And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants:
En-rogel - now Bir-ayub, or the well of Joab, at the foot of Ophel, situated (Joshua 15:7-10: see the notes at 2 Samuel 17:17) east of Jerusalem, in a level place beyond Siloam, just below the junction of the Valley of Hinnom with that of Jehoshaphat. It is a very deep well, measuring 125 feet in depth: the water is sweet, but not very cold, and it is at times quite full to overflowing. The Orientals are fond of enjoying festive repasts in the open air, at places which command the advantage of shade, water, and verdure; and those fetes champetres are not cold collations, but magnificent entertainments, the animals being killed and dressed on the spot. Adonijah's feast at En-rogel was one of this Oriental description, and it was on a large scale (2 Samuel 3:4-5; 2 Samuel 5:14-16; 1 Chronicles 14:1-7).
By the stone Zoheleth - stone of the serpent. Large and special stones are distinguished by names in the East, and this one was probably so called from its long and twisted shape. At the accession of a new king there were sacrifices offered (1 Samuel 11:15). But on such an occasion it was no less customary to entertain the grandees of the kingdom, and even the populace, in a public manner (1 Chronicles 12:23-40). There is the strongest probability that Adonijah's feast was purely political, to court popularity, and secure a party to support his claim to the crown.