Bible Strands
1 Kings 1:49
At this, all the guests of Adonijah arose in terror and scattered.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the immediate reaction of Adonijah’s invited guests upon hearing Solomon’s coronation proclamation. They abandon his banquet the moment the Davidic succession is formally declared.
The words — The Hebrew verbs וַ/יֶּֽחֶרְדוּ (va/i.ye.cher.Du, “they trembled”) and וַ/יֵּלְכ֖וּ (va/i.ye.le.Khu, “they went”) frame the scene. The text states their physical flight before describing Adonijah’s subsequent movement to the altar.
The thread — This sequence of sudden dread and dispersal aligns with the pattern in Proverbs 28:1 and Isaiah 21:4. The narrative structure mirrors the abrupt collapse of human confidence seen in Daniel 5:4 through its juxtaposition of prior celebration with immediate flight.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to observe that political alliances dissolve instantly when sovereign authority is established. It demands recognition that human gatherings lack permanence when confronted with recognized power.
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 all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
- Isaiah 21:4 My heart falters; fear makes me tremble. The twilight I desired has turned to horror.
- Daniel 5:4 As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.