1 Kings / Question
Adonijah feared Solomon and went to take hold of the horns of the altar for refuge (1 Kings 1:50). Solomon promised safety if Adonijah proved himself a worthy man, but warned that wickedness would bring death (1 Kings 1:52). Adonijah then came, bowed, and was told to go to his house (1 Kings 1:53).
In 1 Kings 1:50–53, Adonijah panics when Solomon’s kingship is secured. He runs to the altar and grabs its horns, asking for a sworn promise that Solomon will not kill him. Solomon responds with a conditional pledge: Adonijah will be safe if he proves to be a loyal, decent man, but he will die if wrongdoing is found in him. This scene closes the opening succession crisis of 1 Kings 1. Adonijah has tried to set himself up as king while David is weak, but David publicly confirms Solomon as successor and Solomon is acclaimed. After the public celebration, the attempted coup collapses and Adonijah’s supporters scatter.
These verses portray a failed rival claimant trying to survive a sudden change in power. Adonijah’s grab for the altar’s horns is a public, desperate appeal for protection, and his words frame the issue as life-or-death (“with the sword”). Solomon responds as the newly established king: he does not deny the threat is real, but he sets the terms.
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 1:50, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
50Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.