1 Kings 9:6
in 1 Kings 9But if indeed you or your sons turn away from following Me and do not keep the commandments and statutes I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But if ye shall turn away from following me, ye or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;
KJV
But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:
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This verse in 1 Kings 9
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
At all turn - Rather, “If ye shall wholly turn from following Me.” (See 2Ch 7:19.) The Israelites were not to be cut off, except for an entire defection.
This site's exposition
if ye shall at all turn
on 1 Kings 9:6-7
The if now turns the other way: turning from following the Lord to serve other gods will cut Israel off from the land and cast this same hallowed house out of the Lord's sight. Israel a proverb and a byword among all people states in advance what 2 Kings 17 and 25 will narrate in full, the exile read back into its own warning. The condition falls on ye or your children, so the threat is never Solomon's alone; it waits on every king who reigns after him.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): "But know thou, and let thy family and kingdom know it, and be admonished by it, that if you shall altogether turn from following me " (so it is thought it should be read), "if you forsake my service, desert my altar, and go and serve other gods" (for that was the covenant-breaking sin), "if you or your children break off from me, this house will not save you.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
But if you shall at all turn from following me, you or your children,....
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אִם־ | ʾim- | <if> | H518 → | 1069 times |
| שׁ֨וֹב | shov | certainly [if] <to turn back> | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| תְּשֻׁב֜וּן | teshuvun | you will turn back ! | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אַתֶּ֤ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וּבְנֵיכֶם֙ | uveneikhem | and descendants your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| מֵֽאַחֲרַ֔י | meacharai | from after me | H310 → | 715 times |
| וְלֹ֤א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִשְׁמְרוּ֙ | tishmeru | you will keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| מִצְוֹתַ֣י | mitzvotai | commandments my | H4687 → | 181 times |
| חֻקֹּתַ֔י | chukotai | statutes my | H2708 → | 104 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נָתַ֖תִּי | natati | I have set | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִפְנֵיכֶ֑ם | lifneikhem | <to> before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַהֲלַכְתֶּ֗ם | vahalakhtem | and you will walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וַעֲבַדְתֶּם֙ | vaavadtem | and you will serve | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֣ים | ʾelohim | gods | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲחֵרִ֔ים | ʾacherim | other | H312 → | 166 times |
| וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֖ם | vehishtachavitem | and you will bow down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| לָהֶֽם׃ | lahem | to them |
אִם־<if>
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
שׁ֨וֹבcertainly [if] <to turn back>
shovH7725 →1056 times
תְּשֻׁב֜וּןyou will turn back !
teshuvunH7725 →1056 times
אַתֶּ֤םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
וּבְנֵיכֶם֙and descendants your
uveneikhemH1121 →4930 times
מֵֽאַחֲרַ֔יfrom after me
meacharaiH310 →715 times
וְלֹ֤אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תִשְׁמְרוּ֙you will keep
tishmeruH8104 →468 times
מִצְוֹתַ֣יcommandments my
mitzvotaiH4687 →181 times
חֻקֹּתַ֔יstatutes my
chukotaiH2708 →104 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נָתַ֖תִּיI have set
natatiH5414 →2011 times
לִפְנֵיכֶ֑ם<to> before you
lifneikhemH6440 →2123 times
וַהֲלַכְתֶּ֗םand you will walk
vahalakhtemH1980 →1546 times
וַעֲבַדְתֶּם֙and you will serve
vaavadtemH5647 →288 times
אֱלֹהִ֣יםgods
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֲחֵרִ֔יםother
ʾacherimH312 →166 times
וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֖םand you will bow down
vehishtachavitemH7812 →172 times
לָהֶֽם׃to them
lahem
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
1 Chronicles 28:9As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought.…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
- James 4:8–11
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
- Matthew 7:7–8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- Isaiah 55:6–7
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
- Jeremiah 24:7
I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with all their…
- Jeremiah 29:13
Through
1 Samuel 2:30Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it…
it leads to
- John 12:26
If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
- Jeremiah 18:9–10
And if at another time I announce that I will build up and establish a nation or kingdom,
- Proverbs 3:9–10
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest;
- John 12:26
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); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.