What Does 1 Kings 1:1 Mean in the King James?

Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.

1 Kings 1:1 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

David is covered from the outside, yet warmth remains absent within him.

THE MEANING

David is old, others cover him, and he still has no warmth. The verse meets you in the present reality of bodily vulnerability: care may surround a need while that need remains.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

Being surrounded by care means every bodily need must already be met.

THE ROOT

וַיְכַסֻּהוּ

vaykhasuhu

GROWS FROM

כסה

kasah

Cover; conceal by placing something over it.

“covered” in this verse is vaykhasuhu. This root holds both covering and concealment: a layer is laid over something, changing what is exposed to view. Here the covering is real, while warmth remains absent, the verse keeps protection and restoration distinct.

ALSO GROWS

mikhseh: Covering; lid.

מִכְסֶה

This noun grows from the same root and names a physical cover, like the garments placed over David.

mekhusseh: Covered; concealed.

מְכֻסֶּה

This form shows the state produced by covering: something can be covered while what it needs remains unchanged.

THE PATTERN

Warmth is a concrete bodily condition reached through heat, contact, and care.

Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

Ecclesiastes 4:11 · KJVWarmth is presented as a bodily condition that shared contact can provide.

And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.

John 18:18 · KJVFire directly answers cold, showing warmth as a bodily need met by external heat.

And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

2 Kings 4:34 · KJVThe child’s flesh becoming warm is described as a palpable bodily change.

THE THREAD

Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

Proverbs 10:12 · KJV

The Hebrew form ⁨תְּכַסֶּה⁩ (tekhasseh, “covereth”) grows from ⁨כָּסָה⁩ (kasah, “cover”), the same root behind David being covered. Proverbs speaks of love covering what would be exposed; here cloth covers David, yet warmth does not return.

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