New International Version
1 Kings 2:4
4and 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.’
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.
- 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.’
- New Living Translation (NLT)If you do this, then the Lord will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, ‘If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’
Context of 1 Kings 2:4
2“I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, 3and 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 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.’ 5“Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. 6Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.
Read all of 1 Kings 21 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- That the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- may continueקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965
- his wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- which he spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- concerning me, sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- If thy childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- take heedשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: look atH8104
- to their wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
- to walkיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- me in truthאֱמֶת'emeth · truth: faithfulH571
- with all their heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- and with all their soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
- there shall not failכָּרַתkârath · to cut: lackH3772
- he) 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 will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
- Deuteronomy 7:12If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
- John 15:9“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
- Jude 1:20But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
- 2 Samuel 7:11and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. “ ‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you:
- 1 Chronicles 17:11When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.
- 1 Chronicles 22:9But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign.
- 1 Chronicles 28:5Of all my sons—and the Lord has given me many—he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
- Psalms 89:29I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.
- Psalms 132:11The Lord swore an oath to David, a sure oath he will not revoke: “One of your own descendants I will place on your throne.
- 1 Kings 3:3Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.
- 1 Kings 8:23and said: “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.
- Genesis 17:1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.
- Leviticus 26:3“ ‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands,
- 2 Kings 20:3“Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” 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
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
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