Adonijah

Adonijah (Heb. אֲדֹנִיָּה, אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ; “yhwh is my lord”), fourth son of King David by his wife Haggith of Hebron (ii Sam. 3:2 ff.; i Chron. 3:1 ff.). Kings 1:5–6 notes that his father had not disciplined him. After the death of his brothers Amnon, Absalom, and, presumably, Chileab, Adonijah conducted himself as heir apparent (i Kings 1:5–6). When David was on his deathbed, Adonijah attempted to seize power in order to forestall succession by Solomon. In this he was supported by such veteran courtiers of David as Joab and Abiathar, and by many members of the royal family and the courtiers of the tribe of Judah (ibid. 7). Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and others who had risen to prominence more recently, sided with Solomon (ibid. 8). Under Nathan’s influence, David ordered that Solomon should be anointed king in his own lifetime, in accordance with his promise to Bath-Sheba (ibid. 10 ff.). At first Solomon took no action against his brother (ibid. 50–53), but after David’s death, when Adonijah wished to marry Abishag the Shunammite, his father’s concubine, Solomon correctly interpreted this as a bid for the throne and had him executed (ibid. 2:13 ff.).

Other biblical figures of the same name were Adonijah a Levite who, with other Levites, priests, and princes, taught in the cities of Judah during the reign of Jehoshaphat (ii Chron. 17:8); and Adonijah, one of the leaders who signed the covenant in the days of Nehemiah (Neh. 10:17).

[Encyclopaedia Hebraica]

In the Aggadah

Adonijah was one of those who “set their eyes upon that which was not proper for them; what they sought was not granted to them; and what they possessed was taken from them” (Sot. 9b). The biblical verse “and he [Adonijah] was born after Absalom” (i Kings 1:6) is interpreted to mean that, although the two were of different mothers, they are mentioned together since Adonijah acted in the same way as Absalom in rebelling against the king (bb 109b). The extent of his rebellion is illustrated in the aggadic tradition that he even tried the crown on his head (Sanh. 21b) and according to Rashi (loc. cit.), it would not fit. The importance and danger of Adonijah’s rebellion is emphasized by the teaching that, although Solomon succeeded to the throne by the law of inheritance, he was ceremoniously anointed in order to counteract Adonijah’s claim (Mid. Tan. 106).

add. bibliography:

M. Cogan, i Kings (2000), 164–68.