New English Translation
1 Kings 2:3
3Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you by following his instructions and obeying his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish,
1 Kings 2:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:
- New International Version (NIV)and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go
- English Standard Version (ESV)and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn,
- New King James Version (NKJV)And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;
Context of 1 Kings 2:3
1When David was close to death, he told Solomon his son: 2“I am about to die. Be strong and become a man! Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you by following his instructions and obeying his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish, 4and the Lord will fulfill his promise to me, ‘If your descendants watch their step and live faithfully in my presence with all their heart and being, then,’ he promised, ‘you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ 5“You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me – how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. During peacetime he struck them down like he would in battle; when he shed their blood as if in battle, he stained his own belt and the sandals on his feet.
Read all of 1 Kings 21 Kings 2:3 word by word
וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֞ אֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ לָלֶ֤כֶת בִּדְרָכָיו֙ לִשְׁמֹ֨ר חֻקֹּתָ֤יו מִצְוֹתָיו֙ וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֣יו וְעֵדְוֹתָ֔יו כַּכָּת֖וּב בְּתוֹרַ֣ת מֹשֶׁ֑ה לְמַ֣עַן תַּשְׂכִּ֗יל אֵ֚ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּפְנֶ֖ה שָֽׁם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
- the chargeמִשְׁמֶ֫רֶתmishmereth · chargeH4931
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- to walkיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- in his waysדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
- his statutesחֻקָּהchûqqâh · statuteH2708
- and his commandmentsמִצְוָהmitsvâh · commandmentH4687
- and his judgmentsמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
- and his testimoniesעֵדוּת‛êdûth · testimonyH5715
- as it is writtenכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
- in the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
- of Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- that thou mayest prosperשָׂכַלώâkal · be prudentH7919
- in all that thou doestעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- and whithersoever thou turnestפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
Cross-references for 1 Kings 2:3
- Deuteronomy 29:9“Therefore, keep the terms of this covenant and obey them so that you may be successful in everything you do.
- Joshua 1:7Make sure you are very strong and brave! Carefully obey all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep! Do not swerve from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful in all you do.
- Joshua 22:5But carefully obey the commands and instructions Moses the Lord’s servant gave you. Love the Lord your God, follow all his instructions, obey his commands, be loyal to him, and serve him with all your heart and being!”
- 1 Chronicles 22:12Only may the Lord give you insight and understanding when he places you in charge of Israel, so you may obey the law of the Lord your God.
- 1 Chronicles 28:8So now, in the sight of all Israel, the Lord’s assembly, and in the hearing of our God, I say this: Carefully observe all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may possess this good land and may leave it as a permanent inheritance for your children after you.
- 1 Chronicles 29:19Make my son Solomon willing to obey your commands, rules, and regulations, and to complete building the palace for which I have made preparations.”
- Deuteronomy 4:1Now, Israel, pay attention to the statutes and ordinances I am about to teach you, so that you might live and go on to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.
- Deuteronomy 5:1Then Moses called all the people of Israel together and said to them: “Listen, Israel, to the statutes and ordinances that I am about to deliver to you today; learn them and be careful to keep them!
- Deuteronomy 6:1Now these are the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord your God instructed me to teach you so that you may carry them out in the land where you are headed
- Deuteronomy 4:45These are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that Moses spoke to the Israelites after he had brought them out of Egypt,
- Psalms 19:7The law of the Lord is perfect and preserves one’s life. The rules set down by the Lord are reliable and impart wisdom to the inexperienced.
- Psalms 119:2How blessed are those who observe his rules, and seek him with all their heart,
- Deuteronomy 17:18When he sits on his royal throne he must make a copy of this law on a scroll given to him by the Levitical priests.
- Malachi 4:4“Remember the law of my servant Moses, to whom at Horeb I gave rules and regulations for all Israel to obey.
- 1 Samuel 18:5On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul’s servants.
- 2 Chronicles 31:20This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what the Lord his God considered good and right and faithful.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 2:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Keep the charge of the Lord - Keep what God has given thee to keep. Walk in his ways. Not in thine own, nor in the ways of a wicked, perishing world. Keep his statutes. Consider all his appointments to be holy, just, and good; receive them as such, and conscientiously observe them. Keep his commandments. Whatever he has bidden thee to do, perform; what he has forbidden thee to do, omit. Keep his judgments. What he has determined to be right, is…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The “statutes” have been explained to be the positive ordinances of the Law; the “commandments” the moral precepts, not to steal, etc.; the “judgments” the laws belonging to civil government; and the “testimonies” the laws directing the commemoration of certain events. Compare Psalm 19:7-8.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. 33. keep the charge of the Lord thy God--that is, the divine law in all its ceremonial as well as moral requirements. But particular reference was intended to its political institutions, as it was only by strictly maintaining the conduct that became the Hebrew monarch (De 17:10-20), that he would secure the blessing of peace and prosperity to his reign (see on De 4:5; De 29:10).Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 2:3
In the dictionaries
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries