And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. (1 Kings 2:26)
Solomon was not content with halfway measures. He probably correctly surmised that in this new attempt to secure the crown Adonijah had accomplices, including Abiathar.
To Anathoth.
Abiathar received mercy because of his long friendship with David in his adversity. Instead of forfeiting his life, he would merely be deprived of his office and sent home. Anathoth was a city of priests in the territory of Benjamin (Joshua 21:17-19; 1 Chron. 6:60). The town lay 3 mi. to the northeast of Jerusalem. It is best known as the birthplace of Jeremiah (Jer. 1:1; 32:7).