But Zadok the priest,.... Who bid fair to be the high priest on Solomon's coming to the throne as he was:
and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; who was near David's person, and over his bodyguards, the Cherethites and Pelethites:
and Nathan the prophet; a very great intimate of David's, and his seer, whom he consulted on all occasions:
and Shimei; who, according to Abarbinel, was Shimei the son of Gera, who had cursed David, and was afraid of entering into the conspiracy, lest he should be involved in trouble again: though some think this may be that Shimei, one of Solomon's twelve officers, as after constituted, 1 Kings 4:18;
and Rei; whom the same writer takes to be Hushai the Archite, David's friend:
and the mighty men which [belonged] to David; that were about his person, his guards, the Cherethites and Pelethites:
were not with Adonijah; they did not join him, and indeed were not invited by him.