The Meaning of 1 Kings 2:15 Explained

1 Kings 2:15

KJV: And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the LORD.

YLT: And he saith, 'Thou hast known that the kingdom was mine, and towards me set their faces had all Israel for reigning, and the kingdom is turned round about, and is my brother's, for from Jehovah it was his;

Darby: And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had set their faces on me that I should reign; but the kingdom is turned about and is become my brother's, for it was his from Jehovah.

ASV: And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's; for it was his from Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said,  Thou knowest  that the kingdom  was mine, and [that] all Israel  set  their faces  on me, that I should reign:  howbeit the kingdom  is turned about,  and is become my brother's:  for it was his from the LORD. 

What does 1 Kings 2:15 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 2:10-25 - A Foolish And Fatal Petition
So David's troubled life came to a close, but he has never ceased to lead the praises of the saints.
At the very beginning of his reign Solomon was confronted by a difficult problem. There was so close a connection in public opinion between the title to the crown and the possession of a deceased monarch's harem, that it would have been impossible to grant Adonijah's request without giving strong encouragement to his pretensions. Solomon treated Bathsheba with profound respect, but his love for her did not blind him to his duty to his realm, Proverbs 20:26.
Notice that solemn declaration, "As Jehovah liveth," 1 Kings 2:24. It was common to the godly of those days. See 1 Kings 17:1. They would not use the phrase lightly nor flippantly, but with a profound realization of standing in the presence of God. Let us recall those words of our Lord, "As the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father," John 6:57, and let us draw daily on His life, so that we may live-yet not we, but he in us and we in Him, Galatians 2:20.
1 Kings 2:1-46 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Revelation 6:9-10.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Ezekiel 46:18. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 2

1  David, having given a charge to Solomon
3  of Reverence
5  of Joab
7  of Barzillai
8  of Shimei
10  Solomon succeeds
12  Adonijah, moving Bathsheba to ask unto Solomon for Abishag,
13  is put to death
26  Abiathar, having his life given him, is deprived of the priesthood
28  Joab fleeing to the horns of the altar, is there slain
35  Benaiah is put in Joab's room, and Zadfok in Abiathar's
36  Shimei, confined to Jerusalem, by occasion of going to Gath, is put to death

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 2:15 mean?

And he said You know that mine was the kingdom and on me had set all Israel their expectations that I should reign and However has been turned over the kingdom and has become of my brother for from Yahweh it was his
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אַ֤תְּ יָדַ֙עַתְּ֙ כִּי־ לִי֙ הָיְתָ֣ה הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה וְעָלַ֞י שָׂ֧מוּ כָֽל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם לִמְלֹ֑ךְ וַתִּסֹּ֤ב הַמְּלוּכָה֙ וַתְּהִ֣י לְאָחִ֔י כִּ֥י מֵיְהוָ֖ה הָ֥יְתָה לּֽוֹ

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יָדַ֙עַתְּ֙  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
כִּי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
לִי֙  mine 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה  the  kingdom 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְלוּכָה  
Sense: kingship, royalty, kingly office.
וְעָלַ֞י  and  on  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
שָׂ֧מוּ  had  set 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם  their  expectations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
לִמְלֹ֑ךְ  that  I  should  reign 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
וַתִּסֹּ֤ב  and  However  has  been  turned  over 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
הַמְּלוּכָה֙  the  kingdom 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְלוּכָה  
Sense: kingship, royalty, kingly office.
וַתְּהִ֣י  and  has  become 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְאָחִ֔י  of  my  brother 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
מֵיְהוָ֖ה  from  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הָ֥יְתָה  it  was 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לּֽוֹ  his 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular