SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:21
Y ella dijo: Dese Abisag sunamita por mujer a tu hermano Adonías.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 21. And she said, let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife .] For so Adonijah was by his father’s side; and Bathsheba makes use of the relation, the more to move upon him to grant the request. Ver. 22 . And King Solomon answered and said unto his mother , etc.] With as much gentleness and mildness as he could, but inwardly fired at her request, and amazed at it, and could not forbear using some degree of tartness and resentment: and why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah ? is this a small petition? is this a fit and lawful one? ask for him the kingdom also ; for this is what he means by it, that by marrying the king’s widow he may step into the throne whenever any opportunity offers, as any uneasiness, or insurrection in the kingdom, or the death of Solomon; for none but a king, the Jews say f28 , might marry a king’s widow, not any private man; and therefore for Adonijah to ask this was interpreted affecting the kingdom, and aspiring to it, and taking his measures to obtain it; yea, it is said f29 , that none but another king, the successor, might make use of his servants, handmaids, and ministers; and it is observed, that Abishag was free to Solomon, but not to Adonijah: for he [is] mine elder brother ; and has that to plead in his favour, and if he could obtain this, it would strengthen his title, or at least be a plausible pretence, which he might make use of, when opportunity served, to gain the people to his interest: even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah ; she might as well ask for them as for him; whose interest it was, and therefore desirous it might be that he should be king, that so the one might be continued in the office of high priest, and the other as general of the army; who, Solomon knew, bore him no good will, but were secretly his enemies; and he suspected that this was a scheme of theirs, and that it was by their advice Adonijah made this request; so the Targum, “are not he, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the son of Zeruiah, in the counsel?” in this counsel; it is what they had consulted among themselves as a preparation to bring about a design they are contriving; probably Solomon had private notice that they were plotting against him, and this confirmed him in the truth of it; and therefore all of them were upon this punished with deprivation of office, or loss of life.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-25 - Solomon received Bathsheba with all the respect that was owing to mother; but let none be asked for that which they ought not to grant It ill becomes a good man to prefer a bad request, or to appear in bad cause. According to eastern customs it was plain that Adonija sought to be king, by his asking for Abishag as his wife, and Solomo could not be safe while he lived. Ambitious, turbulent spirits commonl prepare death for themselves. Many a head has been lost by catching a a crown.
Original Hebrew
ותאמר 559 יתן 5414 את 853 אבישׁג 49 השׁנמית 7767 לאדניהו 138 אחיך 251 לאשׁה׃ 802
