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

2I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man; 3And 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 wherever thou turnest thyself: That the LORD may continue his word which he spoke 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. 5Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his belt that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. 6Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his gray head go down to the grave 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

• LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• continueקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965
• wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• spokeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• heedשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: look atH8104
• wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• walkיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• truthאֱמֶת'emeth · truth: faithfulH571
• heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
• soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
• failכָּרַתkârath · to cut: lackH3772
• manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• throneכִּסֵּאkissê' kissêh · throneH3678
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478

Cross-references for 1 Kings 2:4

• Genesis 18:19For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
• Deuteronomy 7:12Therefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep to thee the covenant and the mercy which he swore to thy fathers:
• 1 Chronicles 28:9And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou shalt seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou shalt forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
• John 15:9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
• Jude 1:20But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying by the Holy Spirit,
• 2 Samuel 7:11And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thy enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.
• 1 Chronicles 17:11And it shall come to pass, when thy days shall be ended that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, who shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
• 1 Chronicles 22:9Behold, a son shall be born to thee, 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 quietness to Israel in his days.
• 1 Chronicles 28:5And of all my sons, (for the LORD hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.
• Psalms 89:29His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
• Psalms 132:11The LORD hath sworn in truth to David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
• 1 Kings 3:3And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
• 1 Kings 8:23And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:
• Genesis 17:1And when Abram was ninety and nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
• Leviticus 26:3If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
• 2 Kings 20:3I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept grievously.

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