1 Kings 1:4

1Ki 1:4 And the damsel [was] very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.

Ver. 4. And the damsel was very fair.] And therefore lovely, οττι καλον φιλον εστι, and fitter for the purpose.

But the king knew her not.] Utpote frigidus et inhabilis ad generandum; neither would it have been for his health, as the case then stood.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 1:4. The king knew her not — Did not enjoy her as his wife, but she remained still a virgin: which is mentioned to signify the continuance and progress of the king’s malady.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 4. The king knew her not.] The maxim of Bacon in his enigmatical cure is, "Take all you can from the medicine, but give nothing to it; if you give any thing, it increases the disease and hastens death." I have seen this abundantly verified; but it is a subject on which it would be improper to dilate except in a medical work. An extract from Friar Bacon's Cure of Old Age may be found at the end of the chapter. 1Kg 1:53.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4. cherished the king] Being always at hand to perform, as his nurse, such duties as the weak condition of king David needed.

knew her not] These words seem added to explain how it came to pass that Adonijah afterwards could ask her for his wife. (1Ki_2:17.)

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the damsel was very fair,.... And so very agreeable to the king to be in his presence, and wait upon him, and take things of her hand, as well as lie with him:

and cherished the king; enlivened his spirits by her amiable countenance, her graceful behaviour, and tender care of him, and especially by bedding with him:

and ministered to him; serving him with her own hands whatever he took for his sustenance:

but the king knew her not; as a man knows his wife; which shows that she was his wife, and that it would not have been criminal in him had he known her; but this is observed, not to point at the chastity of David, but his feebleness, and loss of desire after women, and that the damsel remained a virgin; and that was the ground of Adonijah's request, and his hope of succeeding.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Her. Which shews the virtue and temperance of David. (Menochius) --- She was his wife, at least of a second order. Adonias flattered himself, on account of Abisag’s virginity, that the law did not hinder him from marrying her; (Leviticus xviii. 8.; Kimchi) or he was blinded by ambition. (Calmet) --- Heretics and persecutors thus attempt in vain, (Haydock) to defile the Church, the chaste spouse of Jesus, that they may usurp his throne. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Which is mentioned to note the continuance and progress of the king’s malady, and the ground of Adonijah’s rebellion, and of his following request, 1Ki 2:17.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4. The king knew her not — This explicit statement, as well as all that goes before, is a sufficient vindication of David from the charge of taking a fair young concubine in his old age in order to gratify lewd passions. The whole procedure was in perfect accordance with the morals of the time. No one looked upon it as a scandal, and Bath-sheba herself evidently found no fault.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the damsel was very fair lit. , fair to exceeding and cherished see on ver. 2 the king, and ministered to him; but the king knew her not. This is mentioned to explain the history of 1Ki_2:13-25. Had it been otherwise, Adonijah could never have presumed to seek her in marriage, and Bathsheba would never have promised her help in his suit. Such an incestuous alliance would not only have been contrary to the law, (Lev_18:8) but abhorrent to all true Israelites. (cf 1Co_5:1) In this fact, which the court knew, and which the nation at large did not knowthey could only suppose that such a "search" for one so exceeding "fair" meant the increase of the seraglio Adoni-jah found his point dappui for a second attempt on the throne. The older expositors and some of the modern, notably Wordsworth, assume that Abishag was David"s wife, in the sense of being legally married to him. (Corn. A Lap. discusses the question at considerable length, and with needless pruriency.) But this idea finds no support in Scripture, which represents her as simply an attendant. It is idle to remark, consequently, that "the Jewish law allowed polygamy" (Rawlinson). And the king went to Gibeon Jos_9:3 Jos_10:2 Jos_18:25; 2Sa_21:1. Now known as El-Jib, a commanding eminence (as the name implies) some six miles north of Jerusalem. Strictly, it consists of two heights, on one of which, it is conjectured, the town stood, while the other was the high place. Solomon was accompanied to Gibeon by "all the congregation," including the captains, judges, governors, etc. (2Ch_1:2, 3 to sacrifice there This religious service was designed to inaugurate his reign, (2Ch_1:13) after the precedent of 1Sa_11:15; cf. 2Sa_6:2. His object was also to supplicate the Divine blessing on his undertakings. If his visit served at the same time as a farewell, or "honourable funeral to the tabernacle". (Wordsw) this was an accident; for that was the great high place being the place of the tabernacle and brazen altar. In 1Sa_21:6 we find the tabernacle at Nob, though without the ark. (1Sa_4:2) After the massacre of the priests it lost the ephod. (1Sa_22:20 1Sa_23:6) It could hardly remain in a spot stained by so much blood; but how or when it found its way to Gibeon, we do not know. See 1Ch_16:37, 1Ch_16:39; :2Ch_1:3-6 a thousand burnt offerings such numbers were not infrequent at festivals. See on 1Ki_8:62, and cf. 2Ch_29:33, 2Ch_29:34. Rawlinson reminds us that "Xerxes offered 1000 oxen at Troy" (Heb 7:43). did Solomon offer not, of course, personally, as some (Ewald. e.g. ) have sup. posed. He is said to have "offered" them, because he (together with the congregation, perhaps) provided them. The immense number alone shows that he cannot have offered in person. The festival probably lasted for seven or eight days,but even then a thousand victims can hardly have been offered whole (twOlO) unless the altar was greatly enlarged, or additional temporary altars were erected. This latter supposition is not negatived by the next words. (See on 1Ki_8:63, 1Ki_8:64) upon that altar.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Knew her not - Which is mentioned to note the continuance and progress of the king's malady.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Was not intimate with her. Because a virgin is more suitable for [the purpose] of warming than a non-virgin. But our Rabbis said [he was not intimate with her] because “He shall not have too many wives,” and he already had eighteen.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.