מלכים א, פרק א׳, פסוק מ׳

The crowning of Solomon is marked by a massive, open celebration. The general public emerges from the river to celebrate in plain sight. This public display stands in sharp contrast to the secretive and rebellious coronation attempted by Adonijah, which was restricted to a select group of invited guests [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The crowds fill the air with music, playing hollow, reed-like instruments with precisely placed holes designed to produce various melodies, recognized as flutes [רש״י, רד״ק, רלב״ג, אברבנאל, מצודת דוד]. The people are filled with an intense joy that goes beyond the simple excitement of a new king taking the throne. This deep happiness comes from the understanding that Solomon's rise proves King David's righteousness in the matter of Bathsheba. It also serves as a clear confirmation that the prophecy of Solomon ruling according to the word of God has been fulfilled [חומת אנך].

The sheer volume of the celebration is so powerful that the earth itself is said to split from the noise. The primary approach among commentators is that this is not a literal physical event. Rather, it is a natural exaggeration speaking in human terms, meant to capture the deafening roar and the immense energy of the crowd's joy [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Another perspective suggests that the booming sound of the festivities pierced the air across the land, drawing even more masses of people from every direction to join the gathering [רלב״ג].