The Meaning of 1 Kings 1:25 Explained

1 Kings 1:25

KJV: For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah.

YLT: for he hath gone down to-day, and doth sacrifice ox, and fatling, and sheep, in abundance, and calleth for all the sons of the king, and for the heads of the host, and for Abiathar the priest, and lo, they are eating and drinking before him, and they say, Let king Adonijah live!

Darby: For he is gone down this day, and has sacrificed oxen and fatted cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah!

ASV: For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and say, Long live king Adonijah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For he is gone down  this day,  and hath slain  oxen  and fat cattle  and sheep  in abundance,  and hath called  all the king's  sons,  and the captains  of the host,  and Abiathar  the priest;  and, behold, they eat  and drink  before  him, and say,  God save  king  Adonijah. 

What does 1 Kings 1:25 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 1:15-27 - Learning The King's Will
The attempt of the usurper was met and defeated through Nathan's prompt action, and by the concerted appeal that he and Bathsheba made to the king, who seems to have sunk into premature old age. Bathsheba and David probably met for the last time on this dark day, and each of them must have remembered the solemn promise given them years before, through Nathan, who was still with them as friend and counselor. Much had happened since, but, amid all the changes in human affairs, the word of God is immutable and the promise of 1 Chronicles 22:9 must stand.
Probably only Bathsheba and Nathan knew of that solemn compact; and, knowing it, they at once took action. It is not enough that God should make a promise to His people; they must claim its fulfillment and put themselves at His disposal, that it may be fulfilled through them. The ancient prediction that the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord is true, but we must pray for and hasten its advent.
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 1:25 mean?

for he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance and has invited all sons of the king and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest and look they are eating and drinking before him and they say [Long] live King Adonijah
כִּ֣י ׀ יָרַ֣ד הַיּ֗וֹם וַ֠יִּזְבַּח שׁ֥וֹר וּֽמְרִיא־ וְצֹאן֮ לָרֹב֒ וַיִּקְרָא֩ לְכָל־ בְּנֵ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ וּלְשָׂרֵ֤י הַצָּבָא֙ וּלְאֶבְיָתָ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְהִנָּ֛ם אֹכְלִ֥ים וְשֹׁתִ֖ים לְפָנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ יְחִ֖י הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אֲדֹנִיָּֽהוּ

יָרַ֣ד  he  has  gone  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
הַיּ֗וֹם  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וַ֠יִּזְבַּח  and  has  sacrificed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָבַח  
Sense: to slaughter, kill, sacrifice, slaughter for sacrifice.
שׁ֥וֹר  oxen 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁור  
Sense: ox, bull, a head of cattle.
וּֽמְרִיא־  and  fattened  cattle 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָרָא 
Sense: well-fed, fatling.
וְצֹאן֮  and  sheep 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
לָרֹב֒  in  abundance 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹב  
Sense: multitude, abundance, greatness.
וַיִּקְרָא֩  and  has  invited 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
בְּנֵ֨י  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וּלְשָׂרֵ֤י  and  the  commanders 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
הַצָּבָא֙  of  the  army 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
וּלְאֶבְיָתָ֣ר  and  Abiathar 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶבְיָתָר  
Sense: priest, son of Ahitub (Ahimelech), faithful to David, but later rebelled with Adonijah.
הַכֹּהֵ֔ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וְהִנָּ֛ם  and  look 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection, third person masculine plural
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
אֹכְלִ֥ים  they  are  eating 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וְשֹׁתִ֖ים  and  drinking 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.
לְפָנָ֑יו  before  him 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ  and  they  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְחִ֖י  [Long]  live 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ  King 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֲדֹנִיָּֽהוּ  Adonijah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹונִיָּה 
Sense: fourth son of David and Solomon’s rival for the throne.