ADONIJAH (ad-o-nijah), (Heb. ad-o-nee yaw' , Jehovah [is] my Lord).
(1) Son of David. The fourth son of David by Haggish. He was born after his father became king, but when he reigned over Judah only (2 Sam. iii :4). According to the Oriental notion developed in the article Absalom, Adonijah might have considered his claim su perior to that of his eldest brother Amnon, who was born while his father was in a private sta tion, but not to that of Ahsalom, who was not only his elder brother, and born while his father was a king, but was of royal descent on the side of his mother. When. however, Amnon and Ab salom were both dead, he became, by order of birth, the heir apparent to the throne. But this order had been set aside in favor of Solomon, who was born while his father was king of all Israel. Absalom perished in attempting to assert his claim of primogeniture, in opposition to this arrangement. Una•ed by this example, Adonijah took the same means of showing that he was not disposed to relinquish the claim of primogeniture which now devolved upon him.
(2) Proclaimed King. He assumed the state of an heir apparent, who, from the advanced age of David, must soon be king. But it does not ap pear to have been his wish to trouble his father as Absalom had done; for he waited till David ap peared at the point of death, when lie called around him a number of influential men, whom he had previously gained over, and caused himself to be proclaimed king. This was a formidable attempt to subvert the appointment made by the Divine king of Israel, for Adonijah was supported by such men as Joab, the general-in-chief, and Abiathar, the high-priest, both of whom had fol lowed David in all his fortunes. The adhesion
of such men. and the previous defection of the nation to Absalom, show the strength of the hereditary principle among the Israelites. In all likelihood, if Absalom had waited till David was on his death-bed, Joab and Ahiathar would have given him their support, but his premature and unnatural attempt to dethrone his father dis gusted these friends of David, who might not otherwise have been adverse to his claims. This danger was avoided by Adonijah, hut his plot was, notwithstanding, defeated by the prompt measure taken by David, who directed Solomon to be at once proclaimed, and crowned, and ad mitted to the real exercise of the sovereign power, (3) Pardoned. Adonijah then saw that all was lost, and fled to the altar, which he refused to leave without a promise of pardon from King Solomon. This he received, but was warned that any further attempt of the same kind would be fatal to him.
(4) Death. Accordingly, when, some time after the death of David, Adonijah covertly en deavored to reproduce his claim till-Nigh a mar riage with Abishag, the virgin widow of his father (see ABISIIAG), his design was at once penetrated by the king. by whose order he was instantly lint to death (1 Kings ii :23-25), B. C. o6o.