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Verse 2
Theosis · English Bible
3 Kingdoms (1 Kings)

3 Kingdoms (1 Kings) 1

Old TestamentTheosis · English Bible

1And king David was old and advanced in days, and they covered him with clothes, and he was not warmed. 2And his servants said, Let them seek for the king a young virgin, and she shall wait on the king, and cherish him, and lie with him, and my lord the king shall be warmed. 3So they sought for a fair damsel out of all the coasts of Israel; and they found Abisag the Somanite, and they brought her to the king. 4And the damsel was extremely beautiful, and she cherished the king, and ministered to him, but the king knew her not. 5And Adonias the son of Aggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king; and he prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 6And his father never at any time checked him, saying, Why hast thou done thus? and he was also very handsome in appearance, and his mother bore him after Abessalom. 7And he conferred with Joab the son of Saruia, and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed after Adonias. 8But Sadoc the priest, and Banæas the son of Jodae, and Nathan the prophet, and Semei, and Resi, and the mighty men of David, did not follow Adonias. 9And Adonias sacrificed sheep and calves and lambs by the stone of Zoelethi, which was near Rogel: and he called all his brethren, and all the adult men of Juda, servants of the king. 10But Nathan the prophet, and Banæas, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he did not call. 11And Nathan spoke to Bersabee the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonias the son of Aggith reigns, and our lord David knows it not? 12And now come, let me, I pray, give thee counsel, and thou shalt rescue thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon. 13Haste, and go in to king David, and thou shalt speak to him, saying, Hast not thou, my lord, O king, sworn to thine handmaid, saying, Thy son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then does Adonias reign? 14And behold, while thou art still speaking there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and will confirm thy words. 15So Bersabee went in to the king into the chamber: and the king was very old, and Abisag the Somanite was ministering to the king. 16And Bersabee bowed, and did obeisance to the king; and the king said, What is thy request? 17And she said, My lord, thou didst swear by the Lord thy God to thine handmaid, saying, Thy son Solomon shall reign after me, and shall sit upon my throne. 18And now, behold, Adonias reigns, and thou, my lord, O king, knowest it not. 19And he has sacrificed calves and lambs and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king's sons, and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander-in-chief of the host; but Solomon thy servant he has not called. 20And thou, my lord, O king,—the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, to tell them who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him. 21And it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and Solomon my son shall be offenders. 22And behold, while she was yet talking with the king, Nathan the prophet came. And it was reported to the king, 23Behold, Nathan the prophet is here: and he came in to the king's presence, and did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground. 24And Nathan said, My lord, O king, didst thou say, Adonias shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? 25For he has gone down to-day, and has sacrificed calves and lambs and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king's sons, and the chiefs of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and they said, Long live king Adonias. 26But he has not invited me thy servant, and Sadoc the priest, and Banæas the son of Jodae, and Solomon thy servant. 27Has this matter happened by the authority of my lord the king, and hast thou not made known to thy servant who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him? 28And king David answered and said, Call me Bersabee: and she came in before the king, and stood before him. 29And the king swore, and said, As the Lord lives who redeemed my soul out of all affliction, 30as I swore to thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead, so will I do this day. 31And Bersabee bowed with her face to the ground, and did obeisance to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever. 32And king David said, Call me Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banæas the son of Jodae: and they came in before the king. 33And the king said to them, Take the servants of your lord with you, and mount my son Solomon upon my own mule, and bring him down to Gion. 34And there let Sadoc the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him to be king over Israel, and do ye sound the trumpet, and ye shall say, Let king Solomon live. 35And he shall sit upon my throne, and reign in my stead: and I have given charge that he should be for a prince over Israel and Juda. 36And Banæas the son of Jodae answered the king and said, So let it be: may the Lord God of my lord the king confirm it. 37As the Lord was with my lord the king, so let him be with Solomon, and let him exalt his throne beyond the throne of my lord king David. 38And Sadoc the priest went down, and Nathan the prophet, and Banæas son of Jodae, and the Cherethite, and the Phelethite, and they mounted Solomon upon the mule of king David, and led him away to Gion. 39And Sadoc the priest took the horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon, and blew the trumpet; and all the people said, Let king Solomon live. 40And all the people went up after him, and they danced in choirs, and rejoiced with great joy, and the earth quaked with their voice. 41And Adonias and all his guests heard, and they had just left off eating: and Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, and said, What means the voice of the city in tumult? 42While he was yet speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came in: and Adonias said, Come in, for thou art a mighty man, and thou comest to bring glad tidings. 43And Jonathan answered and said, Verily our lord king David has made Solomon king: 44and the king has sent with him Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banæas the son of Jodae, and the Cherethite, and the Phelethite, and they have mounted him on the king's mule; 45and Sadoc the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him in Gion, and have gone up thence rejoicing, and the city resounded: this is the sound which ye have heard. 46And Solomon is seated upon the throne of the kingdom. 47And the servants of the king have gone in to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne; and the king worshipped upon his bed. 48Moreover thus said the king, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has this day appointed one of my seed sitting on my throne, and my eyes see it. 49And all the guests of Adonias were dismayed, and every man went his way. 50And Adonias feared because of Solomon, and arose, and departed, and laid hold on the horns of the altar. 51And it was reported to Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonias fears king Solomon, and holds the horns of the altar, saying, Let Solomon swear to me this day, that he will not slay his servant with the sword. 52And Solomon said, If he should be a valiant man, there shall not a hair of his fall to the ground; but if evil be found in him, he shall die. 53And king Solomon sent, and they brought him away from the altar; and he went in and did obeisance to king Solomon: and Solomon said to him, Go to thy house.

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3 Kingdoms (1 Kings) 1:2

Jerome of Stridon

Jerome of Stridon4th century

David, once a valiant warrior, reached the age of seventy when he could no longer find warmth due to the chill of advanced years. Throughout all the territories of Israel, a search was underway for Abishag the Shunammite, a young woman, to lie with the king and provide warmth to his aged frame. If one were to focus solely on the surface of the account, one might perceive it as mere jest or a theatrical farce. The frail old man, wrapping himself in garments, finds solace only in the embrace of this youth. Bathsheba was still alive, as were Abigail and David's other wives and concubines mentioned in Scripture. Yet, they were deemed frigid; it was solely in the arms of the young girl that the decrepit king found warmth. Abraham, far older than David, never sought another wife during Sarah's lifetime, and Isaac, at twice David’s age, did not abandon his beloved Rebekah. I refrain from discussing ancient patriarchs who lived for nine centuries and, despite their frailty, did not pursue the arms of youthful women. Even Moses, who led the Israelites for 120 years, did not replace Zipporah. What then is this Shunammite maiden, so radiant that she warmed one who felt the cold, so pure that she did not incite desire in him who found comfort? Let the wisest Solomon illuminate the solace of his father, let the peacemaker describe the embrace of the warrior. Seek wisdom, acquire understanding: do not forget, nor stray from the teachings I impart. Cherish it, and it shall be yours; desire it, and it will protect you. Honor her, and she shall embrace you: she shall bestow upon you a crown of grace and protect you with a crown of sweetness (Proverbs 4:5-9). Physical virtues may diminish as men age, but wisdom is the one thing that flourishes; all else may wane. Acts of devotion—fasting, vigilance, charity, humble living, travels, welcoming strangers, defending the marginalized, persistent prayer, unceasing work, visiting the sick—all are lessened with the frailty of old age. I do not imply that young men or middle-aged individuals, through diligence, righteous living, and constant prayer to our Lord Jesus, lack wisdom; rather, I assert that youth often engages in a vigorous battle, and within the turmoil of sinful passions, the fire of insight struggles to ignite amidst the verdant trees. Conversely, the aged who spent their youth in righteous means and dedicated themselves to studying the law of the Lord day and night, find their later years enriched with wisdom and life experience, yielding the sweetest fruits of their teachings. Thus, even the Greek sage Themistocles, who lived to 107, is said to have lamented leaving life just as he began to grasp true understanding. Plato passed away at 81, immersed in literary pursuits, and Socrates dedicated 99 years to scholarly endeavors. Numerous philosophers, including Pythagoras, Democritus, Xenocrates, Zeno, and Cleanthes, gained renown for their wisdom in their twilight years. Consider the poets, Homer, Hesiod, Simonides, and Stesichorus, who created their finest works as they approached the end of their lives, surpassing their former selves. Sophocles, despite facing accusations of madness from his sons due to his advanced age and neglect of personal affairs, presented the judges with his new tragedy, "Oedipus," proving that even in frailty, wisdom shines brilliantly, garnering applause from stern judges. Even Cato, the illustrious Roman censor, was unashamed to study Greek in his old age and did not despair of his success. It is no surprise that Homer depicted aged Nestorius, whose speech flowed like the richest honey. The name of David’s young companion Abishag signifies the depth of aged wisdom; the name can be interpreted as "my father's abundance" or "the cry of my father." The term "abundance" holds a dual connotation; here, it speaks to the enriching nature of elder wisdom and fruitful insight. Alternatively, when interpreted in the lesser sense, the term "cry" may symbolize the roar of the waves, suggesting in elders a profound resonance of divine speech that transcends human expression. The term Shunammite is associated with colors of purple and scarlet, symbolizing the warmth of wisdom and the fervor of divine reading. This relates to the mystery of the Lord’s blood; even in Genesis, it is noted that Tamar placed a scarlet thread on the hand of Perez, who received the name "the divider." Rahab, representing the church, hung a crimson thread to signify salvation amid Jericho’s destruction. Moreover, Scripture refers to the righteous in these terms: "These are ... who came from the heat of the house of the father of Rechab" (1 Chronicles 2:55). Our Lord, in the Gospel, states: "I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled" (Luke 12:49). This fire ignited in the hearts of the disciples inspired them to express, "Did not our hearts burn within us while He spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures?" (Luke 24:32). But why such an extensive introduction? That you may not expect from me trivial tales, superficial eloquence, or mere decorative phrases that merely arouse admiration. Let only wisdom envelop me; may our Abishag, ever-youthful, rest upon my heart. She is pure and eternally virtuous; like Mary, she remains immaculate, giving birth continually. Hence, the Apostle seems to declare, "With a fervent spirit" (Romans 12:4). And in the Gospel, the Lord foretells that at the end of time, when, as the prophet Zechariah foretold, a foolish shepherd arises, the wisdom of many will decline, and the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24, Zechariah 11). Therefore, heed the words of Blessed Cyprian, not for eloquence, but for power. Listen to a brother in fellowship, a father in wisdom, who guides you from the roots of faith toward maturity, gradually imparting life lessons while teaching others through your example. I know you have absorbed holiness from your grandfather, Blessed Eliodorus, the high priest of Christ; I recognize his life serves as a testament to virtue. Yet, receive my teachings as well, melding them with those of Eliodorus; as he instructed you in the ways of a perfect monk, learn from me to be a perfect cleric.