1 Kings 2:4
in 1 Kings 2and so that the LORD may fulfill His promise to me: ‘If your descendants take heed to walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that Jehovah may establish 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.
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.
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This verse in 1 Kings 2
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThat 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.
This site's exposition
keep the charge of the Lord
on 1 Kings 2:3-4
Keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways sets the whole reign under Deuteronomy 17:18-20, the statute requiring every king to copy and read the law all his days; David hands Solomon the same charge Moses gave every future king of Israel. Verse 4 makes the dynasty's future conditional on it, the Lord will continue his word only if Solomon's children walk before him in truth, the same terms 2 Samuel 7:14-15 set on the house of David. The covenant tested king by king begins here, before Solomon has judged a single case.
This site's exposition
a man on the throne of Israel
Matthew Henry separates two promises made to David. The promise that the Messiah would come from his line was absolute, and the promise of a man on the throne of Israel hung on obedience. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown trace the second to Jeremiah 33:17, where it is repeated with its spiritual meaning.
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.
That the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me,.... his word of promise concerning the kingdom of David, and the succession of it, and confirm and establish it: saying, if thy children take heed to their way; they are directed to walk in, even the way of the Lord, and not turn to the right hand or the left: to walk before me in truth: in the sincerity and integrity of their hearts, according to the word of truth, and under the influence of the spirit of truth: with all their heart, and with all their soul; in the most cordial manner, with the strongest affection and zeal; with all eagerness and earnestness; with their whole hearts engaged in every duty performed by them: then the Lord said, there shall not fail thee a man on the throne of Israel; one to succeed him in the throne; this, with respect to his throne, literally considered, was conditional; but, spiritually considered, was absolute, and had its fulfilment in the Messiah, whose throne is for ever; see Luk 1:32.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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 (Jer 33:17).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
That the Lord may continue his word - The original promise given to David indirectly, through Nathan 2Sa 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.
The words behind it
29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְמַעַן֩ | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| יָקִ֨ים | yakim | he may establish | H6965 → | 628 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דְּבָר֗וֹ | devaro | word his | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבֶּ֣ר | diber | he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| עָלַי֮ | ʾalai | on me | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לֵאמֹר֒ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יִשְׁמְר֨וּ | yishmeru | they will guard | H8104 → | 468 times |
| בָנֶ֜יךָ | vaneikha | descendants your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דַּרְכָּ֗ם | darkam | way their | H1870 → | 707 times |
| לָלֶ֤כֶת | lalekhet | to walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לְפָנַי֙ | lefanai | <to> before me | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| בֶּאֱמֶ֔ת | beemet | in faithfulness | H571 → | 127 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| לְבָבָ֖ם | levavam | heart their | H3824 → | 252 times |
| וּבְכָל־ | uvekhol- | and with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נַפְשָׁ֑ם | nafsham | being their | H5315 → | 754 times |
| לֵאמֹ֕ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִכָּרֵ֤ת | yikaret | it will be cut off | H3772 → | 288 times |
| לְךָ֙ | lekha | to you | ||
| אִ֔ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מֵעַ֖ל | meal | from on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כִּסֵּ֥א | kise' | [the] throne of | H3678 → | 135 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
לְמַעַן֩so that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
יָקִ֨יםhe may establish
yakimH6965 →628 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דְּבָר֗וֹword his
devaroH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
דִּבֶּ֣רhe spoke
diberH1696 →1141 times
עָלַי֮on me
ʾalaiH5921 →5755 times
לֵאמֹר֒<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
יִשְׁמְר֨וּthey will guard
yishmeruH8104 →468 times
בָנֶ֜יךָdescendants your
vaneikhaH1121 →4930 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דַּרְכָּ֗םway their
darkamH1870 →707 times
לָלֶ֤כֶתto walk
lalekhetH1980 →1546 times
לְפָנַי֙<to> before me
lefanaiH6440 →2123 times
בֶּאֱמֶ֔תin faithfulness
beemetH571 →127 times
בְּכָל־with all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
לְבָבָ֖םheart their
levavamH3824 →252 times
וּבְכָל־and with all
uvekhol-H3605 →5413 times
נַפְשָׁ֑םbeing their
nafshamH5315 →754 times
לֵאמֹ֕ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִכָּרֵ֤תit will be cut off
yikaretH3772 →288 times
לְךָ֙to you
lekha
אִ֔ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מֵעַ֖לfrom on
mealH5921 →5755 times
כִּסֵּ֥א[the] throne of
kise'H3678 →135 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 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
Matthew 22:37Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
it leads to
- Mark 12:29–30
Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.
- Luke 10:27
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
- Deuteronomy 6:5
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
- Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your…
- Mark 12:33
and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, which is more important than all burnt offerings and…
- Mark 12:29–30
Through
2 Kings 20:3“Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 13:14
Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my deeds of loving devotion for the house of my God and for its services.
- Nehemiah 13:22
Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this as well, O my God, and show me mercy according…
- Nehemiah 5:19
Remember me favorably, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.
- Nehemiah 13:14
About 1 Kings
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.