1 Kings 2:4

1 Kings 2:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)That the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
• New International Version (NIV)and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)that the Lord may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

Context of 1 Kings 2:4

2“I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. 3Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, so that the Lord may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ 5“Now you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt about his waist, and on his sandals on his feet. 6So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace.

1 Kings 2:4 word by word

לְמַעַן֩ יָקִ֨ים יְהוָ֜ה אֶת־דְּבָר֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֣ר עָלַי֮ לֵאמֹר֒ אִם־יִשְׁמְר֨וּ בָנֶ֜יךָ אֶת־דַּרְכָּ֗ם לָלֶ֤כֶת לְפָנַי֙ בֶּאֱמֶ֔ת בְּכָל־לְבָבָ֖ם וּבְכָל־נַפְשָׁ֑ם לֵאמֹ֕ר לֹֽא־יִכָּרֵ֤ת לְךָ֙ אִ֔ישׁ מֵעַ֖ל כִּסֵּ֥א יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Read the interlinear

• soמַ֫עַןma‛an · becauseH4616
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• may carryקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965
• out His promiseדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• whichאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• He spokeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• concerningעַל‛al · uponH5921
• me, sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Ifאִם'im · ifH518
• your sonsבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• are carefulשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: look atH8104
• of their wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• to walkהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• truthאֱמֶת'emeth · truth: faithfulH571
• with allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• their heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
• their soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
• you shall not lackכָּרַתkârath · to cut: lackH3772
• a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• on the throneכִּסֵּאkissê' kissêh · throneH3678
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478

Cross-references for 1 Kings 2:4

• Genesis 18:19For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.”
• Deuteronomy 7:12“Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you His covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your forefathers.
• 1 Chronicles 28:9“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.
• John 15:9Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
• Jude 1:20But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
• 2 Samuel 7:11even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you.
• 1 Chronicles 17:11When your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up one of your descendants after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
• 1 Chronicles 22:9Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days.
• 1 Chronicles 28:5Of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
• Psalms 89:29So I will establish his descendants forever And his throne as the days of heaven.
• Psalms 132:11The Lord has sworn to David A truth from which He will not turn back: “Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.
• 1 Kings 3:3Now Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
• 1 Kings 8:23He said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart,
• Genesis 17:1Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.
• Leviticus 26:3If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out,
• 2 Kings 20:3“Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 2:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4That the Lord may continue his word - The prosperity which God has promised to grant to my family will depend on their faithfulness to the good they receive; if they live to God, they shall sit for ever on the throne of Israel. But alas! they did not; and God's justice cut off the entail made by his mercy.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4That the Lord may continue his word - The original promise given to David indirectly, through Nathan 2 Samuel 7:11-17, and apparently unconditional, afterward was made conditional upon continued obedience. (See the margin reference “f.”) David reminds Solomon of this, in order to impress upon him a powerful motive to continue faithful and obedient.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-4David advised Solomon to follow the spiritual and ethical rules from Deuteronomy and the covenant through Moses (see Leviticus 18:4–5; Deuteronomy 5:33; 6:4–5; 8:6; 10:12). He also mentioned the promises of the covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:12–16, 25). If Solomon followed God's rules, his heir would receive God's blessings and pass them to future generations (Psalm 89:3–4, 20, 24, 27–37). The most important heir of David was the Messiah. The Messiah…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. there shall not fail thee ... a man on the throne of Israel--a reference to the promise made to David of the sovereignty being vested perpetually in his lineage (2Sa 7:11-16), which was confirmed to Solomon afterwards (see 1Ki 9:5), and repeated with reference to its spiritual meaning long after (Jr 33:17).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 2:4

• Blessing
• Children
• David
• Death
• Evil for Good
• Heart
• Truth
• Watchfulness
• Will

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Curse
• Fail
• Gone
• Return
• Solomon
• Abishag
• Adonijah
• Israel, History of
• Kings, Books of

Commentaries on 1 Kings 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings