Introduction: In פס. י''א-כ''ז, the story of אדונהו's rebellion is repeated a total of four times? Why and what can we learn about telling the truth from these multiple versions?
(ה) וַאֲדֹנִיָּ֧ה בֶן־חַגִּ֛ית מִתְנַשֵּׂ֥א לֵאמֹ֖ר אֲנִ֣י אֶמְלֹ֑ךְ וַיַּ֣עַשׂ ל֗וֹ רֶ֚כֶב וּפָ֣רָשִׁ֔ים וַחֲמִשִּׁ֥ים אִ֖ישׁ רָצִ֥ים לְפָנָֽיו׃ (ו) וְלֹֽא־עֲצָב֨וֹ אָבִ֤יו מִיָּמָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר מַדּ֖וּעַ כָּ֣כָה עָשִׂ֑יתָ וְגַם־ה֤וּא טֽוֹב־תֹּ֙אַר֙ מְאֹ֔ד וְאֹת֥וֹ יָלְדָ֖ה אַחֲרֵ֥י אַבְשָׁלֽוֹם׃ (ז) וַיִּהְי֣וּ דְבָרָ֔יו עִ֚ם יוֹאָ֣ב בֶּן־צְרוּיָ֔ה וְעִ֖ם אֶבְיָתָ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וַֽיַּעְזְר֔וּ אַחֲרֵ֖י אֲדֹנִיָּֽה׃ (ח) וְצָד֣וֹק הַ֠כֹּהֵ֠ן וּבְנָיָ֨הוּ בֶן־יְהוֹיָדָ֜ע וְנָתָ֤ן הַנָּבִיא֙ וְשִׁמְעִ֣י וְרֵעִ֔י וְהַגִּבּוֹרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְדָוִ֑ד לֹ֥א הָי֖וּ עִם־אֲדֹנִיָּֽהוּ׃ (ט) וַיִּזְבַּ֣ח אֲדֹנִיָּ֗הוּ צֹ֤אן וּבָקָר֙ וּמְרִ֔יא עִ֚ם אֶ֣בֶן הַזֹּחֶ֔לֶת אֲשֶׁר־אֵ֖צֶל עֵ֣ין רֹגֵ֑ל וַיִּקְרָ֗א אֶת־כׇּל־אֶחָיו֙ בְּנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וּלְכׇל־אַנְשֵׁ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה עַבְדֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (י) וְֽאֶת־נָתָן֩ הַנָּבִ֨יא וּבְנָיָ֜הוּ וְֽאֶת־הַגִּבּוֹרִ֛ים וְאֶת־שְׁלֹמֹ֥ה אָחִ֖יו לֹ֥א קָרָֽא׃
(5) Now Adonijah son of Haggith went about boasting,-b “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. (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.
אברבנאל: Send בתשבע to ask if אדוניהו is the king with דוד המלך's consent?---> immediately anoint שלמה b/c of theirs lives in the balance.
But doesn't נתן believe his own נבואה? Any נביא who doubts his נבואה is חייב מיתה. But perhaps was only given conditionally. And this action is the central action to cause
וַיִּקְרָא֙ לְכׇל־בְּנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וּלְאֶבְיָתָר֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וּלְיֹאָ֖ב שַׂ֣ר הַצָּבָ֑א וְלִשְׁלֹמֹ֥ה עַבְדְּךָ֖ לֹ֥א קָרָֽא׃ (כ) וְאַתָּה֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ עֵינֵ֥י כׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עָלֶ֑יךָ לְהַגִּ֣יד לָהֶ֔ם מִ֗י יֵשֵׁ֛ב עַל־כִּסֵּ֥א אֲדֹנִֽי־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אַחֲרָֽיו׃ (כא) וְהָיָ֕ה כִּשְׁכַ֥ב אֲדֹנִֽי־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֑יו וְהָיִ֗יתִי אֲנִ֛י וּבְנִ֥י שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה חַטָּאִֽים׃
Why confident?
According to the אברבנאל:
Five beautiful aspects to her approach:
1) Addressed דוד המלך as אדוני
2) Quoted his oath directly to her (i.e. confident in him and his word.)
3) Described אדיניהו's actions as a direct rebellion against דוד המלך in his own lifetime.
4) Ended her words with בטחון, that all ישראל is looking to דוד not אדוניהו
5) The danger that אדוניהו's reign would pose to her and שלמה and the implication about their own relationship.
Why didn't you tell me? That he is already ruling and is דוד המלך this with consent and if so why was not informed so that not doubt own prophecy.
- (i.e. in any situation must inform all parties.)]
To ensure an outcome, you must instigate on all sides, whether from zealousness or anger. Batsheva emphasized the rebellion. and at time from suspicion and shame, which נתן הנביא created by stating that everyone thought דוד המלך did this and trespassed the words of the נביא and the his own oath before השם.
- Why does the text repeat four times the same story?
- Why does נתן a) take action to cause the נבואה to come about (doesn't he have בטחון?) b) ask בתשבע specificaly to intervene?
- What is the וּמַלְּטִי אֶת-נַפְשֵׁךְ וְאֶת-נֶפֶשׁ בְּנֵךְ שְׁלֹמֹה: threat to בתשבע?
- Why does בתשבע act so formally with her husband? and he so abruptly with her?
- What is בתשבע's form of confidence in her husband? Why does she emphasize אדוניהו's actual rulership?
- What is meant by the statement וְהָיִיתִי אֲנִי וּבְנִי שְׁלֹמֹה חַטָּאִים if שלמה does not become king?
- Why does נתן assume that דוד המלך has given consent to אדוניהו's rulership?
- Why does נתן הנביא expect to be informed should it have changed?
- Why is the הפטורה for חיי שרה?
- אמת is always what brings about the רצון השם in world
- When telling a story, think what is the message imparted?
- בתשבע's confidence in דוד המלך and the emphasis of מרדת אדוניהו
- נתן's motivation of בתשבע through the consequences and knowledge of the promise made to her.
- נתן's motivation of דוד המלך by posing why would the king allow this without informing him?
- A נביא must be fully confident in a נבואה and yet be able to take action to bring it about.