1 Kings 2:3
in 1 Kings 2And keep the charge of the LORD your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commandments, ordinances, and decrees, as is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you turn,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and keep the charge of Jehovah thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his ordinances, and his testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself;
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:
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This verse in 1 Kings 2
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The “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 Psa 19:7-8.
This site's exposition
keep the charge of the LORD your God
on 1 Kings 2:3-4
The charge to “keep the charge of the LORD your God” sets the reign under Deuteronomy 17:18-20. Verse 4 makes the dynasty conditional: “If your descendants take heed to walk faithfully”. The same terms stand at 2 Samuel 7:14-15, and the covenant tested king by king begins here.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
We never let fall the promise till we let fall the precept. God had promised David that the Messiah should come from his loins, and that promise was absolute: but the promise that there should not fail him a man on the throne of Israel was conditional--if his seed behave themselves as they should.
And keep the charge of the Lord thy God,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
Keep the charge of the Lord - Keep what God has given thee to keep. 1. Walk in his ways. Not in thine own, nor in the ways of a wicked, perishing world. 2. Keep his statutes. Consider all his appointments to be holy, just, and good; receive them as such, and conscientiously observe them. 3. Keep his commandments. Whatever he has bidden thee to do, perform; what he has forbidden thee to do, omit. 4. Keep his judgments. What he has determined to be right, is essentially and inherently right; what he has determined to be wrong or evil, is inherently and essentially so. A thing is not good because God has commanded it; a thing is not evil because he has forbidden it. He has commanded the good, because it is in its own nature good and useful; he has forbidden the evil, because it is in its own nature bad and hurtful. Keep therefore his judgments. 5. Keep his testimonies. Bear witness to all to which he has borne witness. His testimonies are true; there is no deceit or falsity in them. His testimonies refer also to future good things and good times; they are the significators of coming blessedness: as such, respect them. That thou mayest prosper - If thou hast God’s approbation, thou wilt have God’s blessing. If thy ways please him, he will not withhold from thee any manner of thing that is good.
The words behind it
26 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֞ | veshamarta | and you will keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת׀ | mishmeret | [the] charge of | H4931 → | |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לָלֶ֤כֶת | lalekhet | to walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בִּדְרָכָיו֙ | bidrakhav | in ways his | H1870 → | 707 times |
| לִשְׁמֹ֨ר | lishmor | to keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| חֻקֹּתָ֤יו | chukotav | statutes his | H2708 → | 104 times |
| מִצְוֹתָיו֙ | mitzvotav | commandments his | H4687 → | 181 times |
| וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֣יו | umishpatav | and judgments his | H4941 → | 422 times |
| וְעֵדְוֹתָ֔יו | veedevotav | and testimonies his | H5715 → | |
| כַּכָּת֖וּב | kakatuv | according to <the> [what] is written | H3789 → | 224 times |
| בְּתוֹרַ֣ת | betorat | in [the] law of | H8451 → | |
| מֹשֶׁ֑ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| לְמַ֣עַן | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| תַּשְׂכִּ֗יל | taskil | you may cause to prosper | H7919 → | |
| אֵ֚ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה | taaseh | you will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וְאֵ֛ת | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תִּפְנֶ֖ה | tifneh | you will turn | H6437 → | 135 times |
| שָֽׁם׃ | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֞and you will keep
veshamartaH8104 →468 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת׀[the] charge of
mishmeretH4931 →
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
לָלֶ֤כֶתto walk
lalekhetH1980 →1546 times
בִּדְרָכָיו֙in ways his
bidrakhavH1870 →707 times
לִשְׁמֹ֨רto keep
lishmorH8104 →468 times
חֻקֹּתָ֤יוstatutes his
chukotavH2708 →104 times
מִצְוֹתָיו֙commandments his
mitzvotavH4687 →181 times
וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֣יוand judgments his
umishpatavH4941 →422 times
וְעֵדְוֹתָ֔יוand testimonies his
veedevotavH5715 →
כַּכָּת֖וּבaccording to <the> [what] is written
kakatuvH3789 →224 times
בְּתוֹרַ֣תin [the] law of
betoratH8451 →
מֹשֶׁ֑הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
לְמַ֣עַןso that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
תַּשְׂכִּ֗ילyou may cause to prosper
taskilH7919 →
אֵ֚ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֔הyou will do
taasehH6213 →2628 times
וְאֵ֛תand <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhere
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תִּפְנֶ֖הyou will turn
tifnehH6437 →135 times
שָֽׁם׃there
shamH8033 →834 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 119:2Blessed are those who keep His testimonies and seek Him with all their heart.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
- Deuteronomy 4:29
But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
- Psalms 119:10
With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me stray from Your commandments.
- John 14:23
Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
- Psalms 25:10
All the LORD’s ways are loving and faithful to those who keep His covenant and His decrees.
- Jeremiah 29:13
Through
Deuteronomy 29:9So keep and follow the words of this covenant, that you may prosper in all you do.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:6
Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, who will hear of all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and…
- Luke 11:28
But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
- Joshua 1:7
Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that…
- Deuteronomy 4:6
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.