Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” New Living Translation Solomon replied, “If he proves himself to be loyal, not a hair on his head will be touched. But if he makes trouble, he will die.” English Standard Version And Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” Berean Standard Bible And Solomon replied, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he will die.” Berean Literal Bible And Solomon said, “If he is a son of strength not one hair of him shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” King James Bible And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. New King James Version Then Solomon said, “If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” New American Standard Bible And Solomon said, “If he is a worthy man, not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he will die.” NASB 1995 Solomon said, “If he is a worthy man, not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he will die.” NASB 1977 And Solomon said, “If he will be a worthy man, not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he will die.” Legacy Standard Bible And Solomon said, “If he is a worthy man, not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” Amplified Bible Solomon said, “If he [proves he] is a worthy man, not even one of his hairs shall fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” Berean Annotated Bible And Solomon (peace) replied, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he will die. Christian Standard Bible Then Solomon said, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground, but if evil is found in him, he dies.” Holman Christian Standard Bible Then Solomon said, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground, but if evil is found in him, he dies.” American Standard Version And Solomon said, If he shall show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth; but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die. Contemporary English Version Solomon answered, "If Adonijah doesn't cause any trouble, I won't hurt him. But if he does, I'll have him killed." English Revised Version And Solomon said, If he shall shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die. GOD'S WORD® Translation Solomon said, "If he will behave like an honorable man, not one hair on his head will fall to the ground. But if he does [anything] wrong, he will die." Good News Translation Solomon replied, "If he is loyal, not even a hair on his head will be touched; but if he is not, he will die." International Standard Version "If he's done nothing wrong, not a hair of his head will be harmed," Solomon replied. "But if we find evil in him, he's a dead man." NET Bible Solomon said, "If he is a loyal subject, not a hair of his head will be harmed, but if he is found to be a traitor, he will die." New Heart English Bible Solomon said, "If he shows himself a worthy man, not a hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die." Webster's Bible Translation And Solomon said, If he will show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleAnd Solomon replied, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he will die.” World English Bible Solomon said, “If he shows himself a worthy man, not a hair of his shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd Solomon says, “If he becomes a virtuous man—there does not fall [even one] hair of his to the earth, and if evil is found in him—then he has died.” Berean Literal Bible And Solomon said, “If he is a son of strength not one hair of him shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” Young's Literal Translation And Solomon saith, 'If he becometh a virtuous man -- there doth not fall of his hair to the earth, and if evil is found in him -- then he hath died.' Smith's Literal Translation And Solomon will say, If he will be for a son of strength there shall not fall of his hairs to the earth: and if evil shall be found in him and he shall die. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd Solomon said: If he be a good man, there shall not so much as one hair of his head fall to the ground: but if evil be found in him, he shall die. Catholic Public Domain Version And Solomon said: “If he is a good man, not so much as one hair of his head shall fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he shall die.” New American Bible Solomon answered, “If he proves worthy, not a hair of his shall fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he shall die.” New Revised Standard Version So Solomon responded, “If he proves to be a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd Solomon said, If he will show himself to be a worthy man, there shall not a hair of his head fall to the earth; but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And Solomon said: “If he will be a worthy man, there will not fall any of the hairs of his head on the ground, and if evil will be found in him, he will die.” OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And Solomon said: 'If he shall show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth; but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die.' Brenton Septuagint Translation And Solomon said, If he should be a valiant man, there shall not a hair of his fall to the ground; but if evil be found in him, he shall die. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Adonijah Learns of Solomon's Kingship…51It was reported to Solomon: “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, and he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon first swear to me not to put his servant to the sword.’ ” 52And Solomon replied, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he will die.” 53So King Solomon summoned Adonijah down from the altar, and he came and bowed down before King Solomon, who said to him, “Go to your home.”… Cross References And Solomon replied, 1 Kings 3:28 When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. Proverbs 16:23 The heart of the wise man instructs his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. “If he is a man of character, Psalm 15:2 He who walks with integrity and practices righteousness, who speaks the truth from his heart, Proverbs 10:9 He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And this man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil. not a single hair of his will fall to the ground. 1 Samuel 14:45 But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die—he who accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for with God’s help he has accomplished this today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die. Luke 21:18 Yet not even a hair of your head will perish. Acts 27:34 So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.” But if evil is found in him, 2 Samuel 14:32 “Look,” said Absalom, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.” Deuteronomy 17:2-5 If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His covenant / and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden— / and if it is reported and you hear about it, you must investigate it thoroughly. If the report is true and such an abomination has happened in Israel, … Deuteronomy 19:19-21 you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you. / Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you. / You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot. he will die.” Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, every soul belongs to Me; both father and son are Mine. The soul who sins is the one who will die. Proverbs 11:19 Genuine righteousness leads to life, but the pursuit of evil brings death. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2 Samuel 14:11 “Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.” Treasury of Scripture And Solomon said, If he will show himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. there shall 1 Samuel 14:45 And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. 2 Samuel 14:11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth. Matthew 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. wickedness 1 Kings 2:21-25 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife… Job 15:22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword. Proverbs 13:6 Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner. Jump to Previous Die Died Earth Evil Faith Fall Found Good Ground Hair Hairs Head Prove Show Shows Solomon Touched Virtuous Wickedness Worthy WrongdoingJump to Next Die Died Earth Evil Faith Fall Found Good Ground Hair Hairs Head Prove Show Shows Solomon Touched Virtuous Wickedness Worthy Wrongdoing1 Kings 1 1. Abishag cherishes David in his extreme age5. Adonijah, David's darling, usurps the kingdom 11. By the council of Nathan 15. Bathsheba moves the king 22. And Nathan seconds her 28. David renews his oath to Bathsheba 32. Solomon, by David's appointment, 38. being anointed king by Zadok and Nathan, the people triumph 41. Jonathan bringing the news, Adonijah's guests fly 50. Adonijah, flying to the horns of the altar, is dismissed by Solomon And Solomon replied Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, is responding to a situation involving Adonijah, his half-brother. This moment occurs during a critical transition of power in Israel. Solomon's response reflects his wisdom and discernment, qualities for which he is renowned. His reply is significant as it sets the tone for his reign, emphasizing justice and righteousness. If he is a man of character not a single hair of his will fall to the ground But if evil is found in him he will die Persons / Places / Events 1. SolomonThe son of King David and Bathsheba, Solomon is the newly anointed king of Israel. Known for his wisdom, Solomon's reign marks a period of peace and prosperity for Israel. 2. Adonijah The son of King David who attempted to usurp the throne from Solomon. His actions set the stage for the events in this passage. 3. David The aging king of Israel, father of Solomon and Adonijah. His decision to appoint Solomon as his successor is central to the account. 4. Jerusalem The capital city of Israel and the location of the royal palace where these events unfold. 5. The Throne of Israel Represents the divinely appointed leadership over God's chosen people, a central theme in the account of 1 Kings. Teaching Points Integrity as a SafeguardSolomon's response emphasizes the importance of integrity. In our lives, maintaining integrity can protect us from harm and ensure God's favor. Discernment in Leadership Solomon's decision reflects the need for discernment in leadership. As Christians, we are called to seek God's wisdom in making decisions that affect others. Consequences of Evil The passage warns of the consequences of evil actions. It serves as a reminder that sin leads to death, both spiritually and sometimes physically. God's Sovereignty in Leadership The account underscores God's sovereignty in appointing leaders. Trusting in God's plan for leadership in our lives and communities is crucial. Forgiveness and Justice Solomon's willingness to spare Adonijah if he proves to be righteous shows a balance between justice and mercy, a principle we should apply in our relationships. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of 1 Kings 1:52?2. How does 1 Kings 1:52 demonstrate Solomon's approach to justice and mercy? 3. What conditions does Solomon set for Adonijah's safety in 1 Kings 1:52? 4. How can we apply Solomon's wisdom in 1 Kings 1:52 to our lives? 5. What scriptural connections exist between 1 Kings 1:52 and Matthew 5:7? 6. How does 1 Kings 1:52 encourage us to uphold righteousness in leadership? 7. What does 1 Kings 1:52 reveal about Solomon's approach to justice and mercy? 8. How does 1 Kings 1:52 reflect the political dynamics of Solomon's reign? 9. What historical context is necessary to understand 1 Kings 1:52? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from 1 Kings 1? 11. Does 1 Chronicles 28:5, where David says God chose Solomon as king, align with or contradict other biblical passages about political intrigue in David's succession? 12. If historically attributed to King Solomon, how does Song of Solomon 4 mesh with the accounts of his many wives and concubines in other biblical texts (e.g., 1 Kings 11:3)? 13. Is the sudden political shift to support Solomon, described in 1 Kings 1:11-14, historically plausible without records of major resistance or conflict? 14. (Song of Solomon 6:8) How can sixty queens and eighty concubines align with Solomon's reputed 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3)? What Does 1 Kings 1:52 Mean And Solomon replied- Picture the scene: the newly anointed king addresses Adonijah, the brother who just tried to seize the throne (1 Kings 1:5–10, 53). - Solomon’s first recorded words as king reveal his heart for justice, echoing David’s charge to rule “according to the word of the LORD” (2 Samuel 23:3–4). - Like the judges of old (Deuteronomy 1:16–17), he must uphold God’s standard, not mere personal preference. If he is a man of character - “Man of character” speaks of moral integrity—one whose life aligns with God’s covenant (Deuteronomy 17:19; Proverbs 10:9). - Solomon offers Adonijah a genuine chance to demonstrate repentance, much as Joseph tested his brothers (Genesis 42:15–20). - True character shows itself over time; Jesus later says, “You will recognize them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:16). not a single hair of his will fall to the ground - A vivid pledge of complete safety (Luke 21:18; 1 Samuel 14:45). - Solomon anchors security in righteousness: obedience invites God’s protective care (Psalm 34:7; Proverbs 2:7–8). - The promise also displays royal mercy—justice tempered by grace (2 Samuel 14:11). But if evil is found in him - The condition is clear: hidden rebellion will be exposed (Numbers 32:23; John 3:20). - Kingship under God cannot tolerate subversion (Deuteronomy 17:12). - Solomon’s discernment anticipates New Testament warnings that secret sin eventually surfaces (1 Timothy 5:24). he will die - Capital justice for treason was mandated in the law (Exodus 21:14; Deuteronomy 19:11–13). - Solomon is not vengeful; he merely enforces divine statute. When Adonijah later schemes again, the sentence is carried out (1 Kings 2:24–25). - The principle endures: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), while righteousness leads to life (Proverbs 11:19; Galatians 6:7–8). summary Solomon’s statement fuses mercy and justice. He offers Adonijah full protection if he walks uprightly, yet he upholds God’s uncompromising standard against evil. The verse teaches that true safety lies in righteous character, rebellion carries certain judgment, and godly authority must balance grace with firm adherence to God’s law. (52) There shall not a hair of him fall.--Solomon's pardon, though according to Oriental ideas, an act of extraordinary grace, was yet characteristically cautious and conditional, to be withdrawn accordingly on the first symptom of any renewal of Adonijah's pretensions.Hebrew And Solomonשְׁלֹמֹ֔ה (šə·lō·mōh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 8010: Solomon -- David's son and successor to his throne replied, וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say “If אִ֚ם (’im) Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not he is יִהְיֶ֣ה (yih·yeh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be a man לְבֶן־ (lə·ḇen-) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 1121: A son of character, חַ֔יִל (ḥa·yil) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 2428: A force, an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength not לֹֽא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no a single hair of his מִשַּׂעֲרָת֖וֹ (miś·śa·‘ă·rā·ṯōw) Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 8185: Hairiness will fall יִפֹּ֥ל (yip·pōl) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5307: To fall, lie to the ground. אָ֑רְצָה (’ā·rə·ṣāh) Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular Strong's 776: Earth, land But if וְאִם־ (wə·’im-) Conjunctive waw | Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not evil רָעָ֥ה (rā·‘āh) Adjective - feminine singular Strong's 7451: Bad, evil is found תִמָּצֵא־ (ṯim·mā·ṣê-) Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present in him, ב֖וֹ (ḇōw) Preposition | third person masculine singular Strong's Hebrew he will die.” וָמֵֽת׃ (wā·mêṯ) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 4191: To die, to kill Links 1 Kings 1:52 NIV1 Kings 1:52 NLT 1 Kings 1:52 ESV 1 Kings 1:52 NASB 1 Kings 1:52 KJV 1 Kings 1:52 BibleApps.com 1 Kings 1:52 Biblia Paralela 1 Kings 1:52 Chinese Bible 1 Kings 1:52 French Bible 1 Kings 1:52 Catholic Bible OT History: 1 Kings 1:52 Solomon said If he shall show himself (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg) |
    |