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Verse 3
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) 1:3

Jerome of Stridon

Jerome of Stridon4th century

David, a former warrior, reached the age of 70 and found himself unable to keep warm due to the cold of his advancing years. Throughout all of Israel, there was a search for Abishag the Shunammite, a young maid, to lie with the king and provide warmth for his frail body. If one focuses solely on the literal interpretation, it may appear to be a humorous tale or a comic narrative. The aged man, encased in his garments, can find no warmth except in the embrace of this youthful woman. Bathsheba was still alive, as were Abigail and David's other wives and concubines, yet they were dismissed as cold; only in the arms of the young girl does the decrepit old man find warmth. Abraham, who was significantly older than David, sought no other wife during Sarah’s lifetime, and Isaac, who was twice David's age, never turned away from his beloved Rebekah. Even the ancient patriarchs who lived for hundreds of years did not seek the company of young women as their bodies aged. Moses, who led the Israelites for 120 years, didn't abandon Zipporah for another. What then can we say of this Shunammite maiden, so radiant that she could bring comfort to one in chill, and so pure that she incited no carnal desires in him? Let the wisest Solomon elucidate the comforts of his father; let the man of peace speak of the embrace of the warrior. Acquire wisdom, and gain insight: do not forsake the teachings I share. Value it, and it shall be granted to you; cherish it, and it shall protect you. Honor her, and she will embrace you; she will place a crown of grace upon your head and shield you with a crown of sweetness. All physical attributes may change with age, but wisdom alone continues to grow, while everything else diminishes. Practices such as fasting, vigilance, charity, and service may wane as the body weakens. I do not imply that young or middle-aged men who diligently labor and live righteously lack wisdom, which often escapes many aged individuals, but rather that youth presents a vigorous fight against rampant passions and unruly desires, as if amidst budding trees, the flame of the spirit struggles to manifest fully. Conversely, those who invest their younger years in righteous pursuits and diligently study the law of the Lord become more learned and experienced in their later years, yielding the sweet fruits of their lifelong teachings. The Greek sage Themistocles, living to 107 and facing death, is said to have regretted leaving life just as he began to grasp true wisdom. Plato passed at 81, having devoted himself to literature, while Socrates dedicated 99 years to scholarly and literary endeavors. Not to mention other philosophers like Pythagoras, Democritus, Xenocrates, Zeno, and Cleanthes, who were renowned for their wisdom in their later years. I also refer to poets like Homer, Hesiod, Simonides, and Stesichorus, who in their advanced age and nearing death, created immortal works, surpassing their previous efforts. Sophocles, despite being accused of madness by his sons due to his old age, presented his tragedy Oedipus, displaying such remarkable wisdom that he earned the applause of the stern judges. There’s no surprise that Cato, the illustrious Roman censor, was unashamed to study Greek in his twilight years, showing hope in his endeavors. It is for good reason that Homer describes the eloquence of the elderly Nestorius as akin to the sweetest honey, proving that great wisdom resides even in the aged.

The name of David's young companion, Abishag, symbolizes the depth of elder wisdom. Abishag translates to my father superfluous or my father’s cry. The term superfluous carries a dual meaning; here it acknowledges the virtue of an abundance of wisdom in the elderly. It can also imply something unnecessary. If we accept Abishag in this second sense, then the word 'cry' could evoke the sound of ocean waves, indicating that within the elderly dwells a powerful voice, divine and transcendent. The term Sunamite suggests colors such as purple or scarlet, symbolizing the fervor of wisdom and divine illumination. This also alludes to the mystery of the Lord’s sacrificial blood. In Genesis, the grandmother placed purple on the hand of Zerah, affirming the significance of the divine promise. The harlot Rahab, representing the church, hung a scarlet thread from her window to signal salvation from Jericho’s destruction. The Scriptures also describe the righteous in similar terms, stating they emerge from the warmth of their paternal roots. Our Lord, in the Gospel, speaks of igniting a fire on the earth and longing for it to blaze forth. This fiery spirit stirred within the hearts of the disciples prompted them to wonder if their hearts burned within them as they conversed about the Scriptures. So, why this lengthy introduction? It is to discourage you from seeking merely entertaining anecdotes, elaborate oratory, or superficial conclusions intended to elicit admiration from an audience. Let wisdom encompass me; let our timeless Abishag remain closely held. She is pure and eternally untouched, akin to Mary, who remains pristine despite her continual generative role. Thus, the Apostle advises to serve with fervor. The Lord foretold that in the latter days, with the rise of a foolish shepherd, many would lose their wisdom and allow their love to grow cold. Therefore, heed not only the eloquent but also the powerful. Listen to a brother in fellowship, a father in wisdom, who guides you from the essence of faith to maturity in Christ, gradually instructing others as you learn. I recognize that you have absorbed holy teachings from your esteemed grandfather Eliodorus, now a high priest in Christ, and that you regard his life as a model of virtue. Yet, embrace our guidance as well, blending my teachings with his, so that, while he instructs you on the path of a perfect monk, you may also learn from me what it means to be a faithful cleric.