1 Kings 11:34
in 1 Kings 11Nevertheless, I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon’s hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David My servant, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and statutes.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him prince all the days of his life, for David my servant’s sake whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes;
KJV
Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant’s sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes:
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This verse in 1 Kings 11
Commentary
6 notes on this verseHowbeit, I will not take the kingdom out of his hand,.... Not any part of it, 1Ki 11:12, but I will make him prince all the days of his life; that is, he shall continue to hold the government of all the tribes so long as he lives: for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes; see 1Ki 11:12, or was well pleased with, as the Targum; for keeping the commands of God from right principles, and with right views, is well pleasing to him.
This site's exposition
he shall have one tribe
on 1 Kings 11:32-34
Ahijah's prophecy names the same sins as the narrator did at verse 33, Ashtoreth, Chemosh and Milcom by name, and restates thread 1 twice more: one tribe held back for David my servant's sake and for Jerusalem's sake, verse 32, and the kingdom kept whole in Solomon's own lifetime for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, verse 34. Four statements of the same covenant reason in one chapter, at 11:12, 11:13, 11:32 and here at 11:34, is the highest concentration of the phrase anywhere in Kings. The judgment is real and the mercy is stated in the same sentence as the judgment, not after it.
This site's exposition
ruler all the days of his life
Albert Barnes and John Gill render the clause as taking none of the kingdom from Solomon's hand. He keeps all twelve tribes for his lifetime, as verse 12 promised. The division waits for his son.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
(4.) He gives him to understand that he will be upon his good behaviour. The grant of the crown must run quamdiu se bene gesserit--during good behaviour. "If thou wilt do what is right in my sight, I will build thee a sure house, and not otherwise" (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
He was a young man of talent and energy, who, having been appointed by Solomon superintendent of the engineering works projected around Jerusalem, had risen into public notice, and on being informed by a very significant act of the prophet Ahijah of the royal destiny which, by divine appointment, awaited him, his mind took a new turn.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Translate - “Howbeit I will not take ought of the kingdom out of his hand.” The context requires this sense.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֶקַּ֥ח | ʾekach | I will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה | hamamlakhah | the kingdom | H4467 → | 117 times |
| מִיָּד֑וֹ | miyado | from hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| כִּ֣י׀ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נָשִׂ֣יא | nasi' | ruler | H5387 → | |
| אֲשִׁתֶ֗נּוּ | ʾashitenu | I will make him | H7896 → | |
| כֹּ֚ל | kol | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יְמֵ֣י | yemei | [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| חַיָּ֔יו | chaiyav | life his | H2416 → | 498 times |
| לְמַ֨עַן | lemaan | for [the] sake of | H4616 → | 272 times |
| דָּוִ֤ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| עַבְדִּי֙ | ʾavdi | servant my | H5650 → | 799 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בָּחַ֣רְתִּי | bacharti | I chose | H977 → | 171 times |
| אֹת֔וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָׁמַ֖ר | shamar | he observed | H8104 → | 468 times |
| מִצְוֹתַ֥י | mitzvotai | commandments my | H4687 → | 181 times |
| וְחֻקֹּתָֽי׃ | vechukotai | and statutes my | H2708 → | 104 times |
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
אֶקַּ֥חI will take
ʾekachH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַמַּמְלָכָ֖הthe kingdom
hamamlakhahH4467 →117 times
מִיָּד֑וֹfrom hand his
miyadoH3027 →1618 times
כִּ֣י׀for
kiH3588 →4482 times
נָשִׂ֣יאruler
nasi'H5387 →
אֲשִׁתֶ֗נּוּI will make him
ʾashitenuH7896 →
כֹּ֚לall
kolH3605 →5413 times
יְמֵ֣י[the] days of
yemeiH3117 →2304 times
חַיָּ֔יוlife his
chaiyavH2416 →498 times
לְמַ֨עַןfor [the] sake of
lemaanH4616 →272 times
דָּוִ֤דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
עַבְדִּי֙servant my
ʾavdiH5650 →799 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בָּחַ֣רְתִּיI chose
bachartiH977 →171 times
אֹת֔וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
שָׁמַ֖רhe observed
shamarH8104 →468 times
מִצְוֹתַ֥יcommandments my
mitzvotaiH4687 →181 times
וְחֻקֹּתָֽי׃and statutes my
vechukotaiH2708 →104 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
Habakkuk 3:2O LORD, I have heard the report of You; I stand in awe, O LORD, of Your deeds. Revive them in these years; make them known in these years. In Your wrath, remember mercy!
it leads to
- Psalms 85:6
Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?
- Psalms 90:13–17
Return, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on Your servants.
- Hosea 6:2–3
After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence.
- Psalms 85:6
Through
Isaiah 55:3Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant—My loving devotion promised to David.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 32:40
I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put My fear in their hearts, so that they will never turn away…
- Jeremiah 32:40
Through
Psalms 103:10He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities.
it leads to
- Ezra 9:13
After all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt (though You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have given us such a…
- Nehemiah 9:31
But in Your great compassion, You did not put an end to them; nor did You forsake them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.
- Lamentations 3:22
Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.
- Psalms 130:3
If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand?
- Ezra 9:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.