Adoniah

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The Struggle for the Throne

TANAKH

Adoniah's self-proclamation as king and the political maneuvers he undertook provide a dramatic and insightful look into the complexities of succession and power struggles in ancient Israel. The first chapter of Kings I details Adoniah's attempt to seize the throne, the strategic opposition from key figures like Nathan and Bathsheba, and the eventual securing of Solomon's kingship.

Now Adonijah son of Haggith went about boasting, “I will be king!” He provided himself with chariots and horses, and an escort of fifty outrunners. His father had never scolded him: “Why did you do that?” He was the one born after Absalom and, like him, was very handsome. He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with the priest Abiathar, and they supported Adonijah; but the priest Zadok, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the prophet Nathan, Shimei and Rei, and David’s own warriors did not side with Adonijah. …

I Kings 1:5-13

Eliminating Disruption

TALMUD

The rabbis discuss the ethical implications of eliminating disruptive individuals by using the example of Adoniah's death. The Jerusalem Talmud, an ancient corpus of law, ethics, and stories from the land of Israel, explores this complex ethical issue.

Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Jonathan: One may calumniate disruptive persons. What is the reason? (1K. 1:14) “I shall come after you and confirm your words.” Rebbi Zeïra asked before Rebbi Yasa: Why was Adoniah ben Ḥaggit killed? Because he asked for Avishag of Shunem? He said to him, they were looking for a pretext to proscribe the lives of disruptive persons.

Jerusalem Talmud Peah 1:1:43

Divine Will and Leadership

CHASIDUT

Adoniah believed that his desire for Avishag and his claim to the throne were divinely ordained, driven by a sense of righteousness and divine will. Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica, in his Chasidic commentary Mei HaShiloach, offers a mystical interpretation of Adoniah's actions and motivations.

“Then Adoniya son of Chagit elevated himself to say, I will rule ….” (Melachim 1, 1:5)
Adoniya was truly a righteous man, clean of all strange lusts, sure of himself that he was clean and refined of anything vile. Then when his heart was aroused to take Avishag the Shunamite he assumed that it was surely from God’s will that the kingdom was his, and with it her. From this, he exalted himself in saying, “I will rule.” Therefore when it was sent to Shlomo haMelech to give Avishag to Adoniya, Shlomo had understood in his wisdom that surely Adoniya would not harbor any strange lusts…

Mei HaShiloach, Volume I, Prophets, I Kings 1:1

Yoav's Rebellion Against Solomon

TALMUD

Yoav's support for Adoniah was a direct challenge to Solomon's rightful kingship. The Talmudic tractate Sanhedrin discusses Yoav's rebellion and his subsequent attempt to seek refuge by holding the horns of the altar.

Solomon continued: Rather, the opposite is true. That man, you, Joab, rebelled against the king, as it is written: “Then tidings came to Joab, for Joab had followed after Adonijah, though he had not followed after Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of the Lord and caught hold of the horns of the altar” (I Kings 2:28). Joab followed Adonijah, thereby rebelling against Solomon, the lawful king.

Sanhedrin 49a:7

Bat-Sheva's Ambiguous Intercession

COMMENTARY

Batsheva's motivations in interceding for Adoniah are ambiguous, raising questions about her intentions and awareness of Solomon's likely reaction. Everett Fox provides essential context for understanding the early monarchy in Israel.

In the subsequent action, Bat-Sheva once again appears, and, as Walsh notes, we may wonder about her motivations in interceding for Adoniyyahu. Is she trying to bring about reconciliation between the brothers, or is she, like the audience, fully aware of how Shelomo will react to his brother’s request?

The Early Prophets, by Everett Fox, Kings, Part I; Shelomo and His Kingdom, Settling Scores, Securing the Throne 4

Seeking Sanctuary at the Altar

COMMENTARY

Adoniah believed that holding onto the horns of the altar would protect him from being killed by Solomon. Ralbag, a 14th-century rationalist commentator, explores the ancient practice of seeking sanctuary at the altar, rooted in Jewish law.

and caught hold of the horns of the altar: It was already explained in Torah that the altar shelters only if a murderer who killed with malice and cunning comes there. Thus Adonijah came there because there he would not fear that Solomon would kill him, and the place would be a shelter for him until Solomon the king should promise not to put him to death.

Ralbag on I Kings 1:50:1

The Crown That Didn't Fit

MIDRASH

Adoniah's failure to fit into King David's crown symbolizes his illegitimacy as a ruler. Louis Ginzberg’s early 20th-century compilation, Legends of the Jews, recounts the story of Adoniah and the divine legitimacy of kingship in the Davidic line.

Among the sons of David, Adonijah, the son of Haggith, must be mentioned particularly, the pretender to the throne. The fifty men whom he prepared to run before him had fitted themselves for the place of heralds by cutting out their spleen and the flesh of the soles of their feet. That Adonijah was not designated for the royal dignity, was made manifest by the fact that the crown of David did not fit him. This crown had the remarkable peculiarity of always fitting the legitimate king of the house of David.

Legends of the Jews 4:4:88

Battle for Israel's Crown

SECOND TEMPLE

Adoniah's attempt to claim the throne of Israel is a dramatic and pivotal moment in Jewish history, filled with political intrigue and strategic maneuvers. Josephus, a 1st-century Jewish historian, provides a detailed account of these events, including the roles of key figures like Nathan and Bathsheba in securing Solomon's kingship.

4. Now the fourth son of David was a beautiful young man, and tall, born to him of Haggith his wife. He was named Adonijah, and was in his disposition like to Absalom; and exalted himself as hoping to be king, and told his friends that he ought to take the government upon him. He also prepared many chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. When his father saw this, he did not reprove him, nor restrain him from his purpose, nor did he go so far as to ask wherefore he did so. Now Adonijah had for his assistants Joab the captain of the army, and Abiathar the high priest…

The Antiquities of the Jews 7:14:4

The Turbulent Rise of King Solomon

COMMENTARY

The early years of King Solomon's reign were marked by significant political instability and threats from powerful figures. This contemporary study delves into the challenges Solomon faced from his brother Adoniah and other influential adversaries, providing both classical and new insights.

However, even a brief familiarity with the first two chapters of Sefer Melachim makes the four year delay very understandable. The first few years of Shlomo HaMelech’s reign are quite unstable and chaotic. David HaMelech’s son Adoniyahu vies and angles for the kingdom, even after David HaMelech explicitly designates Shlomo as his successor. Adoniyahu is supported by very powerful forces: Yoav ben Tzeruyah (the head of the army) and Evyatar the Kohein Gadol. Shimi ben Geira, a remnant of supporters of Sha’ul HaMelech, still poses a threat.

From David to Destruction, The Rise and Fall of Shlomo HaMelech, Bad Bamot 8

The Perils of Unfit Desires

TALMUD

Adoniah, like other biblical figures, desired something unfit for him and lost what he already had. The talmudic tractate Sotah discusses the consequences of desiring inappropriate things through the stories of various biblical figures.

The baraita continues: And so we found with regard to Cain, who desired to inherit the whole world alone (see Genesis 4); and Korah, who desired the priesthood (see Numbers 16); and Balaam, who desired Balak’s money (see Numbers 22); and Doeg, who was jealous of David (see I Samuel 21–22); and Ahithophel, who was also jealous of David (see II Samuel 16); and Gehazi, who took Naaman’s money (see II Kings 5); and Absalom, who wanted the kingdom (see II Samuel 15); and Adonijah, who also wanted the kingdom (see I Kings 1)…

Sotah 9b:3

Sanctuary and Power Struggles

COMMENTARY

Yoav's desperate attempt to seek refuge at the altar highlights the intense political intrigue and power struggles during the transition from King David to Solomon. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's modern translation and commentary on the Hebrew Bible provides a clear and engaging account of this dramatic moment.

The tidings about what had happened to Adoniya and Evyatar came to Yoav, as Yoav had inclined after Adoniya, although he had not inclined after Avshalom. In any case, when Yoav heard of Adoniya’s fate, he acted to save himself: Yoav fled to the Tent of the Lord and grasped the horns of the altar seeking refuge.

Steinsaltz on I Kings 2:28

Bathsheba's Bold Move

COMMENTARY

Bathsheva's boldness and direct appeal to King David ensured Solomon's succession to the throne. Tze'enah Ure'enah, a 16th-century Yiddish commentary, provides a unique perspective on Bathsheva's pivotal role in this biblical narrative.

“And Bathsheba came to the king in his chamber, etc.” [1:15]. Bathsheba came to the king in his chamber where Abishag the beautiful maiden was lying with David in one bed. The verse teaches us that nobody had permission to enter the room where David lay with Abishag. However, because Bathsheba was a queen, she went in without permission and did not fear to enter the chamber. Bathsheba bowed to the king. The king said to her: what do you desire? She said: my lord king…

Tze'enah Ure'enah, Haftarot, Chayei Sarah 10

Lessons from Royal Downfall

MIDRASH

Adoniah's downfall is attributed to King David's failure to discipline him, mirroring the fate of his brother Absalom. The Midrash Tanchuma uses the stories of King David's sons to illustrate the consequences of parental leniency.

David behaved similarly toward Adonijah. Because he did not reproach him or punish him he went astray, as it is written: And his father had not grieved him all his life in saying: “Why hast thou done so?” … and he was born after Absalom (I Kings 1:6). Was not Absalom actually the son of Micah, and Adonijah the son of Haggith? Why, then, does it say: And he was born after Absalom? To teach us that just as Absalom went astray because his father failed to chastise him, so did Adonijah…

Midrash Tanchuma, Shemot 1:8

The Necessity of Anointing Kings

HALAKHAH

In times of dispute or civil war, anointing a king is crucial to ensure the ruler's legitimacy and resolve any disagreements. Maimonides' Mishneh Torah, a 12th-century comprehensive code of Jewish law, discusses the protocol for anointing kings, using Solomon's anointment due to Adoniah's claim as a key example.

A son who succeeds his father as king is not anointed unless he assumes his position amid a dispute over the inheritance or during a civil war. Under these circumstances, he should be anointed in order to remove all disagreement.
Therefore, they anointed Solomon because of the claim of Adoniyahu, Jehoash, because of the usurpation of Atalyah, and Jehoachaz, because of [the claim of his brother, Jehoyakim.

Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 1:12

The Challenge of Adoniah

COMMENTARY

The transition of kingship from David to Solomon was fraught with challenges, particularly from Adoniah. Isaac Abarbanel, a 15th-century Jewish commentator, delves into King David's decisions and commands regarding Solomon's succession.

The first topic retells how David made Shlomo his son king during his life because of the matter of Adoniyahu and what he [ David] commanded him [Shlomo] before his death and the matters of his burial. The beginning of the topic “and the King David was old…” and ends with “and Adoniyah the son of Chagit came to Bat Sheva…” and now I have asked six question as is my way.

Abarbanel on I Kings 1:1:1

The Reluctant Monarchy

COMMENTARY

The establishment of a hereditary monarchy in Israel was a reluctant concession by God, contingent on the king being a model of Torah observance. Rabbi Ovadia Sforno, a 16th-century Italian Jewish scholar, provides a nuanced interpretation of Deuteronomy 17:14, discussing the conditional nature of monarchy in Jewish law.

אשימה עלי מלך ככל הגויים, a monarch whose authority will be transferred from him to his biological heir after his death throughout the generations. This is quite different from judges, each of whom is appointed for his lifetime, with his heirs having absolutely no claim to succeed their father. The people were commanded to appoint such a hereditary position of king after they had conquered and settled in the land of Israel, the principal reason being to ensure that the Jewish people would not be like a flock without a shepherd, (Moses’ words in Numbers 27,17…

Sforno on Deuteronomy 17:14:1

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