּיַד־שְׁלֹמֹֽה [in·hand·of·Solomon] (391) = 2246.
Rashi
"And the kingdom was established, etc." That is to say, he was not punished for all these things.
Radak
And he went out. Benaiah went out from before the king and brought Shimei out with him to the place of judgment, and there he struck him down.
"The kingdom was firmly established in the hands of Solomon." As soon as his enemies died, the kingdom was firmly established in the hands of Solomon.
Ralbag
And the kingdom was firmly established in the hand of Solomon. This teaches that prior to this, it was not firmly established in his hand, because perhaps those whom he had killed—Adonijah, Joab, and Shimei—might have caused what was necessary for the Satan to accuse him, for they were detestable in his eyes. But after this, he had no fear of any such matter. The explanation of what requires explanation in this passage, which we have illuminated in this place, is as follows. However, the benefits derived from it are these:
The first is in matters of character traits, and it is to inform us that when necessity arises to do a deed that brings shame, it is fitting that it be done in a manner that removes the shame while the benefit remains. For this reason, you will find that when the necessity arose for King David to become warm by lying with Abishag in his lap, and there was shame in this for her and for him, because it was known that she entered to lie in his lap, they devised a plan and appointed her as a stewardess. For by this, the matter of her entering there would be concealed as to why and for what purpose it was, for those who saw would assume that she entered to inspect the matter assigned to her by the king.
The second is to inform us of the righteousness of David. Because he could no longer increase his wives, since he had already taken as many as were permissible to him according to Torah custom, he did not know Abishag carnally, even though she lay in his lap, after it was impossible for him to take her as a wife. This indicates that he had repented to the utmost of the sin of Bathsheba, and thus he reached the level of abstinence to this wonderful degree, where he would see something with his eyes and from there not eat.
The third is in matters of character traits, and it is to inform us that it is fitting for everyone to pay attention to the moral instruction of his son and not restrain him from any matter. See, did not Adonijah lack the moral instruction of his father, and therefore he behaved according to the inferior customs of Absalom? And this was the cause that he rebelled against his father to take the kingdom without his counsel and desire, and from this followed his death, just as happened to Absalom because of his bad behavior. And you will understand the evil of his character traits from the fact that he sought Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, to desire her because of her beauty.
The fourth is to inform us that if the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor. And in general, whoever intends to oppose the intention of God, blessed be He, his thought will not benefit him in this, but rather it will cause the will of the Exalted One to be fulfilled in a more complete manner. See, because the kingdom was for Solomon from the Lord, as the prophet Nathan told David, it did not benefit Adonijah that he devised wisdom to oppose that intention by winning the hearts of the great men of the people, who ought to have agreed with him, such as Joab and Abiathar. But this was the cause that the word of the Lord would come to Solomon in a more complete manner, such that no opposition would be possible with it. And this is that all the heads, who have a role in the selection of the king, anointed him, and he sat on the throne of David during his lifetime. For this is what removed from Solomon all dispute regarding the matter of the kingdom.
The fifth is to inform us that the merit of a person is not derived from beauty, and he has no mark at all in it. For this reason, you will see that although Adonijah was very handsome in appearance, God, blessed be He, did not choose him, just as He did not choose his brother Absalom. For this reason, God, blessed be He, said to Samuel: "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him." Rather, Solomon was chosen because he was wise, as is explained from the words of David when he said to him: "You are a wise man, and you shall do according to your wisdom," for a king will reign by wisdom, not by his beauty.
The sixth is to inform us that God, blessed be He, orchestrates causes to bring upon the doer of evil according to his evil. For this reason, He caused Joab and Abiathar to be with Adonijah, in order to return upon the head of Joab the blood of the men whom he killed by trickery and deceit, and to return upon the house of Eli what God, blessed be He, had decreed for him because of the sin of his sons against Him.
The seventh is to inform us that it is fitting for one who strives for a certain matter to devise its attainment through all suitable causes, in a manner that it is possible for him to achieve his desire. For this reason, you will find that because the prophet Nathan could not complain greatly about the matter of Adonijah's kingship, because it did not concern him directly, it was not fitting for him to complain about this, despite the silence of Bathsheba and Solomon, who were concerned with the matter. And although this already brought weakness to the matter of his prophecy—that the kingdom would be for Solomon—and if he were to strive for the attainment of the kingdom, it would bring suspicion into the heart of King David, namely, that he would suspect him that he told him that matter from his own heart and not by prophecy. For this reason, he strives for its attainment, because this matter is not the way of a prophet, as it is said: "He shall not lift up his voice or cause his voice to be heard in the street; he shall bring forth judgment." And for this reason, He caused Bathsheba to complain about the removal of the kingdom from Solomon, as David had sworn to her. And she showed with this, in her words, that the heart of Adonijah was to kill him, and for this reason he did not call him to the feast which he made, but called all the sons of the king. And after this, the prophet Nathan came to add strength and permanence to her words, and he recounted the matters in the manner that Bathsheba had recounted them, and he complained before the king. If this matter was in his command to strive so that he would not inform the king of it, because he had no other matter to complain about. And for this reason, the matter did not come to fulfillment that Solomon would reign after him, except through Bathsheba. And it was a manner of wisdom in this striving that immediately after the prophet Nathan entered, Bathsheba went out, so that it would not appear that the two of them had agreed on this matter, for this is what would weaken the strength that was in the words of the prophet Nathan regarding the words of Bathsheba.
The eighth is to inform us that the anointing of the king ought to be at the spring, by the hand of the High Priest or a prophet, or by the hand of the Sanhedrin, for these are those from whom it can be said regarding whom they choose that the Lord has chosen him. And behold, the Torah commanded that the selection of the king be in this manner, as is explained in the Torah in the portion of Shoftim (Judges).
The ninth is to inform us that it is not fitting for a good man to refrain from announcing bad tidings when it is possible to take counsel regarding them, for from this side, this matter will produce good. For this reason, you will find that Jonathan son of Abiathar did not refrain from telling the truth in this matter to Adonijah, and even though it was bad tidings for all the men who were there, for this is what would permit them to take counsel to save their lives. And for this reason, he recounted in completeness all the events in it, so that it would be verified for them that there is no answer to what was done in the anointing of Solomon, for this is what would bring them to not take lightly this matter in taking counsel to save their lives from the hand of Solomon, for against him was everything done.
The tenth is that when a person fears a certain matter, it is not fitting to wait on it at all. For this reason, you will find that Adonijah immediately strove to know if the desire of Solomon was to kill him. And for this reason, he placed himself in a place where he had no fear that he would kill him there, for that place was a refuge for him, and it is the altar, which is for refuge, as is explained in the Torah. And at that time also it was a time of favor, for there was then much joy for Solomon in what he had attained of the kingdom, and perhaps for this reason he would be appeased then more to forgive Adonijah. And behold, he attained then from this what was fitting for him to attain, and this is that he had already forgiven him for what was done, on the condition that he guard in the future that no evil be found in him. For then he would return to his head what he did from this, for in this he showed his heart to oppress the kingdom from Solomon. And for this reason, with a little that he would do of evil, which would show that he is drawn to this thought, he would be punished then in this deed, because of the consideration of his intention in what he would do afterwards.
The eleventh is in matters of character traits, and it is to inform us that it is fitting for everyone to command those who are accustomed to him at the time of his death, and guide them to the good according to what is possible, for then his moral instruction will cease from him in the future. And for this reason, it is fitting that he strive then to acquire for them from the moral instruction what will suffice for them after his death. And for this reason, you will find that David, when his days drew near to death, commanded his son Solomon to guard the charge of the Torah, to be his eyes and his heart always in all its parts, for in this the Divine Providence will cling to him, and he will succeed in all his deeds and in all that turns to him. And in this, the kingdom continued for him and for his seed. And for this reason, he drew his heart greatly in this commandment to behave in the ways of the Torah, so that he would strengthen in it. And so we found that Moses and Joshua did, namely, that they admonished Israel and commanded them to guard the Torah close to their death more than they commanded them before their death.
The twelfth is to inform us that it is fitting to strive in all ways to judge the doer of evil according to his wickedness, to eradicate the evil from the land, for in this the rest of the men will be corrected. And for this reason, it is also fitting to reward good to those who have done good. And for this reason, it is recounted that David commanded Solomon to do the matter with wisdom, in a manner that he would find a place to return to Joab and Shimei what is fitting for them from evil, in a way that he would bring down their gray heads to Sheol in blood, and that he would return kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, as they had rewarded him when he fled from Absalom.
The thirteenth is in matters of commandments, and it is to inform us that there is for the king to punish those worthy of punishment more than what follows from the words of the Torah. And for this reason, you will find that Solomon killed Joab, and if he was not subject to death according to the judgments of the Torah, because there was no warning there, and he killed him in a place where he was not fitting to be killed, and that is while he was holding onto the horns of the altar. For the Torah did not insist there, as it is said: "From my altar you shall take him to die." And in this we found in David that he killed men because of the confession of their mouths, who were not worthy of judgment according to the judgments of the Torah.
The fourteenth is to inform us that Solomon had already hastened to fulfill the commandment of his father regarding Joab and Shimei. And it was his wisdom that he commanded Shimei a matter that he did not perceive would be very intended by the king. And the king informed him that this caused his death because of what he had done of evil to David. And Solomon found in this a place to collect his debt, although this was from what would be explained from him that it was fitting for the king to command him this, for perhaps if he would go out from there, he would strive to turn the heart of the people away from the king, for he was unfaithful to the king, as will be seen from his words to David when he fled from his son Absalom.
Metzudat David
And the kingdom was established. Meaning: although he killed commanders and notable men like these, despite all this the kingdom was established in his hand, without one opening his mouth or whistling; for they saw that all his deeds were in justice.
Malbim
The questions: Why is it repeated a second time, “and the kingdom was firmly established in the hand of Solomon,” when it was already stated above in verse 12, “and his kingdom was greatly established”?
“And the king commanded” – by this, he fulfilled his father’s commandment, which was hinted at in what was said, “You shall know what you shall do to him.” The verse testifies that until now, there were slanderers against his kingdom, for indeed Joab and Abiathar plotted evil on behalf of Adonijah, and Shimei sowed strife on behalf of the Benjaminites. Now, with their deaths, the kingdom is established. There is a distinction between *malkhut* (kingship) and *mamlekhet* (kingdom/state): the term *malkhut* refers to the aspect of the king himself, and from this perspective it was already written, “His kingship was established greatly.” But the term *mamlekhet* refers to the state, and in the state there were still disturbances. Now, the kingdom is established in his hand, with no adversary or evil harm.
Radak
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Malbim