2 Chronicles 6:16
in 2 Chronicles 6Therefore 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 in My law as you have walked before Me.’
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 in my law as thou hast walked before me.
KJV
Now therefore, O Lord 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 upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 6
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
there is no God like You in heaven or on earth
on 2 Chronicles 6:14-17
The prayer opens with the address of 1 Kings 8:23 almost word for word. The first request repeats 1 Kings 8:25-26 with its condition, “if only your descendants guard their way to walk in My law”. The Kings exposition sets that condition beside the partial keeping at 1 Kings 11:12-13.
This site's exposition
guard their way
The promise is the covenant of 2 Samuel 7 concerning the successor of David. The condition binds his sons to the law. The prayer returns to this promise at verse 42, which Wesley links with the sure mercies of David in Isaiah 55:3.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
But here he declares upon what inducements he undertook it, and they are such as not only justify, but magnify, the undertaking. He did it for the glory and honour of God; this was his highest and ultimate end in it. It was for the name of the Lord God of Israel (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
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 now | 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 |
| דָוִ֤יד | 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 |
| יוֹשֵׁ֖ב | 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 |
| בָנֶ֜יךָ | vaneikha | descendants your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דַּרְכָּ֗ם | darkam | way their | H1870 → | 707 times |
| לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ | lalekhet | to walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בְּת֣וֹרָתִ֔י | betorati | in law my | H8451 → | 219 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 now
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
דָוִ֤ידDavid
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
יוֹשֵׁ֖ב[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
בָנֶ֜יךָdescendants your
vaneikhaH1121 →4930 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דַּרְכָּ֗םway their
darkamH1870 →707 times
לָלֶ֙כֶת֙to walk
lalekhetH1980 →1546 times
בְּת֣וֹרָתִ֔יin law my
betoratiH8451 →219 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
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 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
- 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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 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,
- 1 Kings 8:25
Therefore 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…
- Matthew 22:37
Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
- Psalms 132:11–12
Through
2 Chronicles 7:18then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with your father David when I said, ‘You will never fail to have a man to rule over Israel.’
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 7:13–16
He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
- 2 Samuel 7:13–16
Through
Psalms 132:12If your sons keep My covenant and the testimony I will teach them, then their sons will also sit on your throne forever and ever.”
it leads to
- Acts 2:30
But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that He would place one of his descendants on his throne.
- Isaiah 59:21
“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit will not depart from you, and My words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your…
- Acts 2:30
About 2 Chronicles
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.