(1) King David was now old, advanced in years; and though they covered him with bedclothes, he never felt warm. (2) His courtiers said to him, “Let a young virgin be sought for my lord the king, to wait upon Your Majesty and be his attendant; and let her lie in your bosom, and my lord the king will be warm.” (3) So they looked for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel. They found Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the king. (4) The girl was exceedingly beautiful. She became the king’s attendant and waited upon him; but the king was not intimate with her.
The Gemara clarifies: The story of Abishag, what is it? As it is written: “Now King David was old and stricken in years…and his servants said to him, let there be sought…a young virgin…and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may get heat” (I Kings 1:1–2); and it is written: “So they sought for a beautiful maiden…and found Abishag” (I Kings 1:1–3); and it is written: “And the maiden was very beautiful and she became a companion to the king and ministered to him, but the king did not know her” (I Kings 1:1–4). Abishag said to King David: Marry me. King David said to her: You are forbidden to me, as I already have eighteen wives.
With regard to modesty in a bathroom, the Gemara cites an additional biblical allusion. When David found Saul in the cave and spared him, tearing the corner of his coat, he said to him: “Behold this day, your eyes have seen how the Lord has delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and he said to kill you; and you spared you” (I Samuel 24:10). The Gemara asks: Why does the verse say: And he said? It should say: And I said. Why does the verse say: And you spared? It should say: And I spared. Rather, Rabbi Elazar said: David said to Saul: By Torah law, you should be killed, as you are a pursuer who seeks to kill me, and the Torah says: If one comes to kill you, kill him first. But it was the modesty that you displayed that spared you. And what is this modesty? As it is written: “And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to cover his feet, to defecate. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave” (I Samuel 24:3). It was taught that the Sages said: There was a fence within a fence, and a cave within a cave, and Saul entered to defecate in the interest of modesty. With regard to the use of the term, to cover his feet, Rabbi Elazar said: This teaches that, even there, he covered himself with his garment like a sukka. The Gemara continues with a homiletic interpretation of the verse: “Then David arose, and cut off the corner of Saul’s robe privily” (I Samuel 24:4). Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: Anyone who treats clothing with contempt, like David who tore Saul’s robe for no reason, will be punished in that ultimately he will not benefit from his garments, as it is stated: “Now King David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he could get no heat” (I Kings 1:1).
(5) Now Adonijah son of Haggith went about boasting, “I will be king!” He provided himself with chariots and horses, and an escort of fifty outrunners. (6) His father had never scolded him: “Why did you do that?” He was the one born after Absalom and, like him, was very handsome. (7) He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with the priest Abiathar, and they supported Adonijah; (8) but the priest Zadok, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the prophet Nathan, Shimei and Rei, and David’s own fighting men did not side with Adonijah.
(2) Sons were born to David in Hebron: His first-born was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel; (3) his second was Chileab, by Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite; the third was Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; (4) the fourth was Adonijah son of Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah son of Abital;
(1) Sometime afterward, Absalom provided himself with a chariot, horses, and fifty outrunners.
(9) Adonijah made a sacrificial feast of sheep, oxen, and fatlings at the Zoheleth stone which is near En-rogel; he invited all his brother princes and all the king’s courtiers of the tribe of Judah; (10) but he did not invite the prophet Nathan, or Benaiah, or the fighting men, or his brother Solomon. (11) Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “You must have heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has assumed the kingship without the knowledge of our lord David. (12) Now take my advice, so that you may save your life and the life of your son Solomon. (13) Go immediately to King David and say to him, ‘Did not you, O lord king, swear to your maidservant: “Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit upon my throne”? Then why has Adonijah become king?’ (14) While you are still there talking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”
נשבעת לאמתך. יודע היה נתן שנשבע לה ששמע זה ממנה ולמה נשבע לה אמרו כי כשמת הילד אמרה בת שבע הילד מת מפני העון אפילו יהיה לי ממך בן של קיימא יבוזו אותו אחיו מפני שבאתי אליך בעון מתחלה ולא רצתה להזקק לו עד שנשבע לה כי הבן שיהיה לו ממנה ראשונה ימלוך אחריו ואמר לה כי על פי הנבואה נאמר לו זה:
Natan the prophet knew that David had sworn an oath to her, as she had told this to him. And why did David make an oath to her? After their child died, Batsheva said, "The child died because of our sin. Even if we have a son who lives, he will be ridiculed by his brothers as an object of sin." And she refused to be intimate with David until he vowed that her firstborn son would succeed him as king.
(24) David consoled his wife Bathsheba; he went to her and lay with her. She bore a son and she named him Solomon. The LORD favored him, (25) and He sent a message through the prophet Nathan; and he was named Jedidiah at the instance of the LORD.
(15) So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber.—The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was waiting on the king.— (16) Bathsheba bowed low in homage to the king; and the king asked, “What troubles you?” (17) She answered him, “My lord, you yourself swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God: ‘Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit upon my throne.’ (18) Yet now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, know nothing about it. (19) He has prepared a sacrificial feast of a great many oxen, fatlings, and sheep, and he has invited all the king’s sons and Abiathar the priest and Joab commander of the army; but he has not invited your servant Solomon. (20) And so the eyes of all Israel are upon you, O lord king, to tell them who shall succeed my lord the king on the throne. (21) Otherwise, when my lord the king lies down with his fathers, my son Solomon and I will be regarded as traitors.”
(22) She was still talking to the king when the prophet Nathan arrived. (23) They announced to the king, “The prophet Nathan is here,” and he entered the king’s presence. Bowing low to the king with his face to the ground, (24) Nathan said, “O lord king, you must have said, ‘Adonijah shall succeed me as king and he shall sit upon my throne.’ (25) For he has gone down today and prepared a sacrificial feast of a great many oxen, fatlings, and sheep. He invited all the king’s sons and the army officers and Abiathar the priest. At this very moment they are eating and drinking with him, and they are shouting, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ (26) But he did not invite me your servant, or the priest Zadok, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your servant Solomon. (27) Can this decision have come from my lord the king, without your telling your servant who is to succeed to the throne of my lord the king?” (28) King David’s response was: “Summon Bathsheba!” She entered the king’s presence and stood before the king. (29) And the king took an oath, saying, “As the LORD lives, who has rescued me from every trouble: (30) The oath I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, that your son Solomon should succeed me as king and that he should sit upon my throne in my stead, I will fulfill this very day!” (31) Bathsheba bowed low in homage to the king with her face to the ground, and she said, “May my lord King David live forever!”
(32) Then King David said, “Summon to me the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, (33) the king said to them, “Take my loyal soldiers, and have my son Solomon ride on my mule and bring him down to Gihon. (34) Let the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan anoint him there king over Israel, whereupon you shall sound the horn and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ (35) Then march up after him, and let him come in and sit on my throne. For he shall succeed me as king; him I designate to be ruler of Israel and Judah.” (36) Benaiah son of Jehoiada spoke up and said to the king, “Amen! And may the LORD, the God of my lord the king, so ordain. (37) As the LORD was with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon; and may He exalt his throne even higher than the throne of my lord King David.” (38) Then the priest Zadok, and the prophet Nathan, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada went down with the Cherethites and the Pelethites. They had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and they led him to Gihon. (39) The priest Zadok took the horn of oil from the Tent and anointed Solomon. They sounded the horn and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” (40) All the people then marched up behind him, playing on flutes and making merry till the earth was split open by the uproar.
(41) Adonijah and all the guests who were with him, who had just finished eating, heard it. When Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said, “Why is the city in such an uproar?” (42) He was still speaking when the priest Jonathan son of Abiathar arrived. “Come in,” said Adonijah. “You are a worthy man, and you surely bring good news.” (43) But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, “Alas, our lord King David has made Solomon king! (44) The king sent with him the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and Pelethites. They had him ride on the king’s mule, (45) and the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan anointed him king at Gihon. Then they came up from there making merry, and the city went into an uproar. That’s the noise you heard. (46) Further, Solomon seated himself on the royal throne; (47) further, the king’s courtiers came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May God make the renown of Solomon even greater than yours, and may He exalt his throne even higher than yours!’ And the king bowed low on his couch. (48) And further, this is what the king said, ‘Praised be the LORD, the God of Israel who has this day provided a successor to my throne, while my own eyes can see it.’” (49) Thereupon, all of Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and each went his own way. (50) Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went at once [to the Tent] and grasped the horns of the altar. (51) It was reported to Solomon: “Adonijah is in fear of King Solomon and has grasped the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon first swear to me that he will not put his servant to the sword.’” (52) Solomon said, “If he behaves worthily, not a hair of his head shall fall to the ground; but if he is caught in any offense, he shall die.” (53) So King Solomon sent and had him taken down from the altar. He came and bowed before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go home.”