Bible Dictionary
Rei
Rei was a man who remained loyal to David when Adonijah attempted to seize the throne. He may have been an officer of David’s royal guard.
Definition
Rei, meaning “friendly,” was a man who remained loyal to David when Adonijah attempted to seize the throne. He is listed among those who did not join the rebellion.
Biblical Usage
Rei appears only in the account of Adonijah’s attempted succession. Along with Shimei and David’s mighty men, he supported David’s cause rather than Adonijah.
Historical Background
The identity of Rei is uncertain. It has been conjectured that he was an officer of David’s royal guard, though other proposed identifications are recorded.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Friendly, one who maintained true allegiance to king David (1 Kings 1:8) when Adonijah rebelled.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(friendly), a person mentioned (in (1 Kings 1:8) only) as having remained firm to David’s cause when Adonijah rebelled. (B.C. 1015.)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>re'-i (re`i, "friendly"; Rhesei): Rei, Shimei and the Gibborim who belonged to David are listed among those who did not join Adonijah in his attempt on the throne (1Ki 1:8). The name is very uncertain. Winckler (Geschichte, II, 247) identifies him with Ira, the Jairite, who was a "priest to David" (2Sa 20:26 the Revised Version margin); he tries to prove that this Ira (or Jair) was a priest of Bethlehem. Stade (GVI, I, 293, note 1) holds that Shimei and Rei were two officers of David's bodyguard. Josephus (Ant., VII, xiv, 4) has ho Daouidou philos, thus making Shimei a "friend," the courtier of 2Sa 15:37; 16:16, and omitting Rei entirely. This would call for an original reading re`h ha-melekh, or re`eh ha-melekh, and is too wide a variant from the Massoretic Text. Assuming that Rei belongs in the text, it is safe to conjecture that he was an officer of the royal guard.</p><p>Horace J. Wolf</p>