So
Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.
1 Kings 1:38
1 Kings 1 [36.] Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, “Amen. May Yahweh, the God of my lord the king, say so. As Yahweh has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.”
1 Kings 1 [38.] So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the Tent, and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet; and all the people said, “Long live king Solomon!”
1 Kings 1 [40.] All the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth shook with their sound. Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they had finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why is this noise of the city being in an uproar?”
Meaning:
King David was old and near death, and the question of who would succeed him was still open. His son Adonijah had already gathered supporters and held a feast to make himself king, as the context shows when he and his guests hear the noise of the celebration. Nathan the prophet and Bathsheba reminded David of his promise that Solomon would reign, and David ordered that Solomon be anointed king at once. This verse records how those orders were carried out.
- “Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada”
The procession brought together the key leaders of the nation. Zadok represented the priesthood, Nathan the prophetic word of God, and Benaiah the army. Their presence showed that Solomon’s kingship was approved by God and supported by those who served the throne. Nathan had earlier brought God’s promise to David that his offspring would reign: “I will set up your offspring after you, who will proceed out of your body, and I will establish his kingdom” (2 Samuel 7:12).
- “The Cherethites and the Pelethites”
These were the royal guard, foreign soldiers loyal to David personally and commanded by Benaiah. Their escort made it clear that the king’s own authority stood behind Solomon.
- “Had Solomon ride on king David’s mule”
Riding the king’s own animal was a public sign that Solomon was David’s chosen heir. No one else could use the king’s mount without his permission. Mules and donkeys were the animals of Israel’s royal family in times of peace, not the war horses of foreign kings. God had said of Solomon, “Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of peace,” and “I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days” (1 Chronicles 22:9). His first royal journey on a mule fitted that calling.
- “And brought him to Gihon”
Gihon was a spring just outside the walls of the city of David, in the Kidron Valley. It was a public place where crowds could gather, and its water supply made it vital to Jerusalem. There Zadok anointed Solomon with oil from the Tent, the trumpet sounded, and the people shouted, “Long live king Solomon!” Their rejoicing was so loud that “the earth shook with their sound,” and Adonijah’s supporters scattered.
- The King who comes on a donkey
Centuries later Zechariah foretold a greater son of David who would come the same way: “Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). Jesus fulfilled this when he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, and the crowds shouted, “Hosanna to the son of David!” (Matthew 21:4-11). Like Solomon, he came as the rightful heir, in peace; unlike Solomon, his Kingdom will never end. The angel told Mary, “The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever” (Luke 1:32-33).
The Significance of 1 Kings 1:38
- God keeps his promises
In spite of rival claims, God’s word to David about Solomon was fulfilled, just as his promise of an everlasting King was fulfilled in Jesus.
- Welcome the true King
The people rejoiced at Solomon’s anointing. How much more should we welcome Jesus, the Son of David who brings peace.
Cross-References:
2 Samuel 7:12: "I will establish his kingdom." The promise to David behind Solomon’s anointing.
Zechariah 9:9: "lowly, and riding on a donkey," The greater King foretold.
Luke 1:33: "he will reign over the house of Jacob forever." The everlasting reign of Jesus.
Conclusion: At David’s command, Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah and the royal guard set Solomon on the king’s own mule and brought him to Gihon, where he was anointed and acclaimed king. The verse shows God keeping his promise to David, and it foreshadows the humble entry of Jesus, the greater Son of David, who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as the King of peace.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible