Introduction
The second half of chapter one in Melachim is a dramatic story of decision: Adoniyah son of Chagit has already slaughtered animals, called his guests, and crowned himself, and against him a swift and calculated counteraction is set in motion. Natan the prophet enters before David the king, David swears an oath and fulfills it that very day, and Shlomo is anointed at the Gichon. In this lesson we will proceed through the order of the verses according to the Malbim, together with the words of the Radak, the teachings of Chazal, and a lovely insight from the Chatam Sofer.
The Entry of Natan the Prophet
(22) וְהִנֵּה עוֹדֶנָּה מְדַבֶּרֶת עִם הַמֶּלֶךְ וְנָתָן הַנָּבִיא בָּא׃ (23) וַיַּגִּידוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה נָתָן הַנָּבִיא וַיָּבֹא לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ עַל אַפָּיו אָרְצָה׃ - (22) And behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Natan the prophet came in. (23) And they told the king, saying: Behold, Natan the prophet. And he came before the king and bowed down to the king with his face to the ground.
The Radak explains that Natan the prophet stood in the courtyard or in the outer rooms, until they informed the king that he was present and evidently had a message for him, and only then was he given permission to enter inside. And so it was: from the outer rooms he came in to the king and bowed with his face to the ground.
(24) וַיֹּאמֶר נָתָן אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ יִמְלֹךְ אַחֲרָי וְהוּא יֵשֵׁב עַל כִּסְאִי׃ - (24) And Natan said: My lord the king, did you say, Adoniyah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?
The Radak says that Natan came to ask: Is it possible that you said such a thing? And the Malbim adds and shows Natan's wisdom. He sent Bat Sheva so that she would come as one who does not think at all that the matter came from the king, but rather as one revealing something to him: My lord the king, do you know what is happening here? You are not aware; Adoniyah has risen to reign. Natan himself came by an entirely opposite approach, coming as an accuser. For it is not possible that Adoniyah would do such a thing on his own; if he did, surely David the king authorized it for him. Therefore he opened and said: According to what I see, you gave this instruction, you said Adoniyah shall reign after me.
(25) כִּי יָרַד הַיּוֹם וַיִּזְבַּח שׁוֹר וּמְרִיא וְצֹאן לָרֹב וַיִּקְרָא לְכָל בְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וּלְשָׂרֵי הַצָּבָא וּלְאֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנָּם אֹכְלִים וְשֹׁתִים לְפָנָיו וַיֹּאמְרוּ יְחִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ׃ - (25) For he has gone down today and slaughtered oxen, fatlings, and sheep in abundance, and called all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and Evyatar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him and saying, Long live King Adoniyah.
This is the proof that Natan presents: it is not possible that a person would do such deeds without the king's knowledge and without his authorization. It is clear to me, says Natan, that you are the one who commanded this.
(26) וְלִי אֲנִי עַבְדֶּךָ וּלְצָדֹק הַכֹּהֵן וְלִבְנָיָהוּ בֶן יְהוֹיָדָע וְלִשְׁלֹמֹה עַבְדְּךָ לֹא קָרָא׃ - (26) But me, your servant, and Tzadok the priest, and Benayahu son of Yehoyada, and your servant Shlomo he did not call.
Here Natan comes as though offended: if the matter stems from you, my lord the king, why did he not call us? Are we not ready to carry out the king's command? If this is what the king said, surely we would be the first to come. And why did he not call Shlomo? For if this is what you command, we accept the king's command absolutely and will not question your ruling.
(27) אִם מֵאֵת אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ נִהְיָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְלֹא הוֹדַעְתָּ אֶת עַבְדְּךָ מִי יֵשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אַחֲרָיו׃ - (27) If this matter has come from my lord the king, then you have not informed your servant who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him.
Now Natan raises a further grievance, one that touches him personally. After all, I am the one who prophesied to you that Shlomo your son would reign after you. If you are acting otherwise, it is a sign that you possess different information, and that can come in only one way: you received another prophecy. For a prophet's words are not annulled unless another prophecy comes, and King David was certainly not suspect in his eyes of transgressing the word of the prophet. And if another prophecy came to you, you are obligated to inform me: know that I have received updates, another prophet came to me and told me that Hashem changed the matter. Why is this necessary? So that no doubt would arise in me that perhaps my prophecy is not true and perhaps I erred in it, since here you are doing the opposite. I have no problem, says Natan, just come and tell me: your prophecy was true, only the circumstances changed and therefore another prophet was sent. I, as the one who conveyed the first prophecy, need to receive an update that another prophecy was conveyed, so that I will not suspect you of acting against the prophecy, and so that I will not suspect myself that perhaps the prophecy I received is not true.
The Psychology of Persuasion: Envy versus Shame
The Malbim points out here a psychology of the matter. To draw a reaction out of a person, one must arouse the matter from all its sides. Sometimes a person is moved from the angle of envy and anger, and this is what Bat Sheva did when she magnified the sin of Adoniya: how, my lord the king, are such things being done without your knowing? And sometimes a person is moved from the angle of suspicion and shame, from being suspected or from having shame in the matter, and this is what Natan did: King David, how can you do such a thing without informing me? For we now suspect you of acting against the command of the prophet.
The Chatam Sofer's Gem: Adoniya or Adoniyahu
In passing let us mention an interesting gem of the Chatam Sofer. He points out that Scripture sometimes calls him "Adoniyahu" with a full vav, and sometimes "Adoniya": "וַאֲדֹנִיָּה בֶן חַגִּית מִתְנַשֵּׂא לֵאמֹר אֲנִי אֶמְלֹךְ", "וַיַּעְזְרוּ אַחֲרֵי אֲדֹנִיָּה", and on the other hand "לֹא הָיוּ עִם אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ", "וַיִּזְבַּח אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ". Bat Sheva says "הִנֵּה אֲדֹנִיָּה מָלָךְ", whereas Natan says "אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ". Why all the variations?
The Chatam Sofer explains: his own name was Adoniyahu, that was his full name. But apart from his rebellion against his father and against Shlomo's kingship, and his desire to seize the monarchy unlawfully, in himself too he was not righteous, and therefore a letter was subtracted from his name and he was called Adoniya. And when it says "and they helped after Adoniya" in the deficient form, Scripture hints that they themselves sensed his deficiency, they knew he was only "Adoniya" deficient, and nevertheless they helped him. On the other hand "they were not with Adoniyahu" in the full form: even though before them he did not display his deficiency in fear of Heaven and came in his full name, still their hands were not with him. And one may add: even had he been complete in fear of Heaven and indeed "Adoniyahu," they would not have been with him, since this is a rebellion against the kingship of the house of David.
Bat Sheva, when she comes before the king, adds and says that this man who wants to reign in your place is also not a God fearing man, and therefore she employs "Adoniya" deficient. But Natan the prophet, who comes to complete her words, acts differently. Chazal in the Yerushalmi in Tractate Peah learn from the affair of Natan the prophet that it is permitted to speak lashon hara about the parties in a dispute. It emerges, then, that it is permitted to say only what pertains to the matter of the dispute, and it is forbidden to introduce additional words of lashon hara. Therefore Natan does not enter at all into Adoniyahu's level of fear of Heaven, and does not call him "Adoniya" but "Adoniyahu" by his full name, touching upon the very facts without speaking about the man himself. And this is precise in Natan's words to Bat Sheva: "וַאֲנִי אָבוֹא אַחֲרַיִךְ וּמִלֵּאתִי אֶת דְּבָרָיִךְ" - "and I will complete" precisely: the name that you subtract, calling him Adoniya, I do not have that privilege, and I will complete it and call him by his full name, in order to cling to the facts and not relate to the man himself. Truly wonderful.
David's Oath: This Day
(28) וַיַּעַן הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד וַיֹּאמֶר קִרְאוּ לִי לְבַת שָׁבַע וַתָּבֹא לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַתַּעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - (28) And King David answered and said: Call Bat Sheva to me. And she came before the king and stood before the king.
Bat Sheva had already left, for it was not fitting for her to be present while the prophet spoke with the king. And now, when David wants to answer her, he commands that she be called, for he has an instruction for her.
(29) וַיִּשָּׁבַע הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמַר חַי יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר פָּדָה אֶת נַפְשִׁי מִכָּל צָרָה׃ (30) כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לָךְ בַּיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר כִּי שְׁלֹמֹה בְנֵךְ יִמְלֹךְ אַחֲרַי וְהוּא יֵשֵׁב עַל כִּסְאִי תַּחְתָּי כִּי כֵן אֶעֱשֶׂה הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃ - (29) And the king swore and said: As Hashem lives, who redeemed my soul from every distress, (30) just as I swore to you by Hashem, God of Israel, saying that Shlomo your son shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my throne in my place, so shall I do this day.
As I swore to you, I intend to fulfill, and when? This day. That is, the original plan was not to do it today, since its time had not yet come. But since challengers have arisen, and if he does not hasten they will come and seize the monarchy by force, therefore this very day he brings the matter to fruition.
(31) וַתִּקֹּד בַּת שֶׁבַע אַפַּיִם אֶרֶץ וַתִּשְׁתַּחוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ וַתֹּאמֶר יְחִי אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד לְעֹלָם׃ - (31) And Bat Sheva bowed with her face to the ground and prostrated herself before the king, and she said: May my lord King David live forever.
The Gemara relates that when Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha was about to pass away, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to him: bless me. He said to him: may it be His will that you reach half of my years. Rabbi asked: and not all of your years? He answered him: shall those who come after you graze cattle? In other words, when a person holds a position of authority and continues to fill his role until an advanced age, his sons are already old and find no place to inherit the authority. This is his intent: I can live long, for I hold no special office and I block no one and deprive no one by my continuing to live; but you are the Nasi, and by living long you would deprive your sons, who would remain commoners. Accordingly, here, after King David handed the kingship to Shlomo in his lifetime, Bat Sheva says "May my lord King David live forever": as long as it depended on your death for Shlomo to reign, perhaps I would not have wanted so much for you to live long; but now that in your lifetime you handed the kingship to my son Shlomo, I can bless you to live forever. So it is said by way of a clever remark.
The Three Heads and the Coronation Ceremony
(32) וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד קִרְאוּ לִי לְצָדוֹק הַכֹּהֵן וּלְנָתָן הַנָּבִיא וְלִבְנָיָהוּ בֶּן יְהוֹיָדָע וַיָּבֹאוּ לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - (32) And King David said: Call for me Tzadok the Kohen and Natan the Navi and Benayahu ben Yehoyada, and they came before the king.
When David sees that there is a dispute over the kingship, he wants to strengthen the coronation. How? Here a Kohen Gadol is needed, here a Navi is needed, and here the head of the Sanhedrin is needed. Once all the heads are partners in the coronation, the coronation will hold and the people will accept it.
(33) וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לָהֶם קְחוּ עִמָּכֶם אֶת עַבְדֵי אֲדֹנֵיכֶם וְהִרְכַּבְתֶּם אֶת שְׁלֹמֹה בְנִי עַל הַפִּרְדָּה אֲשֶׁר לִי וְהוֹרַדְתֶּם אֹתוֹ אֶל גִּחוֹן׃ - (33) And the king said to them: Take with you the servants of your lord, and set my son Shlomo upon my own mule, and bring him down to Gichon.
"Take with you the servants of your lord" - all those who will be ready to assist in the matter. "Upon my own mule" - it is written that a commoner does not ride upon a king's horse, and therefore setting the son upon the king's mule is a sign of honor and a sign that he is the continuer of the way, he is the next king. "To Gichon" - Gichon is the spring of Shiloach, and Chazal say that kings are anointed only over a spring, to hint that his kingship should continue like a spring. There is another explanation for the mule: a mule does not bear offspring, as the Gemara says, and it was reserved for the king alone. That is, there will be no one here to join himself to this kingship, but rather your kingship alone, for two kings do not serve under one crown. In the following generation the kingship will already split between Rechavam and Yeravam, but at this stage, like a mule that does not bear offspring, you will have absolute kingship.
(34) וּמָשַׁח אֹתוֹ שָׁם צָדוֹק הַכֹּהֵן וְנָתָן הַנָּבִיא לְמֶלֶךְ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וּתְקַעְתֶּם בַּשּׁוֹפָר וַאֲמַרְתֶּם יְחִי הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה׃ - (34) And there Tzadok the Kohen and Natan the Navi shall anoint him as king over Yisrael, and you shall blow the shofar and say: May King Shlomo live.
What is anointing? He would place some of the oil between the eyelashes and form the shape of a particular letter, and this is anointing with oil. When we say "melech HaMashiach" the meaning is the one anointed with oil. So too "the anointed Kohen," the Kohen anointed for the sake of war, to tell the people who the man is who has betrothed a wife and not taken her, who has built a house or planted a vineyard. "Anointing" signifies greatness, and they would anoint for the sake of consecration. Besides people, they would also anoint the vessels of the Beit HaMikdash: before the vessels began their service they would anoint them with oil, and this is part of the initiation of the vessel for its service, like a consecration. By way of contrast, like a person who today buys a new vessel from a gentile and immerses it, and the immersion prepares it for use by a Jew after it has left the hand of the gentile; so too the vessel, they sanctify it and prepare it for its purpose, which is the service of the Beit HaMikdash.
And why did Shlomo need to be anointed at all? Chazal say that a king who is the son of a king is not anointed, and David was already anointed as king and the kingship of his sons continues forever even without anointing. Rather Chazal say: because of the dispute of Adoniyahu. Since there are those who challenge and dispute, they said let us perform an act that will appear to all as a coronation, and that is the anointing. Not that it was required, but that they wanted everyone to see that he is the one who is meant to be the king.
"May King Shlomo live" - "live" means may he succeed. The Radak says that the prayer is for life and for success together, for there is no life without success. One who fails in all his affairs often feels "why do I need life"; not that he has a choice, but failure takes from a person the will to live. This is what we say "You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing": the most tremendous thing that Hashem gives a person is the will to live, that a person aspires to live. And in the blessing "May King Shlomo live" the meaning is that he should have blessing and success until he desires life.
(35) וַעֲלִיתֶם אַחֲרָיו וּבָא וְיָשַׁב עַל כִּסְאִי וְהוּא יִמְלֹךְ תַּחְתָּי וְאֹתוֹ צִוִּיתִי לִהְיוֹת נָגִיד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל יְהוּדָה׃ - (35) And you shall go up after him, and he shall come and sit upon my throne, and he shall reign in my place, and I have commanded him to be ruler over Yisrael and over Yehuda.
David wants the coronation to be completed today one hundred percent, that Shlomo should actually sit on the throne today and not wait until his death, when other matters might develop. And what he said, "and him I have commanded to be ruler" - so that people should not think that Shlomo rose to reign in his father's lifetime in order to rebel against him, but rather, I command it, and thereby I fulfill my oath. "Over Israel and over Yehudah" - so that the kingdom should not be split into two. In the days of Rechavam and Yerovam, Israel were one group and Yehudah and Binyamin were a second group; here David says that the kingdom should not be divided, but he shall be ruler over Israel and over Yehudah.
Amen: How Many Obstacles From Here to Gichon
(36) וַיַּעַן בְּנָיָהוּ בֶן יְהוֹיָדָע אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר אָמֵן כֵּן יֹאמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - And Benayahu son of Yehoyada answered the king and said, Amen, so may Hashem, the God of my lord the king, say.
"Amen" means: may it be His will that it come about, and "so may Hashem say" means that Hashem should agree with us and the matter should be fulfilled. For if there is no help from Heaven, the matter will not succeed. And why is amen needed here? Our Sages say: Benayahu son of Yehoyada said, how many obstacles there are from here to Gichon. Someone once said over a microphone: with the Creator of the world one can reach the edge of the heavens and cross the ocean, and without the Creator of the world one cannot even leave the house. And what problem is there in leaving the house? You take the key and go out. And suddenly you cannot find the key and you are stuck. Something so simple that you are sure of it, and truly at every single moment, for the very breath you are taking now, you need Hashem. How many accusers are there from here to Gichon, who knows how many things can arise until the simplest thing does not go through. Many times we see that a simple matter meets so many obstacles, while in contrast something complicated and complex goes smoothly. When there is help from Heaven, even complex things become simple, and when there is no help from Heaven, suddenly here something collapses, there something did not work out, that person was not in place, and everything becomes a mess. This is the most important thing a person needs.
(37) כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה יְהֹוָה עִם אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ כֵּן יִהְיֶה עִם שְׁלֹמֹה וִיגַדֵּל אֶת כִּסְאוֹ מִכִּסֵּא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד׃ - As Hashem was with my lord the king, so may He be with Shlomo, and may He make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.
Benayahu blesses that Hashem should be with Shlomo just as He was with David, and more than that, "and may He make his throne greater than the throne of my lord the king" - that his throne should be greater than his father's. And how can one say such a thing to a king, as if to say your son will be greater than you? But our Sages say: a person is jealous of everyone except his son and his student, his prime disciple. If you tell a person that his son surpasses him, is greater than him and more brilliant than him, he will say: if only! This is a great joy for a father.
And there is another explanation here: "than the throne" does not mean above the throne but because of the throne. Who has the greater advantage in the kingship, David or Shlomo? Shlomo. David is a king who is the son of a commoner, whereas Shlomo is already a king who is the son of a king, and this is a firmer establishment in the kingship. That is why, when they came to disparage David, they said, "Who is David and who is the son of Yishai": David is not fit for kingship, who is he at all? And his father, Yishai, though a Torah scholar and a distinguished man, comes and goes among the population, but did he bequeath him a kingdom? To Shlomo one can no longer say this, for he receives the kingship as the son of the king. And this is "and may He make his throne greater because of the throne of my lord the king": your son's throne will already be greater and more firmly established, for this is the second generation of the kingship.
The Anointing at Gichon
(38) וַיֵּרֶד צָדוֹק הַכֹּהֵן וְנָתָן הַנָּבִיא וּבְנָיָהוּ בֶן יְהוֹיָדָע וְהַכְּרֵתִי וְהַפְּלֵתִי וַיַּרְכִּבוּ אֶת שְׁלֹמֹה עַל פִּרְדַּת הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד וַיֹּלִכוּ אֹתוֹ עַל גִּחוֹן׃ - And Tzadok the priest and Natan the prophet and Benayahu son of Yehoyada and the Kereti and the Peleti went down, and they mounted Shlomo on King David's mule and led him to Gichon.
They all go together according to the king's command and lead him to Gichon. And it is written that they anointed Shlomo twice, as brought in Divrei HaYamim, "and they made Shlomo king a second time." Why? Because here there were only the people of Jerusalem, whereas the second time, described in Divrei HaYamim, he assembled all of Israel from all the tribes, the officers of thousands and the officers of hundreds, and before all the assembly they anointed him as ruler, and then they also anointed Tzadok to be High Priest, and they made a great celebration and offered abundant sacrifices. That second time was meant to publicize the matter; but here there was no time to send out invitations, David wanted the thing done today, at that very moment, that they take him immediately and crown him immediately, and therefore he had to make do with a small but immediate assembly.
(39) וַיִּקַּח צָדוֹק הַכֹּהֵן אֶת קֶרֶן הַשֶּׁמֶן מִן הָאֹהֶל וַיִּמְשַׁח אֶת שְׁלֹמֹה וַיִּתְקְעוּ בַּשּׁוֹפָר וַיֹּאמְרוּ כָּל הָעָם יְחִי הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה׃ - And Tzadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Shlomo, and they blew the shofar, and all the people said, Long live King Shlomo.
What is this horn of oil? This is the anointing oil that Moshe Rabbeinu made, and they took it from the tent, for the Ark was placed in the City of David and there was the Tent of Meeting with the anointing oil in it. And with what was he anointed? With a horn. And with what was Shaul anointed? With a flask, and the flask broke. And what is the difference? Our Sages say, Chana said, "My horn is raised in Hashem, my mouth is wide against my enemies" - may the kingship of the one anointed with a horn, namely King David, be exalted, my horn is raised and not my flask. The flask is of earthenware and fragile, it fell on the floor and broke; whereas the horn is very strong, and therefore the kingship of the horn is an enduring kingship. And especially since the horn is also an anointed bone, and there is also a connotation of continuation in the blowing of the shofar: "when the yovel sounds long, they shall go up the mountain," the blowing of the shofar denotes drawing out and continuation. David's kingship will be enduring. David king of Israel lives and endures, David's kingship is forever, and even in the generations of exile in which there is no kingship of the House of David, when a king returns to reign, it will be a king from the dynasty of the House of David. This is the matter of the horn.
(40) וַיַּעֲלוּ כָל הָעָם אַחֲרָיו וְהָעָם מְחַלְּלִים בַּחֲלִלִים וּשְׂמֵחִים שִׂמְחָה גְדוֹלָה וַתִּבָּקַע הָאָרֶץ בְּקוֹלָם׃ - (40) And all the people went up after him, and the people were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, and the earth split with their sound.
The people go up in joy, playing on flutes, and "the earth split with their sound" is stated as an exaggeration: there was such a great noise, as if the ground had been split open.
The news reaches Adoniyahu
(41) וַיִּשְׁמַע אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ וְכָל הַקְּרֻאִים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וְהֵם כִּלּוּ לֶאֱכֹל וַיִּשְׁמַע יוֹאָב אֶת קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר וַיֹּאמֶר מַדּוּעַ קוֹל הַקִּרְיָה הוֹמָה׃ - (41) And Adoniyahu heard, and all the guests who were with him, and they had finished eating, and Yoav heard the sound of the shofar and said: Why is the sound of the city in an uproar?
The Malbim says: Adoniyahu and his guests noticed only the din of the city, while Yoav, who was the army commander, understood the sound of the shofar, grasped the melody, and knew that such a sound is sounded only for a great matter. Therefore his question is more precise: "Why is the sound of the city in an uproar," meaning that there is a special sound here on account of which the city is in an uproar. They heard noise, but he already sensed that there was something behind it.
(42) עוֹדֶנּוּ מְדַבֵּר וְהִנֵּה יוֹנָתָן בֶּן אֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֵן בָּא וַיֹּאמֶר אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ בֹּא כִּי אִישׁ חַיִל אַתָּה וְטוֹב תְּבַשֵּׂר׃ - (42) He was still speaking, and behold, Yonatan son of Evyatar the Kohen came, and Adoniyahu said: Come, for you are a worthy man and you will bring good news.
In their times a good person would make an effort to bring good news, while a wicked person loved to bring bad news. One can see this to this day: someone with evil in his heart enjoys coming and telling his friend, "Did you hear? Your stocks fell," he has a kind of pleasure in delivering bad news. A good person, on the other hand, will try not to run into you so that you should not hear bad news from him, but if there is good news he will be the first at your side to make you happy. This is the difference between a good person and a wicked one. Therefore, when Adoniyahu saw Yonatan he thought: If he is coming to bring news, presumably it is good news, for he is a good person, and had it been bad news he would not have come.
(43) וַיַּעַן יוֹנָתָן וַיֹּאמֶר לַאֲדֹנִיָּהוּ אֲבָל אֲדֹנֵינוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד הִמְלִיךְ אֶת שְׁלֹמֹה׃ - (43) And Yonatan answered and said to Adoniyahu: On the contrary, our lord King David has made Shlomo king.
"On the contrary" - it is not as you say, not as you think, that I came with good news. Know this: the king has made Shlomo king. From here he details for him everything that happened, so that he should not think that a group of rebels did this on their own.
(44) וַיִּשְׁלַח אִתּוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת צָדוֹק הַכֹּהֵן וְאֶת נָתָן הַנָּבִיא וּבְנָיָהוּ בֶּן יְהוֹיָדָע וְהַכְּרֵתִי וְהַפְּלֵתִי וַיַּרְכִּבוּ אֹתוֹ עַל פִּרְדַּת הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ (45) וַיִּמְשְׁחוּ אֹתוֹ צָדוֹק הַכֹּהֵן וְנָתָן הַנָּבִיא לְמֶלֶךְ בְּגִחוֹן וַיַּעֲלוּ מִשָּׁם שְׂמֵחִים וַתֵּהֹם הַקִּרְיָה הוּא הַקּוֹל אֲשֶׁר שְׁמַעְתֶּם׃ - (44) And the king sent with him Tzadok the Kohen and Natan the prophet and Benayahu son of Yehoyada and the Kereti and the Peleti, and they mounted him on the king's mule. (45) And Tzadok the Kohen and Natan the prophet anointed him king at Gichon, and they went up from there rejoicing, and the city was in an uproar; that is the sound you heard.
He tells him: See, the king did this on the word of a prophet, on the word of a High Priest, and on the word of the Sanhedrin. Do not think that there is no consent of the people here, or that you will succeed in making Adoniyahu king against Shlomo's coronation. There is no chance. And all the rejoicing that was heard is the people's joy over Shlomo's coronation.
And what is "the Kereti and the Peleti"? The expression recurs many times in the Prophets. In its plain sense it refers to David's warriors, the slingers and archers who were experts in war. The Sages expounded "Kereti and Peleti" as referring to the Urim veTumim, whose words are decisive (korteni) and whose words are wondrous (mufla'im), but in truth this is a derash and not the plain meaning, and one must distinguish between plain meaning and derash. For in several places it appears "all the Kereti and all the Peleti," and if it refers only to the Urim veTumim it is hard to understand the word "all." Therefore the plain meaning of the matter is all of David's warriors; and some say these were two important and distinguished families, Kereti being one family and Peleti another, and when they would do something important they would summon them.
(46) וְגַם יָשַׁב שְׁלֹמֹה עַל כִּסֵּא הַמְּלוּכָה׃ - (46) And Shlomo has also sat upon the throne of the kingdom.
Do not say that perhaps he was anointed only so that he would reign after David's death; not at all, he has already begun to reign in practice. In plain words: the matter is sealed, there is nothing left for you to do.
(47) וְגַם בָּאוּ עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת אֲדֹנֵינוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד לֵאמֹר יֵיטֵב אֱלֹהִים אֶת שֵׁם שְׁלֹמֹה מִשְּׁמֶךָ וִיגַדֵּל אֶת כִּסְאוֹ מִכִּסְאֶךָ וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל הַמִּשְׁכָּב׃ - (47) And the king's servants also came to bless our lord King David, saying: May God make Shlomo's name better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne, and the king bowed down upon the bed.
And do not think they did this on their own, the way Yoav and Evyatar came to crown Adoniyahu on their own. They came to bless our lord the king, and the king bowed down upon the bed, meaning he gave his blessing and his consent to the entire process. And the wording of the blessing: that God make Shlomo's name better, on account of his good deeds and his wisdom, and make his throne greater, on account of his kingship, and both of these would be greater than they had been before, greater than King David's, by virtue of his being the crown prince and David's son. That is, there is no opening here for an interpretation in two directions; there is also David's consent. What can you do in such a situation?
(48) וְגַם כָּכָה אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר נָתַן הַיּוֹם יֹשֵׁב עַל כִּסְאִי וְעֵינַי רֹאוֹת׃ - (48) And moreover, thus said the king: Blessed is Hashem, God of Israel, who has today granted one to sit upon my throne while my eyes see it.
And do not think there is a chance the king would split the kingdom in two: fine, he crowned Shlomo, but let him give me a few tribes as well, as we will later see in the kingdoms of Rechavam and Yerovam. Therefore it says "who has today granted one to sit upon my throne": he took hold of the entire kingdom. Was David's kingdom divided? No. So too here he said Shlomo would sit upon my throne, a complete kingdom like my own.
The Flight of the Invited Guests and Adoniyahu's Fear
(49) וַיֶּחֶרְדוּ וַיָּקֻמוּ כָּל הַקְּרֻאִים אֲשֶׁר לַאֲדֹנִיָּהוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ אִישׁ לְדַרְכּוֹ׃ - (49) And all the guests who were with Adoniyahu trembled, and they rose and each went on his way.
One who rebels against the kingship is liable to death, and who wants to remain on Adoniyahu's sinking ship? See what self-interested people they are: when he is great, everyone surrounds him and everyone shouts to him you are great, you are strong; and the moment something begins to fall apart, immediately all the rats flee the sinking ship.
(50) וַאֲדֹנִיָּהוּ יָרֵא מִפְּנֵי שְׁלֹמֹה וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיַּחֲזֵק בְּקַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ׃ - (50) And Adoniyahu was afraid of Shlomo, and he rose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.
Adoniyahu understands that if anyone is to pay the price for what was done, it will be he, and he will pay the highest price, with his head. Therefore he goes and takes hold of the horns of the altar, thinking that this is a holy place, the Sanctuary and the Tabernacle, and that Shlomo will not enter this place to kill him.
(51) וַיֻּגַּד לִשְׁלֹמֹה לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ יָרֵא אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה וְהִנֵּה אָחַז בְּקַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֵאמֹר יִשָּׁבַע לִי כַיּוֹם הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה אִם יָמִית אֶת עַבְדּוֹ בֶּחָרֶב׃ - (51) And it was told to Shlomo, saying: Behold, Adoniyahu fears King Shlomo, and behold, he has grasped the horns of the altar, saying: Let King Shlomo swear to me this day that he will not put his servant to death by the sword.
The custom was that when a king rose to reign, he would grant amnesty to all the members of his kingdom. This was the accepted practice then, and it is upon this that Adoniyahu builds. Therefore he grasps the horns of the altar and says, "Let him swear to me today": today is a special day, the day of the coronation, and on the day of the coronation there is amnesty, so let the king pardon me as well. As for what he said, "that he will not put his servant to death by the sword" - those who rebelled against the throne were killed by the sword, and his intent was that he not be put to death in the manner of one who dies the death of treason.
(52) וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁלֹמֹה אִם יִהְיֶה לְבֶן חַיִל לֹא יִפֹּל מִשַּׂעֲרָתוֹ אָרְצָה וְאִם רָעָה תִמָּצֵא בוֹ וָמֵת׃ - And Shlomo said: If he will be a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the ground, but if evil be found in him, he shall die.
"If he will be a worthy man" - that he will perform the service of the king like all the other servants of the king; "not one of his hairs shall fall to the ground" - he has nothing to fear, he will not be punished for the past, not even in the slightest, for the falling of a hair is the lightest of harms. "But if evil be found in him" - even evil that does not in itself warrant death. And why? Because if evil is found in an ordinary person, we say: it cannot be attributed to malicious intentions or a desire to rebel against the king, there was a sin here, and the king can overlook it. But with Adoniyahu, whose intentions are known to us, we will immediately interpret the evil negatively and say: why did he do this? Surely because he wants to reign. Therefore, if any evil is found in you, you shall be a man of death. With you I will not be willing to extend credit, and I will demand payment at once. But if you will be a worthy man, you have nothing to worry about, and I will not harm you even in the slightest.
(53) וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה וַיּוֹרִדֻהוּ מֵעַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיָּבֹא וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ שְׁלֹמֹה לֵךְ לְבֵיתֶךָ׃ - And King Shlomo sent, and they brought him down from the altar, and he came and bowed down to King Shlomo, and Shlomo said to him: Go to your house.
Adoniyahu comes and bows before him to show that he too accepts his kingship, and Shlomo says to him, "Go to your house." What does this mean? When he had earlier heard, "If he will be a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the ground," Adoniyahu thought this meant he would be a worthy man in the king's service, that is, that the king was about to give him an appointment and a role, and perhaps make him a minister in his government. And now suddenly he hears, "Go to your house," return to being an ordinary citizen; I have no intention of giving you an appointment or a role. And this, as we shall see later, is what will cause Adoniyahu not to abandon his plans, but to continue and strive toward them, something that will in the end bring about his death.
In summary:
The second part of the chapter teaches us how a correct decision is made in a moment of crisis. Natan the prophet and Bat Sheva act with complementary wisdom, this one from the angle of zeal and wrath and that one from the angle of suspicion and shame, in order to rouse David to action. David does not suffice with a declaration but hastens the coronation "this very day," and places at its head the three pinnacles: a High Priest, a prophet, and the head of the Sanhedrin, mounts Shlomo upon his mule and anoints him with a horn of oil at the spring, as a sign of an enduring and absolute kingship. Benayahu teaches us through his "Amen" that even the short road from here to Gichon requires the help of Heaven. And on the other side, Adoniyahu and his guests reveal how fragile is a kingship that lacks the consent of Heaven and man: the mice flee the sinking ship, and he grasps the horns of the altar and receives a warning: if he will be a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the ground, but if evil be found in him, he shall die.