The Meaning of 1 Kings 1:2 Explained

1 Kings 1:2

KJV: Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

YLT: and his servants say to him, 'Let them seek for my lord the king a young woman, a virgin, and she hath stood before the king, and is to him a companion, and hath lain in thy bosom, and my lord the king hath heat.'

Darby: And his servants said to him, Let there be found for my lord the king a young virgin; and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get warm.

ASV: Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and cherish him; and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wherefore his servants  said  unto him, Let there be sought  for my lord  the king  a young  virgin:  and let her stand  before  the king,  and let her cherish  him, and let her lie  in thy bosom,  that my lord  the king  may get heat. 

What does 1 Kings 1:2 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 1:1-14 - A Self-Seeker's Scheme
Adonijah was the fourth son of David, but probably the oldest of those who survived. He was born after Absalom, and like him was goodly in appearance, ambitious in spirit, and equally spoiled by his father's indulgence, 1 Kings 1:6. His attempt to usurp the kingdom reminds us of another great usurper. Satan, we know, in one last desperate effort, will try to secure the empire of the world. But when the people rage and the rulers devise, Psalms 2:1-2; Psalms 2:4, Heaven will laugh at them. The Lamb that was slain is the destined King of men, Revelation 11:15. The book of destiny is in the pierced hand. The government is upon Christ's shoulders. He declares the decree, "The Lord saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool," Psalms 110:1.
We look out on the world which is rent by revolt. The prince of this world is attracting to himself the Joabs and Abiathars. They make merry, but do not realize that the hour is at hand when they shall cry to the rocks and the hills to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb, Revelation 6:16. Remember the counsel of Augustine, "If you would flee from God, flee to Him!"
1 Kings 1:1-53 - 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; Ezekiel 46:18.
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 Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 1

1  Abishag cherishes David in his extreme age
5  Adonijah, David's darling, usurps the kingdom
11  By the council of Nathan
15  Bathsheba moves the king
22  And Nathan seconds her
28  David renews his oath to Bathsheba
32  Solomon, by David's appointment,
38  being anointed king by Zadok and Nathan, the people triumph
41  Jonathan bringing the news, Adonijah's guests fly
50  Adonijah, flying to the horns of the altar, is dismissed by Solomon

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

Therefore said to him his servants let be sought for our lord the king a young woman a virgin and let her stand before the king and let her for him care and let her lie in your bosom that may be warm our lord the king
וַיֹּ֧אמְרוּ ל֣וֹ עֲבָדָ֗יו יְבַקְשׁ֞וּ לַאדֹנִ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ נַעֲרָ֣ה בְתוּלָ֔ה וְעָֽמְדָה֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וּתְהִי־ ל֖וֹ סֹכֶ֑נֶת וְשָׁכְבָ֣ה בְחֵיקֶ֔ךָ וְחַ֖ם לַאדֹנִ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ

וַיֹּ֧אמְרוּ  Therefore  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
ל֣וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
עֲבָדָ֗יו  his  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
יְבַקְשׁ֞וּ  let  be  sought 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
לַאדֹנִ֤י  for  our  lord 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
נַעֲרָ֣ה  a  young  woman 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נַעֲרָה  
Sense: girl, damsel, female servant.
בְתוּלָ֔ה  a  virgin 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּתוּלָה  
Sense: virgin.
וְעָֽמְדָה֙  and  let  her  stand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וּתְהִי־  and  let  her 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
ל֖וֹ  for  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
סֹכֶ֑נֶת  care 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: סָכַן 
Sense: to be of use or service or profit or benefit.
וְשָׁכְבָ֣ה  and  let  her  lie 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
בְחֵיקֶ֔ךָ  in  your  bosom 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חֹוק 
Sense: bosom, hollow, bottom, midst.
וְחַ֖ם  that  may  be  warm 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָמַם  
Sense: to be hot, become warm.
לַאדֹנִ֥י  our  lord 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.