David ordered that Solomon ride on the king’s mule, be taken to Gihon, and be anointed there by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet (1 Kings 1:33-34). The trumpet was blown and the people proclaimed, “Long live king Solomon” (1 Kings 1:39). The procession returned with rejoicing so that “the earth rent with the sound of them” (1 Kings 1:40).
In 1 Kings 1:28–40, David publicly confirms that Solomon—not another claimant—will succeed him. He repeats his earlier promise to Bathsheba and binds it with an oath. David then gives clear, practical instructions for a visible enthronement: Solomon must ride the king’s mule, be anointed at Gihon, and be acclaimed with trumpet and shouting. This scene sits inside a tense succession crisis. Immediately before it, Bathsheba and Nathan have warned David that Adonijah is acting as though he is already king, with supporters gathering around him.
David’s action is presented as a decisive, public transfer of royal authority. He does not merely express a preference; he swears an oath before Yahweh and states he will act “this day” (explicit textual claim).
A careful answer keeps the immediate passage, the book's argument, and the whole-Bible storyline together, so the question is answered in context instead of as a detached idea.
Start with 1 Kings 1:33-34, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
33The king said to them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:
34and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel; and blow you the trumpet, and say, [Long] live king Solomon.