The idea
The queen mother was the kingdom's chief intercessor. Adonijah asks Bathsheba to petition Solomon, certain 'he will not refuse you'; Solomon rises and seats her at his right hand. Pitre adds the honest qualifier that this particular request — for Abishag, a veiled claim on the throne — was refused and Adonijah executed; 'despite Solomon's abuse of his power,' the episode shows the queen mother's office as royal advocate (p 71). Asking the Queen Mother to bring a request to the King is the biblical pattern behind Marian intercession.
Key verses
- 1 Kings 2:17 — 'Ask King Solomon — he will not refuse you.'
- 1 Kings 2:19 — the king rises, seats his mother, and promises not to refuse her (v. 20).
- James 5:16, Revelation 5:8 — 'pray for one another'; the prayers of the saints in heaven — why intercession does not stop at death (p 85).
The connection
| Old Testament root | New Testament fulfilment | |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects seek the gebirah's petition | → | The faithful seek Mary's intercession |
The queen mother was the realm's great intercessor; Adonijah seeks Bathsheba's help sure that Solomon 'will not refuse' her. Pitre presents this as the biblical template for asking Mary to bring our requests to the King.