Commentary on 1 Kings

Athanasius of Alexandria (296–373)

Thus fathers often call their sons their servants, yet without denying the genuineness of their nature. In fact, they often affectionately call their own servants children, yet without losing sight of the fact they did purchase them originally. For they use the one appellation from their authority as fathers, but in the other they speak from affection. Thus Sara called Abraham lord, although she was not a servant but a wife. And while the Apostle joined Onesimus the servant to Philemon the master as a brother, Bathsheba called her son a servant even though she was his mother when she said to his father, "Your servant Solomon." Afterwards also Nathan the Prophet came in and repeated her words to David, "Solomon your servant." Nor did they mind calling the son a servant, for while David heard it, he recognized the nature of what they were referring to, and even while they said it, they did not forget genuineness [of his sonship], praying that the one they called a "servant" might be made his father's heir; for to David he was his son by nature.So then, when we read this we interpret it fairly without considering Solomon a servant because we hear him called this. Instead we…

See also

• More works by Athanasius of Alexandria

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