“Took hold of the horns of the altar”
But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, got up and went to take hold of the horns of the altar.… Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, and he has taken hold of the horns of the altar. (1 Kings 1:50–51 BSB)
What it sounds like today
Adonijah oddly clutching the decorative corners of an altar.
The cultural key
To a modern reader this looks like a man randomly grabbing altar ornaments. In Israel's world it was a recognized bid for asylum. The four projecting 'horns' at the altar's corners were its holiest points, smeared with sacrificial blood; to lay hold of them was to place yourself in God's hands and claim sanctuary, so that no one could strike you down without answering to God. That is why Adonijah, and later Joab (1 Kings 2:28), run to the altar when they fear execution: grasping the horns forces the king to grant mercy or to take responsibility for violating a sacred refuge. The Law allowed only one override, that a premeditated murderer could be taken even from the altar to die (Exodus 21:14). Adonijah's gesture is a desperate, calculated plea for his life, not a moment of piety.
Recovered meaning
Grabbing the horns of the altar was a formal claim of sanctuary, placing the fugitive under God's protection so the king had to grant mercy or answer for bloodshed at a holy place. Adonijah and Joab both flee there to escape execution.