1 Kings 8:25
in 1 Kings 8Therefore now, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for Your servant, my father David, what You promised when You said: ‘You will never fail to have a man to sit before Me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants guard their way to walk before Me as you have done.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now therefore, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me as thou hast walked before me.
KJV
Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.
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This verse in 1 Kings 8
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Solomon’s prayer is, perhaps, generally for the fulfillment of all the promises made to David in connection with the building of the temple. But there seems to be special allusion in this verse to the promise recorded in Psa 132:14.
This site's exposition
There shall not fail thee a man
on 1 Kings 8:25-26
Solomon asks the Lord to keep the specific promise of a man never failing to sit on David's throne, the same word given at 2 Sam 7:16 and echoed later at Ps 132:12, and he attaches a condition, if thy children take heed to their way. That condition stands inside the temple's dedication years before any king breaks it, and 11:12-13 will already show it partly honored and partly withheld for David's sake alone. Gill reads the plea, let thy word be verified, as the same request repeated in other words, out of ardent desire rather than doubt.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): There shall not fail thee a man to sit on the throne, not omitting the condition, so that thy children take heed to their way; for we cannot expect God's performance of the promise but upon our performance of the condition.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him,....
The words behind it
33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֞ה | veatah | and therefore | H6258 → | 433 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה׀ | yahweh | O Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| שְׁ֠מֹר | shemor | keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| לְעַבְדְּךָ֨ | leavdekha | to servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| דָוִ֤ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אָבִי֙ | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| אֵת֩ | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | [that] which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבַּ֤רְתָּ | dibarta | you spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| לּוֹ֙ | lo | to him | ||
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִכָּרֵ֨ת | yikaret | it will be cut off | H3772 → | 288 times |
| לְךָ֥ | lekha | to you | ||
| אִישׁ֙ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מִלְּפָנַ֔י | milefanai | from to before me | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יֹשֵׁ֖ב | yoshev | [who] sits | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כִּסֵּ֣א | kise' | [the] throne of | H3678 → | 135 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| רַ֠ק | rak | only | H7535 → | 109 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יִשְׁמְר֨וּ | yishmeru | they will guard | H8104 → | 468 times |
| בָנֶ֤יךָ | vaneikha | descendants your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דַּרְכָּם֙ | darkam | way their | H1870 → | 707 times |
| לָלֶ֣כֶת | lalekhet | to walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לְפָנַ֔י | lefanai | <to> before me | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָלַ֖כְתָּ | halakhta | you have walked | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לְפָנָֽי׃ | lefanai | <to> before me | H6440 → | 2123 times |
וְעַתָּ֞הand therefore
veatahH6258 →433 times
יְהוָ֣ה׀O Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
שְׁ֠מֹרkeep
shemorH8104 →468 times
לְעַבְדְּךָ֨to servant your
leavdekhaH5650 →799 times
דָוִ֤דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אָבִי֙father my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
אֵת֩<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
אֲשֶׁ֨ר[that] which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
דִּבַּ֤רְתָּyou spoke
dibartaH1696 →1141 times
לּוֹ֙to him
lo
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִכָּרֵ֨תit will be cut off
yikaretH3772 →288 times
לְךָ֥to you
lekha
אִישׁ֙a man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מִלְּפָנַ֔יfrom to before me
milefanaiH6440 →2123 times
יֹשֵׁ֖ב[who] sits
yoshevH3427 →1079 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כִּסֵּ֣א[the] throne of
kise'H3678 →135 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
רַ֠קonly
rakH7535 →109 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
יִשְׁמְר֨וּthey will guard
yishmeruH8104 →468 times
בָנֶ֤יךָdescendants your
vaneikhaH1121 →4930 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דַּרְכָּם֙way their
darkamH1870 →707 times
לָלֶ֣כֶתto walk
lalekhetH1980 →1546 times
לְפָנַ֔י<to> before me
lefanaiH6440 →2123 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
הָלַ֖כְתָּyou have walked
halakhtaH1980 →1546 times
לְפָנָֽי׃<to> before me
lefanaiH6440 →2123 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
1 Kings 2:4and 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…
it leads to
- 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.
- 2 Samuel 7:25
And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house. Do as You have promised,
- Psalms 132:11–12
The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne.
- Matthew 22:37
Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
- John 15:9–10
As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Remain in My love.
- 2 Kings 20:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.