Transition
1 Kings Chapter 1
Even while David lives, his son Adonijah seeks to take the throne from the designated heir, Solomon.
The attempted coup doesn’t amount to much and falls apart as soon as David makes his preference public, but a parenthetical comment makes an interesting observation about parenting. Adonijah was, apparently, a spoiled brat.
He was the eldest surviving son and, according to 1:6, “His father had never rebuked him by asking, ‘Why do you behave as you do?’ He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.”
He had support within the royal court, notably from Joab. It’s possible that they assumed that he would inherit as the first-born among the living sons.
It’s notable that he did not seek the support of the priest, Zadok, or Nathan the prophet, both of whom would have recognized Solomon as God’s choice to lead the people.