1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12
Chapter 2
David’s Testament
When David was about to die, he instructed his son Solomon:“I am about to go the way of all creatures. Be strong and show yourself a man.
Keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. Keep his statutes, his commands, his ordinances and declarations written in the law of Moses, that you may succeed in whatever you do, wherever you go.
If you do so, the Lord will fulfill the promise he made to me: ‘If your sons take care to walk before me faithfully with their whole heart and their whole soul, you shall always have one of your descendants on the throne of Israel.’
Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David.
David reigned over Israel for forty years: seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
So Solomon sat on the throne of David, his father, and his reign was firmly established.
Commentaries
David’s Testament – Solomon and His Enemies.
The Deuteronomist school not only provided literary form to David’s testament but also left its theological mark on it. It conditions the permanence of a Davidic successor on the throne based on the fulfillment of the Law’s commandments; in contrast, the formulation in Nathan’s prophecy was expressly unconditional (cf. 2 Sm 7:14-16). The body of the testament addresses three personal cases pending resolution: those of Joab, Shimei, and Barzillai (5-9). The blood of his victims cries out for vengeance (retributive justice); otherwise, it will contaminate the land. If David, upon his death, does not correct this injustice, he will leave a cursed burden to his son. David appeals to Solomon’s wisdom. A wise king cannot allow injustice and crime to go unpunished. Solomon eliminates his present and potential enemies, thereby fulfilling his father’s will and consolidating his rule.