1 Kings 2:26

2:26-34 Solomon's words to Abiathar, and his silence, imply that some recent conspiracies had been entered into. Those that show kindness to God's people shall have it remembered to their advantage. For this reason Solomon spares Abiathar's life, but dismisses him from his offices. In case of such sins as the blood of beasts would atone for, the altar was a refuge, but not in Joab's case. Solomon looks upward to God as the Author of peace, and forward to eternity as the perfection of it. The Lord of peace himself gives us that peace which is everlasting.

Who was either at court, or he sent for him, and thus addressed him: get thee to Anathoth; a city of the tribe of Benjamin, given to the priests, Joshua 21:18; of which place Abiathar might be originally, and whither he is bid to return: unto thine own fields; which belonged to him there, either by inheritance or purchase; and these he was to mind, and not perform the functions of his office, however as high priest, and at Jerusalem, and the tabernacle there, and still less appear at court, or meddle with state affairs, only to attend to his private domestic concerns: for thou art worthy of death; in joining with Adonijah in the lifetime of David, and setting him up as a king without his knowledge, and in opposition to Solomon, contrary to the will of God, and promise of David, of which he, being high priest, cannot be thought to be ignorant, and for his late confederacy with Adonijah, of which Solomon had knowledge: but I will not at this time put thee to death; he does not give him a full pardon, only a respite; suggesting, that should he be guilty of any overt act, he would be put to death another time, though not now: because thou barest the ark of the Lord God before David my father; when he fled from Absalom, 2 Samuel 15:24; and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted; shared with him in all his afflictions under the persecutions of Saul, from the time he slew the priests at Nob, and at the rebellion of Absalom; in each of which he accomp

1 Kings 2:26-27 . Unto Abiathar — said the king, Get thee to Anathoth — This was a city of the priests, ( Joshua 21:28 ,) where he commanded him to lead a private life; either in that part of the suburbs which fell to his share, or in some land which he had purchased. I will not, at this time, put thee to death — He does not fully pardon him, but reserves to himself a liberty of punishing him afterward if he should see occasion. This he does to keep him in awe, that he might not dare to raise or foment discontents or tumults among the people, which otherwise he might have been inclined to do. Because thou didst bear the ark of the Lord before my father — When he thought fit to carry it out with him; and when thou, as high-priest, wast called to attend upon it. Thus Solomon shows his respect to the sacred office. Because thou hast been afflicted, &c. — Exposed to all the hardships David endured all the time of his exile under Saul, 1 Samuel 22:20 , &c. Here Solomon mixes mercy with justice, and requites Abiathar’s former kindness to David; hereby teaching princes, that they should not write injuries in marble, and benefits in sand and water, as they have been too often observed to do. So Solomon thrust out Abiathar — Either from his office, or at least from the execution of it. That he might fulfil the word of the Lord — Solomon did not do this that he might fulfil the word of the Lord, but because Abiathar had taken the part of Adonijah.

But by Solomon’s being moved to do this on account of Abiathar’s rebellion, the word of the Lord was fulfilled, which he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. And in this sense we are to take the same kind of expressions in the New Testament, where things are frequently said to be done to fulfil certain prophecies.

(26) Anathoth is noted, in Joshua 21:18 ; 1Chronicles 6:60 , as a city of the priests in the territory of Benjamin, but a few miles from Jerusalem, and is best known to us as the birthplace of Jeremiah ( Jeremiah 1:1 ; Jeremiah 32:7 ). It is notable that it is not Abiathar’s priestly character which protects him, but the remembrance of his long friendship to David in adversity, and probably of that special promise which David made to him, perhaps not without remorse, when he found that his deceit to Ahimelech had drawn down Sauľs bloody vengeance upon him and his family (1Samuel 22:20-23).

And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou {m} barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. (m) When he fled before Absalom, 2Sa 15:24.

26–27 . Punishment of Abiathar (Not in Chronicles) 26 . Get thee to Anathoth ] This city was in the tribe of Benjamin, and has been identified by Robinson with Anáta at the distance of 1¼ hours N.N.E. of Jerusalem. It is mentioned as a priest’s city with suburbs in Joshua 21:18 ; 1 Chronicles 6:60 , and Jeremiah was sprung from ‘the priests that were in Anathoth’ ( Jeremiah 1:1 ). Here Abiathar must have had some ground, and to this Solomon banished him. We find that the cousin of Jeremiah, Hanameel, possessed land at Anathoth, which Jeremiah purchased ( Jeremiah 32:6-12 ). worthy of death ] Hebrew, a man of death , deserving it. So in 1 Kings 20:42 ‘a man whom I appointed to utter destruction’ is literally ‘the man of my doom,’ i.e. whom I had doomed. thou barest the ark of the Lord ] Abiathar was with David in his flight before Absalom ( 2 Samuel 15:24-29 ) when the ark of God was carried away from Jerusalem, and he and Zadok bore it back again according to David’s orders. hast been afflicted ] Abiathar fled from Nob and came to David when he was pursued by Saul ( 1 Samuel 22:20 ), and also remained with him in the dangerous days which followed. See 1 Samuel 23:8-9 .

To Anathoth, a city of the priests, Joshua 21:18 , to lead a private life there. Unto thine own fields; either that part of the suburbs which fell to his share, or other land which he had purchased there. See Jeremiah 32:7 . At this time: he doth not fully pardon him, but only forbears him, and reserves to himself a liberty of punishing him afterwards, if he saw occasion; which he doth to keep him in awe, that he might not dare to raise or foment discontents or tumults among the people, which otherwise he might be prone to do. Because thou barest the ark of the Lord God before David my father, when he thought fit to carry it out with him; as 2 Samuel 15:24,29 1 Chronicles 15:11,12 ; when he as high priest was to attend upon it. Thus Solomon showeth his respect to his sacred function. Thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted: here he mixeth mercy with justice, and requites Abiathar’s former kindness to David; hereby teaching princes that they should not write injuries in marble, and benefits in sand or water, as they have been too oft observed to do.

26, 27. unto Abiathar the priest said the king—This functionary, as the counsellor or accomplice of Adonijah, had deserved to share his fate. But partly from regard to his priestly dignity, and partly from his long associations with the late king, Solomon pronounced on him the mitigated sentence of banishment to his country estate at Anathoth, and thereby, as God's vicegerent, deprived him of his office and its emoluments. The sacred writer notices the remarkable fulfilment, Abiathar's degradation from the high priesthood (see on [293]1Ki 4:4), of the doom denounced against the house of Eli (1Sa 2:30).