2 Chronicles 21:7
in 2 Chronicles 21Yet the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant He had made with David, and since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Howbeit Jehovah would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a lamp to him and to his children alway.
KJV
Howbeit the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 21
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThese things we had before, 2 Kings viii. The tenour of the covenant was that David's seed should be visited for their transgressions, but the covenant should never be broken, Ps. lxxxix.
This site's exposition
would not destroy the house of David
The Howbeit turns the chapter: for all his brothers' blood and Ahab's idols, the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant made with David and the promise of a light to him and his sons for ever. The word matches the lamp promise 1 Kings 11:36 and 15:4 use of Abijam and Rehoboam's own line, and Chronicles carries it forward from its own retelling of the covenant at 1 Chr 17 and the throne of the Lord at 1 Chr 28:5. Judgment falls on Jehoram in the verses that follow, but the dynasty itself does not end with him.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
3 And their father gave them great gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fenced cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the firstborn. 4 Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
To give a light to him - To give him a descendant.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָבָ֣ה | ʾavah | he was willing | H14 → | |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לְהַשְׁחִית֙ | lehashchit | to destroy | H7843 → | 146 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| דָּוִ֔יד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| לְמַ֣עַן | lemaan | on account of | H4616 → | 272 times |
| הַבְּרִ֔ית | haberit | the covenant | H1285 → | 284 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| כָּרַ֖ת | karat | he had made | H3772 → | 288 times |
| לְדָוִ֑יד | ledavid | to David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וְכַאֲשֶׁ֣ר | vekhaasher | and <as> since | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אָמַ֗ר | ʾamar | he had said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָתֵ֨ת | latet | to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| ל֥וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| נִ֛יר | nir | a lamp | H5216 → | 49 times |
| וּלְבָנָ֖יו | ulevanav | and to descendants his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַיָּמִֽים׃ | haiyamim | the days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
אָבָ֣הhe was willing
ʾavahH14 →
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לְהַשְׁחִית֙to destroy
lehashchitH7843 →146 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
דָּוִ֔ידDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
לְמַ֣עַןon account of
lemaanH4616 →272 times
הַבְּרִ֔יתthe covenant
haberitH1285 →284 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
כָּרַ֖תhe had made
karatH3772 →288 times
לְדָוִ֑ידto David
ledavidH1732 →999 times
וְכַאֲשֶׁ֣רand <as> since
vekhaasherH834 →5497 times
אָמַ֗רhe had said
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
לָתֵ֨תto give
latetH5414 →2011 times
ל֥וֹto him
lo
נִ֛ירa lamp
nirH5216 →49 times
וּלְבָנָ֖יוand to descendants his
ulevanavH1121 →4930 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַיָּמִֽים׃the days
haiyamimH3117 →2304 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
Luke 1:79to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
- Matthew 4:16
the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
- Acts 26:18
to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified…
- Isaiah 42:7
to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.
- Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
- Isaiah 9:2
Through
Luke 1:69He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,
it leads to
- Psalms 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
- Ezekiel 29:21
In that day I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth to speak among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”
- 2 Samuel 22:3
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. My stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence.
- Psalms 18:2
About 2 Chronicles
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Keil, The Books of the Chronicles and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.