Adonijah

Etymology

From 'adon' (lord, master) and 'Yah' (short form of Yahweh). A theophoric name — one that contains the name of God — declaring 'My Lord is Yahweh.'

Who they were

Adonijah was David's fourth son and, after the deaths of Amnon and Absalom, considered himself the natural heir to the throne. He was described as very handsome, and David had never rebuked him — a detail the text includes with pointed significance. As David grew old, Adonijah made his move, gathering supporters including Joab the military commander and Abiathar the priest, and declaring himself king at En Rogel near Jerusalem. But the prophet Nathan and Bathsheba intervened, reminding David that he had promised the throne to Solomon. David acted swiftly, ordering Solomon's immediate anointing at the Gihon spring. Adonijah's supporters scattered. Solomon initially spared him, but when Adonijah later requested Abishag — David's last companion — as a wife (a move Solomon interpreted as a claim to royal authority), Solomon had him executed. His name, ironically, declares the very lordship he tried to claim for himself.

Family

Father

David

Mother

Haggith

Siblings

Amnon,Absalom,Solomon,and others

Character qualities

• Ambition
• Charisma
• Political misjudgment
• Inability to accept God's choice

Key verse

1 Kings 1:5

Where they appear

Themes

Variants & related forms

Adoniyah · Adoniyahu

Related names