Succession History. Many authorities see 1 Kings 1-2 as the conclusion of an originally independent record called the Succession History, or the Court History of David, comprising 2 Samuel 9-20 and 1 Kings 1-2. The appendixes of 2 Samuel 21-24 break the continuity. The canonical ordering of books, however, positions these first chapters of Kings as the introduction to the history of Solomon's kingdom, rather than the conclusion of a history of succession.

    Nathan, the prophet who supported David, and others objected to Adonijah's kingship. They strongly promoted Solomon, a younger son, for the throne--continuing the tradition and biblical motif of the younger son supplanting the older. Apparently, the process of the dynastic succession of the eldest had not yet been firmly established.

Yahwist and the Younger Son. Think of Isaac supplanting Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Ephraim over Manasseh, and David over his older brothers when Samuel came to find a king to replace Saul. Perhaps the reason the Yahwist was so interested in stories about divine preference for the younger son over the first born was the need to justify the rise of Solomon to the throne over his older rival brothers.

    Siding with Solomon were Bathsheba, his mother, Zadok, another priest, and Benaiah, one of David's loyal commanders. They had the support of David and held their own coronation ceremony for Solomon. Evidently Solomon also had popular support and a broader power base, so Adonijah gave up his claim to the throne and asked Solomon for forgiveness.
    When he was about to die, David counseled his son Solomon to remain faithful using words reminiscent of Yahweh's charge to Joshua (Joshua 1) and recollecting the promise of the Davidic covenant, all heavily bearing the stamp of the Deuteronomistic outlook.

² I am about to go the way of all people. Be strong and courageous ³ and keep the will of YHWH your God, by walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, commandments, ordinances and testimonies as written in the Torah of Moses, so that you may prosper in everything you do and wherever you go. ⁴ Then YHWH will affirm his word which he spoke concerning me: "If your heirs watch their way and walk before me in faithfulness, with all their heart and with all their soul, then you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel." (2:2-4)

    Not one to give up easily, Adonijah made a veiled play for the throne after David died. Through Bathsheba he asked Solomon for permission to marry Abishag, David's former concubine. When Solomon heard the request he read into it a challenge to his power and accused Adonijah of treason. Apparently, if one possessed the king's harem, then he was de facto king. We might recall how this type of move telegraphed to all Jerusalem that Absalom was king--when he slept with David's wives on the roof of the palace. Solomon took this provocation seriously and put Adonijah to death. Shortly afterward Joab, who had supported Adonijah's claim to kingship, was also executed (see Figure 9.3). Abiathar, the priest who had sided with Adonijah, was exiled to Anathoth.

Figure 9.3 Horned Altar This horned altar from Beersheba is similar to the altar in the tabernacle. Joab sought refuge by holding onto the horns of the altar, but Solomon killed him anyway (1 Kings 2:28-29).

Abiathar and the Deuternomist. In a Deuteronomistic editorial note we are told that this last move fulfilled the prophetic word of condemnation voiced against the house of Eli (2:27; compare 1 Samuel 2-3). Abiathar's support of Adonijah justifies the expulsion of the house of Abiathar and their exile to Anathoth in favor of the priesthood of Zadok. The rights of priesthood in Jerusalem were jealously guarded, and this explains how the Zadokite priesthood came to power. This note may be especially enlightening if the contention of Friedman (1987) is correct that the writer of Deuteronomy was Jeremiah. We know that Jeremiah hailed from Anathoth, and authorities speculate that he came from the line of Abiathar, ultimately tracing his lineage to Eli of Shiloh.