Commentary for I Kings 1:33
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לָהֶ֗ם קְח֤וּ עִמָּכֶם֙ אֶת־עַבְדֵ֣י אֲדֹנֵיכֶ֔ם וְהִרְכַּבְתֶּם֙ אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בְנִ֔י עַל־הַפִּרְדָּ֖ה אֲשֶׁר־לִ֑י וְהוֹרַדְתֶּ֥ם אֹת֖וֹ אֶל־גִּחֽוֹן׃
And the king said unto them: ‘Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.
Rashi on I Kings
On my personal mule. This will be a sign that he will reign and the beginning of [his] greatness, because a commoner is forbidden to ride on the king’s horse.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ralbag on I Kings
upon mine own mule: This is one of the symbols of kingship, that no one should ride on the king's chariot who is not a king.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rashi on I Kings
To Gichon. [Gichon] is the well of Shilo’ach. From this [episode is derived the custom] not to anoint the kings except at the well, to symbolize thereby that his kingship shall continue on and on.27As the waters of a well do.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ralbag on I Kings
and bring him frown to Gihon: He chose to anoint him at a river to be a symbol that his kingship will last and survive and expand.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy