Adonijah’s Attempt to Take the Throne. After his birth Solomon next appears in the Scriptural record in the time of David’s old age. David, doubtless on account of Jehovah’s promise, had previously sworn to Bath-sheba that Solomon would succeed him on the throne. This was known to the prophet Nathan. (1Ki 1:11-13, 17) Whether Solomon’s half brother Adonijah knew of this oath or intent of David is not stated. In any case, Adonijah made an attempt to gain the throne in a manner similar to that employed by Absalom. Perhaps because of the king’s feebleness and because Adonijah had the support of Joab the army chief and of Abiathar the priest, he had confidence that he would be successful. It was nonetheless a treasonable action, an effort to seize the throne while David was still alive and without the approval of David or of Jehovah. Also, Adonijah revealed his underhandedness when he arranged for a sacrifice at En-rogel, where he intended to be acclaimed as king, but invited only the king’s other sons and men of Judah, the king’s servants, leaving out Solomon, Nathan the prophet, Zadok the priest, and the mighty men who had fought closely with David, including Benaiah their leader. This indicates that Adonijah counted Solomon as a rival and an obstacle to his ambitions.​—1Ki 1:5-10.

Adonijah’s Seditious Request. It was not long until Solomon had to act to carry out David’s instructions concerning Joab. This was prompted by the action of Adonijah, who still manifested ambition despite the mercy that Solomon had shown him. Adonijah approached Solomon’s mother with the words: “You yourself well know that the kingship was to have become mine, and it was toward me that all Israel had set their face for me to become king; but the kingship turned and came to be my brother’s, for it was from Jehovah that it became his.” Here Adonijah acknowledged that Jehovah was behind the enthroning of Solomon, yet his request that followed these words was a further crafty bid for usurpation of the kingship. He said to Bath-sheba: “Please, say to Solomon the king . . . that he should give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.” Adonijah may have felt that he had a strong enough following, together with the support of Joab and Abiathar, that, by taking David’s nurse, considered to have been David’s concubine, though David had had no relations with her, he could start an uprising that might overthrow Solomon. By custom the wives and concubines of a king could only become those of his legal successor, so the taking of such wives was considered a claim to the throne. (Compare 2Sa 16:21, 22.) When Bath-sheba, not discerning Adonijah’s duplicity, transmitted his request to Solomon, Solomon interpreted it immediately as a bid for the kingship and forthwith sent Benaiah to put Adonijah to death.​—1Ki 2:13-25.

Abiathar deposed; Joab put to death. Then Solomon gave attention to those who had conspired with Adonijah. Abiathar was dismissed from the priesthood in fulfillment of Jehovah’s word spoken against the house of Eli (1Sa 2:30-36), but he was not killed, because he had carried the Ark before David and had suffered affliction with him. Zadok replaced Abiathar. In the meantime, Joab, having heard of Solomon’s action, fled to grab hold of the horns of the altar, but there he was slain by Benaiah at Solomon’s order.​—1Ki 2:26-35.

Shimei executed. Solomon also placed Shimei on oath to observe certain restrictions, for this man had called down evil on his father David. When Shimei, about three years later, violated this restriction, Solomon had him put to death. Thus David’s injunction to Solomon was fully carried out.​—1Ki 2:36-46.