1 Kings 2:27
So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
Solomon deposed Abiathar from serving as priest unto the Lord. Abiathar had served as joint high priest with Zadok and had overseen the services in Jerusalem. Solomon expelled and banished him to Anathoth and away from Jerusalem for interfering with the succession in Adonijah's plot to seize the throne. By that removal he fulfilled the word of the Lord spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh, even Samuel's prediction that God would cut off Eli's house from the priesthood. Since Abiathar belonged to Eli's line through Ithamar, his deposition ended that line's tenure and left Zadok, of Eleazar's family, at the head of the priestly work.
Solomon's Removal of Abiathar
Solomon thrust out, removed and deposed Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord. Abiathar was the son of Ahimelech who had served as joint high priest with Zadok. He had overseen the services in Jerusalem.
Solomon expelled Abiathar from the priesthood and banished him to Anathoth and away from Jerusalem for interfering with the succession to the throne. After Abiathar's removal, Zadok filled the priestly office and remained at the head of the work. The event falls within Solomon's reign after David's death, when Solomon carried out his father's charges and instructions for securing the throne. In that setting the removal was part of the troubles that continued in David's house and of the overthrow of Adonijah's plot to seize the throne.
It took place a little later after Solomon was crowned king, when Nathan, knowing the Lord's will, stopped Adonijah's unholy ambition to take advantage of the king's old age and Joab's failure in loyalty. At that same time Adonijah and Joab were slain. Shimei, who cursed David, was put to death for failing to abide by his conditions of life.
Prophecy Fulfilled for Eli
Solomon's thrusting out of Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord fulfilled the word of the Lord which He spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. The removal was a deposing and expelling from the priesthood, with Abiathar banished to Anathoth away from Jerusalem for interfering with the succession, after which Zadok filled the office. In that connection the event belonged to the troubles that continued in David's house and to the overthrow of Adonijah's plot to seize the throne.
The word thus fulfilled was Samuel's prediction that God would cut off Eli's house from the priesthood. Abiathar belonged to Eli's priestly line as a descendant of Ithamar, and he had overseen the services in Jerusalem, so his deposition and banishing from Jerusalem ended that line's tenure. After his removal Zadok, of Eleazar's family, remained at the head of the Aaronic family.
The removal therefore marks the end of the priesthood's unbroken service in Aaron's family after Eli and his sons sinned. It stands as a precedent for Jeroboam's later removal of the regular priests in his kingdom.