Melachim, Part 3- Shlomo's Consolidation

This is part 3 (or 4, including the introduction) of my Melachim series. Please read the other sheets as well!

To recap: Two powerful coalitions were created towards the end of David's reign. One was trying to appoint Adoniah as David's successor, while the other chose Shlomo. David made a decision to support Shlomo, and in chapter 1 of Melachim, he is crowned as the heir to throne.

מלכים א ב׳:י׳-י״ב

(י) וַיִּשְׁכַּב דָּוִד עִם אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקָּבֵר בְּעִיר דָּוִד. (יא) וְהַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ דָּוִד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה בְּחֶבְרוֹן מָלַךְ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וּבִירוּשָׁלַ‍ִם מָלַךְ שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים. (יב) וּשְׁלֹמֹה יָשַׁב עַל כִּסֵּא דָּוִד אָבִיו וַתִּכֹּן מַלְכֻתוֹ מְאֹד.

I Kings 2:10-12

(10) And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. (11) 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. (12) And Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established firmly.

Shlomo begins his reign. His kingdom is established firmly... until the old coalition begins to rise again.

מלכים א ב׳:י״ז-כ״ב

(יז) וַיֹּאמֶר אִמְרִי נָא לִשְׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי לֹא יָשִׁיב אֶת פָּנָיִךְ וְיִתֶּן לִי אֶת אֲבִישַׁג הַשּׁוּנַמִּית לְאִשָּׁה.

(כב) וַיַּעַן הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה וַיֹּאמֶר לְאִמּוֹ וְלָמָה אַתְּ שֹׁאֶלֶת אֶת אֲבִישַׁג הַשֻּׁנַמִּית לַאֲדֹנִיָּהוּ וְשַׁאֲלִי לוֹ אֶת הַמְּלוּכָה כִּי הוּא אָחִי הַגָּדוֹל מִמֶּנִּי וְלוֹ וּלְאֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֵן וּלְיוֹאָב בֶּן צְרוּיָה.

I Kings 2:17-22

(17) And he said: ‘Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king—for he will not say thee nay—that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.’

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

At first, it seems that the king is overreacting. Shlomo's reaction, however, can be explained with a few stories.

בראשית ל״ה:כ״ב-כ״ג

(כב) וַיְהִ֗י בִּשְׁכֹּ֤ן יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַהִ֔וא וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ רְאוּבֵ֔ן וַיִּשְׁכַּ֕ב֙ אֶת־בִּלְהָ֖ה֙ פִּילֶ֣גֶשׁ אָבִ֑֔יו וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵֽ֑ל וַיִּֽהְי֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יַעֲקֹ֖ב שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃ (כג) בְּנֵ֣י לֵאָ֔ה בְּכ֥וֹר יַעֲקֹ֖ב רְאוּבֵ֑ן וְשִׁמְעוֹן֙ וְלֵוִ֣י וִֽיהוּדָ֔ה וְיִשָּׂשכָ֖ר וּזְבוּלֻֽן׃

Genesis 35:22-23

(22) And it came to pass, while Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: (23) the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob’s first-born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun;

Reuven violates his father's wife to show that he is bechor Ya'akov, the leading son of Jacob.

שמואל ב ט״ז:כ״א-כ״ב

(כא) וַיֹּאמֶר אֲחִיתֹפֶל אֶל אַבְשָׁלֹם בּוֹא אֶל פִּלַגְשֵׁי אָבִיךָ אֲשֶׁר הִנִּיחַ לִשְׁמוֹר הַבָּיִת וְשָׁמַע כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי נִבְאַשְׁתָּ אֶת אָבִיךָ וְחָזְקוּ יְדֵי כָּל אֲשֶׁר אִתָּךְ. (כב) וַיַּטּוּ לְאַבְשָׁלוֹם הָאֹהֶל עַל הַגָּג וַיָּבֹא אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶל פִּלַגְשֵׁי אָבִיו לְעֵינֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל.

II Samuel 16:21-22

(21) And Ahithophel said unto Absalom: ‘Go in unto thy father’s concubines, that he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that thou art abhorred of thy father; then will the hands of all that are with thee be strong.’ (22) So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.—

Avshalom's behavior was a ploy to be recognized as the successor of his father. He wanted to show that he had complete control over David's kingdom. What better way to do that than to emphasize his control over David's wives?

Shlomo clearly reads Adoniah behavior in the same fashion. He realizes that the old followers of Adoniah may start a rebellion. To counteract this uprising before it starts, Shlomo orders a flurry of punishments:

מלכים א ב׳:כ״ד-כ״ה

(כד) וְעַתָּה חַי יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר הֱכִינַנִי ויושיביני [וַיּוֹשִׁיבַנִי] עַל כִּסֵּא דָּוִד אָבִי וַאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לִי בַּיִת כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר כִּי הַיּוֹם יוּמַת אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ. (כה) וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה בְּיַד בְּנָיָהוּ בֶן יְהוֹיָדָע וַיִּפְגַּע בּוֹ וַיָּמֹת.

I Kings 2:24-25

(24) Now therefore as the LORD liveth, who hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me a house, as He promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death this day.’ (25) And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him, so that he died.

First Adoniah is killed...

מלכים א ב׳:כ״ח-כ״ט

(כח) וְהַשְּׁמֻעָה בָּאָה עַד יוֹאָב כִּי יוֹאָב נָטָה אַחֲרֵי אֲדֹנִיָּה וְאַחֲרֵי אַבְשָׁלוֹם לֹא נָטָה וַיָּנָס יוֹאָב אֶל אֹהֶל יְהוָה וַיַּחֲזֵק בְּקַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. (כט) וַיֻּגַּד לַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה כִּי נָס יוֹאָב אֶל אֹהֶל יְהוָה וְהִנֵּה אֵצֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיִּשְׁלַח שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת בְּנָיָהוּ בֶן יְהוֹיָדָע לֵאמֹר לֵךְ פְּגַע בּוֹ.

I Kings 2:28-29

(28) And the tidings came to Joab; for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the Tent of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. (29) And it was told king Solomon: ‘Joab is fled unto the Tent of the LORD, and, behold, he is by the altar.’ Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying: ‘Go, fall upon him.’

Then Yoav is punished for his support of Adoniah...

מלכים א ב׳:כ״ו

(כו) וּלְאֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֵן אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ עֲנָתֹת לֵךְ עַל שָׂדֶיךָ כִּי אִישׁ מָוֶת אָתָּה וּבַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לֹא אֲמִיתֶךָ כִּי נָשָׂאתָ אֶת אֲרוֹן אֲדֹנָי יְהֹוִה לִפְנֵי דָּוִד אָבִי וְכִי הִתְעַנִּיתָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר הִתְעַנָּה אָבִי.

I Kings 2:26

(26) And unto Abiathar the priest said the king: ‘Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art deserving of death; but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou didst bear the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.’

מלכים א ד׳:א׳-ב׳

(א) וַיְהִי הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה מֶלֶךְ עַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל.

(ד) וּבְנָיָהוּ בֶן יְהוֹיָדָע עַל הַצָּבָא וְצָדוֹק וְאֶבְיָתָר כֹּהֲנִים.

I Kings 4:1-2

(1) And king Solomon was king over all Israel.

(4) and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

Evyatar is exiled to Anatot, banished from the capital city, until the dust clears. Once the rebellion is nipped in the bud, however, he is allowed to enter Jerusalem again.

מלכים א ב׳:ל״ו

(לו) וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּקְרָא לְשִׁמְעִי וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ בְּנֵה לְךָ בַיִת בִּירוּשָׁלַ‍ִם וְיָשַׁבְתָּ שָׁם וְלֹא תֵצֵא מִשָּׁם אָנֶה וָאָנָה.

I Kings 2:36

(36) And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him: Build thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.

Shimei was an enemy of David. He lives in the territory of Benjamin, and Shlomo quickly realizes that it is too dangerous to let him talk with Evyatar. So, Shlomo forces him to move to the capital, and then places him under house arrest.

מלכים א ב׳:מ״ו

(מו) וַיְצַו הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת בְּנָיָהוּ בֶּן יְהוֹיָדָע וַיֵּצֵא וַיִּפְגַּע בּוֹ וַיָּמֹת וְהַמַּמְלָכָה נָכוֹנָה בְּיַד שְׁלֹמֹה.

I Kings 2:46

(46) 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.

After all the executions of insubordinate officials, Shlomo's kingdom is finally secure.

Thanks for reading!

This was the last installment of Unit A in my Melachim series, which over the course of four source sheets talked about the succession crisis at the end of David's rule. Look for a new sheet starting Unit B!