And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants:
1 KINGS 1:9KJVWhat does 1 Kings 1:9 mean?
1 Kings 1:9 describes how Adonijah, one of King David’s sons, held a large sacrificial feast near the stone of Zoheleth by Enrogel, inviting all his royal brothers and the king’s officials from Judah. This gathering was part of Adonijah’s attempt to present himself as the next king while David was still alive.
The verse is set during a tense time in Israel’s royal family, as King David was old and weak, and there was uncertainty about who would succeed him. Adonijah took the initiative to gather support by hosting a public sacrifice and feast, inviting influential people but intentionally excluding some key figures, as the following verses show. This act was a political move to gain legitimacy as the next ruler.
The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 1:9
- אֲדֹנִיָּה (Adonijah, ’adoniyyāh): This is the name of David’s son who is trying to become king. The name means "Yahweh is my Lord," which is ironic given his actions here.
- זֹחֶלֶת (Zoheleth, zōḥeleṯ): This is the specific stone mentioned as the location of the feast. The name means "serpent" or "crawling thing," and it marks a real place near Jerusalem, giving the story a concrete setting.
- עֵין רֹגֵל (Enrogel, ‘ên rōgēl): This is a spring near Jerusalem, often used as a gathering place. Mentioning it helps locate the event geographically and suggests it was a public, visible act.
- זָבַח (slew, zāvaḥ): This word means "to sacrifice" animals, not just to kill them. It points to a religious ceremony, not just a meal, which would have given Adonijah’s actions a sense of official or sacred approval.
Why 1 Kings 1:9 matters
- The verse shows that Adonijah’s move to claim the throne was carefully planned and public, not a private or accidental event.
- By naming the location and the invited guests, the verse highlights who was included and, by implication, who was left out—setting up the tension with Solomon and his supporters.
- Understanding the sacrificial nature of the feast (not just a party, but a religious event) reveals how Adonijah was trying to use religious tradition to legitimize his claim to kingship.