The United Kingdom of Israel:
Saul, David & Solomon
Foreshadow Christ the King

Lesson 23 Solomon’s Struggle for Succession
the First Book of the Kings 1:1—2:46

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for The United Kingdom of Israel
cross references in The United Kingdom of Israel
next lesson: The Wisdom of Solomon

This material coordinates with Lesson 23 on pages 136–143 of The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”
—the Second Book of Samuel 7:12–13

welcome to our in-depth study of Saul, David & Solomon
We invite interested groups and individuals to check out the sample first lesson from this 28-lesson Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. These online study pages link to our free lesson videos, as well as to a glossary and cross references in the biblical text. Other study aids include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King has been granted an imprimatur and may be purchased from our website shop. If you have a Bible-related question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.

open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

let’s review—the Second Book of Samuel 23:8—24:25
In Lesson 22 David Sins by Numbering the People, a lengthy list of mighty men who’ve served in David’s volunteer military surprisingly fails to include his commander, Joab. In addition to providing recognition for the brave volunteers who’ve fought with David, the memorial list in the twenty-third chapter in the Second Book of Samuel emphasizes that David’s victories have come about through the aid of the LORD. The biblical text goes on to record that the LORD “incites” David to number the people in Israel and Judah. Joab is unsuccessful in attempting to dissuade David from taking the census. The final tally shows 800,000 men able fight for the kingdom in Israel and 500,000 in Judah. The military emphasis suggests that David’s purpose in numbering the people is to conscript an army to supplement his volunteer forces and increase the holdings of the kingdom. The prophet Gad is sent to offer the king a choice of three punishments. David chooses pestilence, but when he sees Jerusalem threatened, he appeals to the LORD to strike him instead. It’s at that point that God, again speaking through the prophet Gad, instructs David to build an altar on the outskirts of Jerusalem. David purchases the site, a threshing floor belonging to a Jebusite. The LORD heeds David’s supplications and halts the pestilence.

map notes—Shiloh
The second chapter in the First Book of the Kings describes King Solomon wrapping up a few loose ends after the death of his father. David had left final instructions with Solomon concerning a number of people, all of whom Solomon deals with as instructed. In addition, Solomon takes it upon himself to banish rather than kill the priest Abiathar. This fulfills the prophecy given to Samuel as a boy concerning the destruction of the priestly house of Eli in Shiloh. Prior to David’s conquest of Jerusalem, Shiloh, located in territory allotted to the half-tribe of Ephraim, served as the primary worship center for the descendants of Jacob. Abiathar’s disgrace is religiously significant because it establishes a foundation for Jerusalem to become the only recognized center of worship, and this occurs prior to Solomon building the Temple at Jerusalem. Click on the map (right) to enlarge it. The original map is on page 141 in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

it’s bad form to ignore the role of the LORD’s prophets (21:52)
In the video overview for Lesson 23, “Solomon’s Struggle for Succession,” Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps mentions a key misunderstanding held by Adonijah about how it is that one becomes king. Both Saul and David were anointed king by the prophet Samuel before being publicly acknowledged to be king by the people. Although Adonijah appears to have taken pains to enlist the backing of some of his father’s supporters, he ignores being anointed by a prophet in favor of throwing a big party and announcing as a done deal that he’s the next king. His brother Absalom also skipped the step of being anointed—and we know how that turned out for him.


The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the Scripture ranges for the sets of questions in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. You can follow along as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 23, “Solomon’s Struggle for Succession,” on pages 136–143 in the study book.

exalt, exult & extol—you could look these up in our archives
The First Book of the Kings 1:5 records that David’s son Adonijah exalted himself, saying “I will be king.” To learn precisely what’s meant by the word “exalt,” read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.

two important ideas about sacrifice & worship
In the First Book of the Kings 1:9, Adonijah sacrifices sheep, oxen, and fatlings at the Sepent’s Stone beside En-Rogel, emphasizing two significant points. The first is that our own personal sacrifices aren’t enough for us to inherit the kingdom. Our worthiness needs to be validated by one or more of God’s representatives. The second significant point is one that the author of the First and Second Books of Samuel also seems to be trying to establish—there’s a right and a wrong place to carry out liturgical functions. A key idea seen in the accounts of the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon is the development of Jerusalem as the only legitimate worship center for descendants of Jacob. What evidence have you seen earlier in this study to support the idea that Jerusalem is the proper location for liturgical worship? (If necessary, refer to Lesson 17.) Read the fourth chapter in the Gospel According to John to learn what Jesus taught about the proper location for worship, material covered in depth in Lesson 5 There Came a Woman of Samaria in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about Adonijah?
Although Adonijah has some traits and behaviors in common with Absalom, there are significant differences.

?  Earlier biblical text established that Absalom was an extremely patient man, able to spend a long period of time waiting until an opportune moment to execute a plan. What evidence do you see in the first chapter in the First Book of the Kings of Adonijah exercising patience in order to achieve the goal of becoming king?
?  What’s surprising about the people Adonijah enlists to assist in his bid to take over the throne of his father?
?  Compare the First Book of the Kings 1:9–10, which records the way in which Adonijah chooses to be recognized as king, with the First Book of the Kings 1:38–39, which describes the way in which David decrees that Solomon be recognized as successor to the throne.

long life & eternal life
In the First Book of the Kings 1:31, when Bathsheba goes to ask David to intercede so that her son Solomon will inherit the throne, she addresses the king with an unusual greeting: “May my Lord King David live forever!” Compare the sentiment she expresses with the traditional acclamation for a monarch found in the First Book of the Kings 1:39: “Long live King Solomon!” 

pray with the Psalms—Solomon is enthroned
Psalm 24 is one of a number of enthronement Psalms believed to be sung as part of the liturgical  ceremony to anoint a new king. Although Christians understand these Psalms in connection with Christ the King, they originally were written to honor earthly kings. Psalm 24 describes an ideal king who is worthy to stand in the LORD’s holy place (to stand in for the LORD as ruler of the people). The king’s noble characteristics include having clean hands and a pure heart, not having sought vain things, and not having sworn deceitfully. Prayed as part of Wednesday Vigils (Week I), Psalm 24 will be included as part of Lesson 7 The LORD Remembers His Holy Word in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, which is scheduled for publication in late summer of 2025.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about the position of Queen Mother?
“The Queen Mother Sits on the King’s Right” on page 143 in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King looks at Bathsheba’s significance in the court of Solomon.

?  One of the most interesting things about the First Book of the Kings 1:13–25 is that Bathsheba, as Queen Mother, is seen as a type of the Blessed Virgin Mary. What important information does this passage disclose to Christians about the relationship between Jesus and his Mother?
?  How can Christians take practical spiritual advantage of the relationship between Christ the King and Mary the Queen of heaven? You can learn more about the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role as Queen of heaven in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Scripture & the Rosary: New Testament Mysteries, Old Testament Parallels. No longer in print, free digital lessons from that study rotate on our website throughout the year, based on the liturgical calendar.
?  Consider the connection between women and power as depicted in the Old Testament. What general statement might apply?
?  Think about what effect the following situations involving women have on the power structure in this Bible study—1) women lauding Saul for slaying thousands and David for slaying ten thousands; 2) Absalom having intercourse with the 10 concubines David left in Jerusalem to maintain his household; 3) Ish-Bosheth accusing his military commander Abner of having improper relations with Saul’s former concubine Rizpah; and 4) the intensity of Absalom’s reaction to his sister Tamar’s rape by Amnon.
?  Consider what might be Adonijah’s primary motivation for wanting to marry Abishag.
?  What might cause Adonijah to think that Bathsheba was the proper person to represent his case to King Solomon?
?  What outcome might Bathsheba likely expect when she makes Adonijah’s request known to Solomon?
?  Consider why Solomon takes offense at Adonijah’s request.

a chain reaction
Adonijah’s request to marry Abishag sets off a chain reaction in which Solomon decides it’s time to deal with a batch of old enemies. The first thing he does is have Adonijah killed. Next he banishes Abiathar. Before his death, David named several people he wished Solomon to deal with; neither Adonijah nor Abiathar was mentioned. Consider why Solomon decides to kill Adonijah but only exiles Abiathar.

The second chapter in the First Book of the Kings suggests a possible explanation for the mystery about why Joab’s name wasn’t included in the list of David’s mighty men. Joab committed a number of murders, some of which might not have been entirely necessary and which David didn’t endorse. It’s unknown whether David knew the part that Joab played in the battlefield killing of Absalom, since in the First Book of the Kings 2:5–6, David doesn’t mention Absalom’s death as one of Joab’s transgressions. Once Solomon decides it’s time to do away with Adonijah, he decides that it’s prudent to eliminate Joab as well. What personal reason might Solomon have for wanting to see Joab killed?

murder in the tent
When Joab senses that his life is in danger, he flees to the tent of worship. Before the Temple, this would have been considered the most holy spot in Jerusalem. The area around the ark of the covenant was  seen as space surrounding the earthly dwelling of God. The idea of a church being a safe haven derives from the etymological connection between salvation and safety; this is why the most holy area of a church is called a sanctuary. This tradition underlies the 1935 drama in verse by T.S. Eliot, Murder in the Cathedral, which portrays the assassination of Archbishop Thomas a Becket in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. Thomas a Becket is regarded as a saint by both Catholics and Anglicans. Learn more about the exact meaning of salvation by reading Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps’ entry in the Lost in Translation archive.

no second second chances
After having a number of enemies killed, and eventually also having Shime-i killed, Solomon justifies his behavior, saying he’s been endorsed to do so by God. The First Book of the Kings 2:39–46 suggests that the moral of the story is that after Solomon grants a number of people a second chance, he isn’t inclined to grant anyone a second chance for a second time (amounting to a third chance). Compare Solomon’s attitude toward killing his enemies with the attitude of his father David.

four deaths correspond to fourfold restitution
Among the most intriguing ideas in the life of David that’s rarely discussed is the correspondence between the death of four of David’s sons and the fourfold restitution of the lamb that David decreed as just punishment for the rich man who killed a poor man’s lamb to serve to a guest. (If necessary refer to the twelfth chapter in the Second Book of Samuel.) The first of David’s children to die is the unnamed male child born to Bathsheba, followed by Amnon, Absalom, and finally Adonijah. Since David already is dead, he doesn’t experience the loss of Adonijah in the same way that he mourns the death of his other sons. The biblical text also suggests that David didn’t have the same regard for Adonijah that he did for the previous three sons who died. It’s of note that this correspondence equates sons to a lamb, strongly pointing toward the LORD’s own Son as the Lamb of God.

the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however.

the First Book of the Kings 1:39—paragraph 436

ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun that appears in the primary biblical text for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.

ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.

wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

the First Book of the Kings 1:1—2:46 (NIV)

close with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the round black dovescriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following prayer based on the biblical text in this lesson in the study book The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

O God, the development of your divine plan
to bring about the possibility of salvation
for all men and women remains a mystery.
Teach us to trust in your merciful love and goodness
and to embrace the opportunities
that you give us to reform our lives.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
who serves as our model of faithful obedience. Amen.  

Lesson 24 The Wisdom of Solomon—the First Book of the Kings 3:1—4:34
Lesson 22 David Sins by Numbering the People—the Second Book of Samuel 23:8—24:25

you also may like our two-part study of the prophets
Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided examines the prophets in their historical context using the First and Second Books of the Kings and other Old Testament passages written before the Babylonian Exile in 586 B.C. Volume II: Restoration & Redemption looks at the post-exilic prophets. This 51-lesson Catholic Bible study builds on The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. Click on the books’ covers to view a sample lesson from each volume.

start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer

*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?

Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online study pages for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.

The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.

Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.

You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.