Bible Strands
1 Kings 1:45
Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon, and they have gone up from there with rejoicing that rings out in the city. That is the noise you hear.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — A messenger reports to Bathsheba and Solomon the moment Zadok and Nathan complete the anointing at Gihon and ascend with loud rejoicing. The report explains the specific noise the listeners are currently hearing.
The words — The verb וַ/יִּמְשְׁח֣וּ (va/i.yim.she.Chu) literally means "and they have anointed," while בְּ/גִח֗וֹן (be./gi.Chon) identifies the location "at Gihon." These terms anchor the royal transition to a specific priestly act and geographic site.
The thread — The verse echoes the loud public acclamation at 1 Kings 1:40 where the earth split from the sound of rejoicing. It parallels the ground-shaking shouts recorded at 1 Samuel 4:5 when sacred presence or authority enters a space.
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to recognize that legitimate authority in this narrative is established through prophetic and priestly action at a public site. It demands acknowledgment that royal power here depends on visible, audible confirmation rather than private decree.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 1:40 All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth was split by the sound.
- 1 Samuel 4:5 When the ark of the covenant of the LORD entered the camp, all the Israelites raised such a great shout that the ground shook.
- 1 Samuel 28:14 “What does he look like?” asked Saul. “An old man is coming up,” she replied. “And he is wearing a robe.” So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed facedown in reverence.
- 1 Kings 14:6 So when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet entering the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you disguised? For I have been sent to you with bad news.
- Ezra 3:13 The people could not distinguish the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people were making so much noise. And the sound was heard from afar.
- Daniel 5:26 And this is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.