3 Kingdoms

Chapter 1

Abishag/Abisak warms King David
Adonias/Adonijah plans to succeed David
The prophet Nathan tells Bathsheba the plan
Bathsheba comes before David and bows to him telling him Adonias is seeking the kingdom. Nathan follows after her.
David confirms Solomon is to be king.
Solomon anointed king, he agrees to spare Adonias for good behavior.

Portions of 3 Kings are rearranged in Greek from Hebrew
Solomon anointed King
Solomon commanded to clean house, to kill Joab and Shimei
David dies
v 12 transition in Greek (NETS): Kaige to old Greek
Adonijah asks Bathsheba for Abishag
Bathsheba goes to the Solomon
King Solomon bows before his mother and sets her on a throne next to him as Queen Mother
She makes Adonijah’s request. King Solomon sees it as a request for the Kingdom
The priest Abiathar is banished
Joab fled to the altar, and Solomon has him killed from there.
in Greek, long section in v35 that is from other parts of 3 Kings
- discusses Solomon’s wisdom, marriages, the Temple, and reintroduces Shimei
Shimei is bound to Jerusalem to not gather support from elsewhere.
After 3 years, Shimei leaves Jerusalem and is killed.
Extended portion in v 46 that is from chapter 4 in Hebrew
- Discusses Solomon’s wealth.

Solomon wants to build a temple
Solomon requests wisdom
- Echo of garden of Eden? but then it says it pleased the Lord
- Yet from Solomon’s arc, he did not stay close to the Lord
- v 12 “I have done according to your word” contrast with Mary, “let it be according to your word”
- perhaps we should pray like St Tikhon, “I know not what to ask; give me what is needful for me”
Lengthening of days conditional upon Solomon walking with the Lord
Solomon discerns between prostitutes.

Largely chapter 4 in English numbering.

Solomon ruled his kingdom with wisdom
The kingdom prospered economically, but Solomon married foreign women to secure alliances
Solomon contracts with Lebanon for the timber of the Temple

The Greek text continues to be arranged differently from the Hebrew, with the temple described first and then Solomon’s palace
v1 (13) Solomon obtains Ḥiram from Tyre as the craftsman of the temple
dimensions of various aspects of the temple
v38 (1) Solomon’s palace described (in far fewer verses)

The ark of the covenant is placed in the Temple
vv 10–11 The glory of the Lord so thick the priests could not minister
vv 22 ff Solomon’s prayer Cf. Consecration of a Church
But (at least in translation from Greek) it seems that Solomon is not as much asking God to listen, but asserting he will.
Solomon commands the people to obey the words of the Lord.
Solomon offers a sacrifice and the people feast 7 days.

The Lord again appears to Solomon
The Lord hears Solomon’s prayer and consecrates the temple
Again the Lord promises the kingdom forever, if he walks as David did.
But if he turns aside, he will remove Israel from the land and leave (deconsecrate) the Temple
9a Greek (24 Hebrew) Solomon brings up Pharaoh’s daughter to his own house.
Relation with Hiram described.

King Solomon also multiplies women to himself.
This turned his heart from God in his old age. And he built pagan shrines
v14 God raised up a satan LXX an adversary to trouble him from Edom.
v26 Jeroboam introduced, God to tear from Solomon the kingdom.
v38 If Jeroboam kept all the laws of God like David did, God promised to build him a sure house like David.
Solomon tries to kill Jeroboam and he flees to Egypt
Solomon reigned 40 years and died.

King Rehoboam was asked to lighten forced service.
He meets with counselors but listens to young foolish ones and decides to increase forced service.
The wise counselors counsel by advising the king serve the people, and they will serve him.
Israel declares they have no portion in David’s house so they leave.
Jeroboam was then asked to be king of Northern Kingdom.
v. 24 Section from 11 in Hebrew, displaced here: about the death of Solomon and ascension of Rehoboam.
Note name of Queen Mother.
Introduction of Jeroboam, recaps pts of ch 11.
Information about the sickness of Jeroboam’s son. (ch 14 from Hebrew).
Jerobaom’s son dies as judgment from the Lord.
v 24p Repetition of Rehoboam from earlier in chapter.
v 25 Jeroboam built Shechem the capital.
Jeroboam sets up the golden calves.