The Meaning of 1 Kings 2:26 Explained

1 Kings 2:26

KJV: And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

YLT: And to Abiathar the priest said the king, 'To Anathoth go, unto thy fields; for a man of death thou art, but in this day I do not put thee to death, because thou hast borne the ark of the Lord Jehovah before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all that my father was afflicted in.'

Darby: And the king said to Abiathar the priest, Go to Anathoth, to thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death; but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou didst bear the ark of Adonai Jehovah before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

ASV: And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord Jehovah before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And unto Abiathar  the priest  said  the king,  Get  thee to Anathoth,  unto thine own fields;  for thou [art] worthy  of death:  but I will not at this time  put thee to death,  because thou barest  the ark  of the Lord  GOD  before  David  my father,  and because thou hast been afflicted  in all wherein my father  was afflicted. 

What does 1 Kings 2:26 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 2:26-35 - Paying Penalty For Bloody Deeds
The removal of Abiathar from the office of high priest and the execution of Joab quenched the last faint hopes of the house of Saul. In the case of Abiathar, note the remarkable fulfillment of the divine prediction, 1 Samuel 2:31-35. God does not fail to keep His word, whether of threatening or of promise.
Joab fled to the altar. Men who, throughout their life, have disregarded or despised religion will often turn to it in their extremity. Those who blaspheme when the seas are smooth, will be the first to cry for mercy when the storm-winds lash the waters into foam.
Joab's attempt to find mercy through the altar was futile; but no sinner ever flees to the Cross in vain. If he fulfills the conditions of repentance and faith, the sword of the avenger cannot touch him there. If we confess and forsake our sins, and humbly trust in the mercy of the Redeemer, no weapon that is formed against us can prosper, and every tongue that rises in judgment is condemned. "This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord," Isaiah 54:17.
1 Kings 2:1-46 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 2

1  David, having given a charge to Solomon
3  of Reverence
5  of Joab
7  of Barzillai
8  of Shimei
10  Solomon succeeds
12  Adonijah, moving Bathsheba to ask unto Solomon for Abishag,
13  is put to death
26  Abiathar, having his life given him, is deprived of the priesthood
28  Joab fleeing to the horns of the altar, is there slain
35  Benaiah is put in Joab's room, and Zadfok in Abiathar's
36  Shimei, confined to Jerusalem, by occasion of going to Gath, is put to death

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 2:26 mean?

And to Abiathar the priest said the king to Anathoth go to your own fields for deserving of death you [are] but at time this not I will put you to death because you carried - the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father and because you were afflicted every [time] there was afflicted my father
וּלְאֶבְיָתָ֨ר הַכֹּהֵ֜ן אָמַ֣ר הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ עֲנָתֹת֙ לֵ֣ךְ עַל־ שָׂדֶ֔יךָ כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ מָ֖וֶת אָ֑תָּה וּבַיּ֨וֹם הַזֶּ֜ה לֹ֣א אֲמִיתֶ֗ךָ כִּֽי־ נָשָׂ֜אתָ אֶת־ אֲר֨וֹן אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהֹוִה֙ לִפְנֵי֙ דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֔י וְכִ֣י הִתְעַנִּ֔יתָ בְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶֽׁר־ הִתְעַנָּ֖ה אָבִֽי

וּלְאֶבְיָתָ֨ר  And  to  Abiathar 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶבְיָתָר  
Sense: priest, son of Ahitub (Ahimelech), faithful to David, but later rebelled with Adonijah.
הַכֹּהֵ֜ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
אָמַ֣ר  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
עֲנָתֹת֙  to  Anathoth 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲנָתֹות 
Sense: son of Becher and grandson of Benjamin.
לֵ֣ךְ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
שָׂדֶ֔יךָ  your  own  fields 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
אִ֥ישׁ  deserving 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מָ֖וֶת  of  death 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָוֶת  
Sense: death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead.
אָ֑תָּה  you  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
וּבַיּ֨וֹם  but  at  time 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַזֶּ֜ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אֲמִיתֶ֗ךָ  I  will  put  you  to  death 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
נָשָׂ֜אתָ  you  carried 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֲר֨וֹן  the  ark 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: אֲרֹון  
Sense: chest, ark.
אֲדֹנָ֤י  of  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהֹוִה֙  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
לִפְנֵי֙  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
דָּוִ֣ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
אָבִ֔י  my  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וְכִ֣י  and  because 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
הִתְעַנִּ֔יתָ  you  were  afflicted 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָנָה 
Sense: (Qal) to be occupied, be busied with.
בְּכֹ֥ל  every  [time] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הִתְעַנָּ֖ה  was  afflicted 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָנָה 
Sense: (Qal) to be occupied, be busied with.
אָבִֽי  my  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.