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1 Kings 2:11

in 1 Kings 2

The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

KJV

And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

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This verse in 1 Kings 2

Commentary

5 notes on this verse
And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years,.... So says Eupolemus (s), an Heathen writer, which are thus reckoned: seven years reigned he in Hebron; the six months over are omitted, 2Sa 5:5; this part of his reign was over Judah only: and thirty three years reigned he in Jerusalem; over the twelve tribes, in all forty, which round number is only given; though in fact he reigned six months more. (s) Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 30.

This site's exposition

Then David rested with his fathers

on 1 Kings 2:10-11

The words “rested with his fathers” become the standard notice of a king's death in Kings, repeated for nearly every reign across both books. Verse 11 totals the reign at “forty years”, seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. The book of 2 Samuel gave the same figures at 5:4-5.

This site's exposition

The length of David’s reign

David reigned seven years and six months in Hebron, as 2 Samuel 5:5 counts it, so the forty years are a round number. Albert Barnes notes that Jewish writers drop such odd months. John Gill adds that the Hebron years were over Judah alone, and the thirty-three over all Israel.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

And she said, Comest thou peaceably? 14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. 15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the L ORD .

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:97%@v13-15

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Forty years - In all forty years and six months. See 2Sa 5:5, and 1Ch 3:4. The Jewish writers almost universally omit the fractions of a year.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

And his kingdom was firmly established. [He was] also [ruler] over the heavenly creatures.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on I Kings 2:12:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

17 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְהַיָּמִ֗יםand the days

    vehaiyamimH3117 →2304 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • מָלַ֤ךְhe reigned

    malakhH4427 →348 times

  • דָּוִד֙David

    davidH1732 →999 times

  • עַל־over

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

  • אַרְבָּעִ֖ים[were] forty

    ʾarbaimH705 →136 times

  • שָׁנָ֑הyear[s]

    shanahH8141 →877 times

  • בְּחֶבְר֤וֹןin Hebron

    bechevronH2275 →

  • מָלַךְ֙he reigned

    malakhH4427 →348 times

  • שֶׁ֣בַעseven

    sheva'H7651 →394 times

  • שָׁנִ֔יםyears

    shanimH8141 →877 times

  • וּבִירוּשָׁלִַ֣םand in Jerusalem

    uvirushalimH3389 →643 times

  • מָלַ֔ךְhe reigned

    malakhH4427 →348 times

  • שְׁלֹשִׁ֥יםthirty

    sheloshimH7970 →172 times

  • וְשָׁלֹ֖שׁand three

    veshaloshH7969 →432 times

  • שָׁנִֽים׃years

    shanimH8141 →877 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

10 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

2 Samuel 5:4–5David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.6 works2 Samuel 2:11And the length of time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.5 works1 Chronicles 29:27The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.5 works1 Chronicles 29:26–27David son of Jesse was king over all Israel.4 works1 Chronicles 3:4These six sons were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months. And David reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years,3 works2 Samuel 5:5In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.3 works
The other 4 cross-references, with their words ▾
1 Kings 11:42Thus the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.2 works1 Chronicles 26:31As for the Hebronites, Jerijah was the chief of the Hebronites, according to the genealogies of his ancestors. In the fortieth year of David’s reign the records were searched, and strong, capable men were found among the Hebronites at Jazer in Gilead.2 works1 Chronicles 11:1Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.2 works2 Samuel 2:1Some time later, David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” “Go up,” the LORD answered. Then David asked, “Where should I go?” “To Hebron,” replied the LORD.2 works

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies2

About 1 Kings

The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, Sir Edward John Poynter, 1890. Public domain.
The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, Sir Edward John Poynter, 1890. Public domain.
1 Kings: the study guide →Read 1 Kings 2 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 1 Kings 2 →