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—I am going the way of all the earth. So be strong and be a man. 3Keep the charge of Adonai your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His decrees, according to what is written in the Torah of Moses, so that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn so that Adonai may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying: ‘If your children watch 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“Moreover, you also know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, whom he killed, shedding the blood of war in peacetime, and putting the blood of war on his waistband and on his sandals on his feet. 6So act according to your wisdom, and let his gray hair not go down to Sheol in shalom.

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

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 made myself known to him so that he will command his sons and his household after him to keep the way of Adonai by doing righteousness and justice, so that Adonai may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.”
• Deuteronomy 7:12“Then it will happen, as a result of your listening to these ordinances, when you keep and do them, that Adonai your God will keep with you the covenant kindness that He swore to your fathers.
• 1 Chronicles 28:9“Now you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing mind; for Adonai searches all hearts and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you. But if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.
• John 15:9“Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you. Abide in My love!
• Jude 1:20But you, loved ones, continue building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Ruach ha-Kodesh.
• 2 Samuel 7:11since the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. So I will give you rest from all your enemies. “Moreover, Adonai declares to you that Adonai will make a house for you.
• 1 Chronicles 17:11It will be that when your days are fulfilled to go with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.
• 1 Chronicles 22:9Behold, a son will be born to you who will be a man at rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon and I will confer shalom and quietness on Israel in his days.
• 1 Chronicles 28:5Moreover, of all my sons—for Adonai has given me many sons—He has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of Adonai over Israel.
• Psalms 89:29I will maintain My love for him forever, and My covenant with him will be firm.
• Psalms 132:11Adonai has sworn to David a true promise He will not revoke: “From the fruit of your body I will set one upon your throne—
• 1 Kings 3:3Now Solomon loved Adonai, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he kept sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.
• 1 Kings 8:23and said: “Adonai, God of Israel, there is no God like You, in heaven above or on earth below, keeping covenant and lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart.
• Genesis 17:1When Abram was 99 years old, Adonai appeared to Abram, and He said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Continually walk before Me and you will be blameless.
• Leviticus 26:3“If you walk in My statutes, keep My mitzvot and carry them out,
• 2 Kings 20:3“Please, Adonai, remember how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, 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

• 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