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Monday, July 28th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

1 Kings 2:17

"I know King Solomon will do anything you ask him," Adonijah continued. "Please ask him to give me Abishag the Shunammite to be my wife."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abishag;   Adonijah;   Bath-Sheba (Bathsheba);   Influence;   Intercession;   Shunammite;   Thompson Chain Reference - Infatuation;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Joab;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abishag;   Adonijah;   Bathsheba;   Solomon;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Concubine;   Widow;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Preaching;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Abishag;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Abner;   Bathsheba;   Ishbosheth;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abishag;   Adonijah;   Shunem, Shunammites;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abishag;   Adonijah;   Bathsheba;   Reuben;   Solomon;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Abishag ;   Bathsheba ;   Shimei ;   Shunammite ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Adonijah;   Talent;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Shu'nammite, the,;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abishag;   Heir;   Shunammite;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Abishag;   Adonijah;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Abishag;   Bilhah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He replied, “Please speak to King Solomon since he won’t turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.”
Hebrew Names Version
He said, Please speak to Shlomo the king (for he will not tell you 'no'), that he give me Avishag the Shunammite as wife.
King James Version
And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
English Standard Version
And he said, "Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife."
New English Translation
He said, "Please ask King Solomon if he would give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, for he won't refuse you."
Amplified Bible
He said, "Please speak to King Solomon, for he will not refuse you; ask that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife."
New American Standard Bible
Then he said, "Please speak to Solomon the king—for he will not refuse you—that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he sayd, Speake, I pray thee, vnto Salomon ye King, (for he will not say thee nay) that he giue me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said, "Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not turn you away, that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife."
Contemporary English Version
"Please ask Solomon to let me marry Abishag. He won't say no to you."
Complete Jewish Bible
He said, "Please speak to Shlomo the king — for he won't say ‘No' to you — and ask him to give me Avishag the Shunamit as my wife."
Darby Translation
And he said, Speak, I pray thee, to Solomon the king—for he will not refuse thee—that he give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.
Easy-to-Read Version
Adonijah said, "I know that King Solomon will do whatever you ask. So please ask him to let me marry Abishag, the woman from Shunem."
George Lamsa Translation
And he said to her, Speak to King Solomon (for he will not refuse you) that he give me Abishag the Shilommite to wife.
Good News Translation
He answered, "Please ask King Solomon—I know he won't refuse you—to let me have Abishag, the young woman from Shunem, as my wife."
Lexham English Bible
He said, "Please speak to King Solomon, for he will not refuse you, so that he will give to me Abishag the Shunnamite as wife."
Literal Translation
And he said, Please speak to King Solomon, for he will not turn away your face, that he give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He sayde: Speake vnto kynge Salomon (for he shall not shame thy face) that he maye geue me Abisag to wyfe.
American Standard Version
And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king (for he will not say thee nay), that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
Bible in Basic English
Then he said, Will you go to Solomon the king (for he will not say, No, to you) and put before him my request that he will give me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he said: Speake I pray thee, vnto Solomo the king (for he wil not say thee nay) that he geue me Abisag the Sunamite to wyfe.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said: 'Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king--for he will not say thee nay--that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.'
King James Version (1611)
And hee saide, Speake, I pray thee, vnto Solomon the king (for hee will not say thee nay) that he giue me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said to her, Speak, I pray thee, to king Solomon, for he will not turn away his face from thee, and let him give me Abisag the Somanite for a wife.
English Revised Version
And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
Berean Standard Bible
Adonijah replied, "Please speak to King Solomon, since he will not turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
that thou seie to Salomon the king; for he may not denye ony thing to thee; that he yyue to me Abisag of Sunam wijf.
Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, `Speak, I pray thee, to Solomon the king, for he doth not turn back thy face, and he doth give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.'
Update Bible Version
And he said, Speak, I pray you, to Solomon the king (for he will not say no to you), that he give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, Speak, I pray thee, to Solomon the king, (for he will not say to thee no,) that he give me Abishag the Shunamite for a wife.
World English Bible
He said, Please speak to Solomon the king (for he will not tell you 'no'), that he give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.
New King James Version
Then he said, "Please speak to King Solomon, for he will not refuse you, that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife."
New Living Translation
He replied, "Speak to King Solomon on my behalf, for I know he will do anything you request. Ask him to let me marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem."
New Life Bible
He said, "I beg you, speak to Solomon the king. For he will not say no to you. Ask him to give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife."
New Revised Standard
He said, "Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And she said unto him - Say on. And he said - Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, for he will not turn away thy face, - that he give me Abishag the Shunammite, to wife.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said I pray thee speak to king Solomon (for he cannot deny thee any thing) to give me Abisag, the Sunamitess, to wife.
Revised Standard Version
And he said, "Pray ask King Solomon--he will not refuse you--to give me Ab'ishag the Shu'nammite as my wife."
THE MESSAGE
"Ask King Solomon—he won't turn you down—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then he said, "Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not refuse you, that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife."

Contextual Overview

12 Solomon became king after David, his father, and he was in firm control of his kingdom. 13 At this time Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. "Do you come in peace?" Bathsheba asked. "Yes. This is a peaceful visit," Adonijah answered. 14 "I have something to say to you." "You may speak," she said. 15 "You remember that at one time the kingdom was mine," Adonijah said. "All the people of Israel recognized me as their king, but things have changed. Now my brother is the king, because the Lord chose him. 16 Now I have one thing to ask you; please do not refuse me." Bathsheba answered, "What do you want?" 17 "I know King Solomon will do anything you ask him," Adonijah continued. "Please ask him to give me Abishag the Shunammite to be my wife." 18 "Very well," she answered. "I will speak to the king for you." 19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. When Solomon saw her, he stood up to meet her, then bowed down, and sat on the throne. He told some servants to bring another throne for his mother. Then she sat down at his right side. 20 Bathsheba said, "I have one small thing to ask you. Please do not refuse me." "Ask, mother," the king answered. "I will not refuse you." 21 So she said, "Allow Abishag the Shunammite to marry your brother Adonijah."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Abishag: 1 Kings 1:2-4, 2 Samuel 3:7, 2 Samuel 12:8

Reciprocal: Genesis 23:8 - entreat Joshua 19:18 - Shunem 2 Samuel 16:21 - unto thy 1 Kings 1:3 - Abishag

Cross-References

Genesis 2:1
So the sky, the earth, and all that filled them were finished.
Genesis 2:4
This is the story of the creation of the sky and the earth. When the Lord God first made the earth and the sky,
Genesis 2:6
but a mist would rise up from the earth and water all the ground.
Genesis 2:9
The Lord God caused every beautiful tree and every tree that was good for food to grow out of the ground. In the middle of the garden, God put the tree that gives life and also the tree that gives the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:10
A river flowed through Eden and watered the garden. From there the river branched out to become four rivers.
Genesis 2:12
The gold of that land is excellent. Bdellium and onyx are also found there.
Genesis 2:13
The second river, named Gihon, flows around the whole land of Cush.
Genesis 2:18
Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is right for him."
Genesis 2:20
The man gave names to all the tame animals, to the birds in the sky, and to all the wild animals. But Adam did not find a helper that was right for him.
Genesis 2:21
So the Lord God caused the man to sleep very deeply, and while he was asleep, God removed one of the man's ribs. Then God closed up the man's skin at the place where he took the rib.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said, speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king,.... He owns him to be king, and which he the rather did to engage her to take his suit in hand, and to cover his design:

for he will not say thee nay; or turn away thy face, or deny thy request; she being his mother, for whom he had a great affection, and to whom he was under obligation on all accounts:

that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife; which was contrary to the law of God, Leviticus 18:8; which surely Adonijah must have been ignorant of, and Bathsheba likewise; or the one would never have made such a request, nor the other have undertaken to try to obtain it; but perhaps they did not take her to be David's wife, or the marriage to be consummated, because he knew her not: but yet not being returned to her father's house, and being at the dispose of Solomon, prove that she must be a concubine wife, and which became the property of the next heir and successor; see 2 Samuel 12:8; nor did Adonijah apply to her or her friends; which, if he was really in love with her, he would have done, if at her own or their disposal; but this he knew, that she was solely at the disposal of Solomon, to whom he did not care to apply himself, but makes use of his mother.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 2:17. That he give me Abishag - to wife. — He cheerfully gives up all right to the kingdom, and only desires to have this young woman, who, though she had been his father's wife or concubine, was still in a state of virginity. Some think that Joab and Abiathar had advised Adonijah to make this application, not doubting, if he got Abishag, that the popular tide would again turn in his favour, and that Solomon, whom they did not like, might soon be deposed; and that it was on this account that Solomon was so severe. But there is little evidence to support these conjectures. It does not appear that Adonijah by desiring to have Abishag had any thought of the kingdom, or of maintaining any right to it, though Solomon appears to have understood him in this sense. But without farther evidence, this was a flimsy pretext to imbrue his hands in a brother's blood. The fable of the wolf and lamb is here very applicable, and the old English proverb not less so: It is an easy thing to find a staff to beat a dog with. We readily find an excuse for whatever we are determined to do. He who attempts to varnish over this conduct of Solomon by either state necessity or a Divine command, is an enemy, in my mind, to the cause of God and truth. See on 1 Kings 2:25.


 
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