The Meaning of 1 Kings 1:5 Explained

1 Kings 1:5

KJV: Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

YLT: And Adonijah son of Haggith is lifting himself up, saying, 'I do reign;' and he prepareth for himself a chariot and horsemen, and fifty men running before him,

Darby: And Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king; and he provided himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

ASV: Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then Adonijah  the son  of Haggith  exalted  himself, saying,  I will be king:  and he prepared  him chariots  and horsemen,  and fifty  men  to run  before  him. 

What does 1 Kings 1:5 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 1:5 mean?

And Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself saying I will be king And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him
וַאֲדֹנִיָּ֧ה בֶן־ חַגִּ֛ית מִתְנַשֵּׂ֥א לֵאמֹ֖ר אֲנִ֣י אֶמְלֹ֑ךְ וַיַּ֣עַשׂ ל֗וֹ רֶ֚כֶב וּפָ֣רָשִׁ֔ים וַחֲמִשִּׁ֥ים אִ֖ישׁ רָצִ֥ים לְפָנָֽיו

וַאֲדֹנִיָּ֧ה  And  Adonijah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹונִיָּה 
Sense: fourth son of David and Solomon’s rival for the throne.
בֶן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
חַגִּ֛ית  of  Haggith 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חַגִּית  
Sense: a wife of David and mother of Adonijah.
מִתְנַשֵּׂ֥א  exalted  himself 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
לֵאמֹ֖ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֶמְלֹ֑ךְ  will  be  king 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
וַיַּ֣עַשׂ  And  he  prepared 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
ל֗וֹ  for  himself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
רֶ֚כֶב  chariots 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
וּפָ֣רָשִׁ֔ים  and  horsemen 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: פָּרָשׁ 
Sense: horse, steed, warhorse.
וַחֲמִשִּׁ֥ים  and  fifty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, common plural
Root: חֲמִשִּׁים 
Sense: fifty.
אִ֖ישׁ  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
רָצִ֥ים  to  run 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: רוּץ 
Sense: to run.
לְפָנָֽיו  before  him 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.