1 Kings 2:19 (ESV)

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right.

In this verse we are given a glimpse of the relationship between Solomon and his mother Bathsheba. First, she appears to have had immediate access to the king. Second, the king rose to greet her, and more surprising yet, Solomon pays homage to her. Not only is she allowed to sit in his presence, but her seat is placed at his right side. We should not ignore the biblical significance of being at the right hand of someone. The right hand was the place of honour and even derivative authority (Exodus 15:6, Exodus 15:12; Psalm 110:1).

This picture exhibits a fairly close relationship between mother and son. Yet we should not leave it at that. Apparently, the Lord’s command, You shall honour your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12), was upon Solomon’s heart. Moreover, the royal dignity of a son did not erase the duty that the king owed to his mother.