Psalms 132:11
in Psalms 132The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah hath sworn unto David in truth; He will not turn from it: Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
KJV
The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
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This verse in Psalms 132
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThat the Lord was to be born of a virgin we know clearly; now we must show of what stock the virgin was. "The Lord swore to David a firm promise from which he will not withdraw: 'Your own offspring I will set on your throne.' " Again, "I will make his posterity endure forever and his throne as the days of heaven."
This site's exposition
swore an oath to David
on Psalms 132:11-12
The oath sets one of David's descendants on his throne. Peter takes up this verse at Acts 2:30 and carries it to the resurrection of Jesus, at Acts 2:31 and 32. Verse 12 hangs the sons' own place on that throne upon keeping the covenant and the testimony.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"The Lord has made a faithful oath unto David, and He shall not repent" [Psalm 132:11]. What means, "has made an oath"? Hath confirmed a promise through Himself. What means, "He shall not repent"? He will not change. For God suffers not the pain of repentance, nor is He deceived in any matter, so that He would wish to correct that wherein He has erred. But as when a man repents of anything, he wishes to change what he has done; thus where you hear that God repents, look for an actual change. God does it differently from you, although He calls it by the name of repentance; for thou dost it, because you had erred; while He does it, because He avenges, or frees. He changed Saul's kingdom, when He repented, as it is said: and in the very passage where the Scripture says, "It repented Him;" it is said a little after, "for He is not a man that He should repent." When therefore He changes His works through His immutable counsel, He is said to repent on account of this very change, not of His counsel, but of His work. But He promised this so as not to change it. Just as this passage also says: "The Lord swore, and will not repent, You are a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec;" so also since this was promised so that it should not be changed, because it must needs happen and be permanent; he says, "The Lord has made a faithful oath unto David, and He shall not repent; Of the fruit of your body shall I set upon your seat." He might have said, "of the fruit of your loins," wherefore did He choose to say, "Of the fruit of your body"? Had He said that also, it would have been true; but He chose to say with a further meaning, Ex fructu ventris, because Christ was born of a woman without the man.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
David, being a type of Christ, was made king with an oath: The Lord hath sworn and will not repent, will not turn from it. Did David swear to the Lord (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David,....
The former introduces his petition: the latter follows it as an answer to it. In singing this psalm we must have a concern for the gospel church as the temple of God, and a dependence upon Christ as David our King, in whom the mercies of God are sure mercies. Solomon's Prayer for Divine Favour.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Here we come to a grand covenant pleading of the kind which is always prevalent with the Lord. The Lord hath sworn in truth unto, David. We cannot urge anything with God which is equal to his own word and oath. Jehovah swears that our faith may have strong confidence in it: he cannot forswear himself. He swears in truth, for he means every word that he utters; men may be perjured, but none will be so profane as to imagine this of the God of truth.
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
For thy servant David's sake--that is, On account of the promise made to him. turn . . . anointed--Repulse not him who, as David's descendant, pleads the promise to perpetuate his royal line. After reciting the promise, substantially from 2Sa 7:12-16 (compare Ac 2:30, &c.), an additional plea,
Here we come to a grand covenant pleading of the kind which is always prevalent with the Lord. The Lord hath sworn in truth unto, David. We cannot urge anything with God which is equal to his own word and oath. Jehovah swears that our faith may have strong confidence in it: he cannot forswear himself. He swears in truth, for he means every word that he utters; men may be perjured, but none will be so profane as to imagine this of the God of truth. By Nathan this covenant of Jehovah was conveyed to David, and there was no delusion in it. He will not turn from it. Jehovah is not a changeable being. He never turns from his purpose, much less from his promise solemnly ratified by oath. He turneth never. He is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent. What a rock they stand upon who have an immutable oath of God for their foundation! We know that this covenant was really made with Christ, the spiritual seed of David, for Peter quotes it at Pentecost, saying, "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ." Christ therefore sits on a sure throne for ever and ever, seeing that he has kept the covenant, and through him the blessing comes upon Zion, whose poor are blessed in him. Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. Jesus sprang from the race of David, as the evangelists are careful to record; he was "of the house and lineage of David": at this day he is the King of the Jews, and the Lord has also given him the heathen for his inheritance. He must reign, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
The Lord hath sworn - As David sware to the Lord, so the Lord swears to David that he will establish his throne, and place his posterity on it: and that he had respect to David’s Antitype, we learn from St. Peter, Act 2:30 (note), where see the note. This verse with the following refers to the spiritual David, and the Christian Church.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David - He has made a gracious promise, confirmed by an oath, which we may plead in our present necessities. That promise was made “in truth,” that is, sincerely - so that it will certainly be carried out - so that we may appeal to God, on the ground of his faithfulness, to keep his word. He will not turn from it - We may be certain that he will carry it out. We may appeal to him on the basis of that promise with the utmost confidence. Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne - Margin, as in Hebrew, “of thy belly.” The throne would descend to his posterity, 2Sa 7:12; see the notes at Psa 89:3-4.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
turn not away the face of Your anointed Solomon, when he comes to place the Ark therein.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| נִשְׁבַּֽע־ | nishba'- | he swore an oath | H7650 → | 186 times |
| יְהוָ֨ה׀ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לְדָוִ֡ד | ledavid | to David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֱמֶת֮ | ʾemet | faithfulness | H571 → | 127 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָשׁ֪וּב | yashuv | he will turn back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| מִ֫מֶּ֥נָּה | mimenah | from it | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| מִפְּרִ֥י | miperi | one of [the] fruit of | H6529 → | 119 times |
| בִטְנְךָ֑ | vitnekha | belly your | H990 → | 72 times |
| אָ֝שִׁ֗ית | ʾashit | I will set | H7896 → | 83 times |
| לְכִסֵּא־ | lekhise'- | to throne | H3678 → | 135 times |
| לָֽךְ׃ | lakh | of you |
נִשְׁבַּֽע־he swore an oath
nishba'-H7650 →186 times
יְהוָ֨ה׀Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לְדָוִ֡דto David
ledavidH1732 →999 times
אֱמֶת֮faithfulness
ʾemetH571 →127 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָשׁ֪וּבhe will turn back
yashuvH7725 →1056 times
מִ֫מֶּ֥נָּהfrom it
mimenahH4480 →1188 times
מִפְּרִ֥יone of [the] fruit of
miperiH6529 →119 times
בִטְנְךָ֑belly your
vitnekhaH990 →72 times
אָ֝שִׁ֗יתI will set
ʾashitH7896 →83 times
לְכִסֵּא־to throne
lekhise'-H3678 →135 times
לָֽךְ׃of you
lakh
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
Psalms 110:4The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
it leads to
- Hebrews 7:17
For it is testified: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
- Hebrews 5:6
And in another passage God says: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
- Hebrews 7:21
but Jesus became a priest with an oath by the One who said to Him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’”
- Genesis 14:18
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine—since he was priest of God Most High—
- Hebrews 7:28
For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
- Hebrews 7:17
Through
Acts 2:30But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that He would place one of his descendants on his throne.
it leads to
- Psalms 132:11–18
The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne.
- Psalms 89:3–4
You said, “I have made a covenant with My chosen one, I have sworn to David My servant:
- Jeremiah 33:14–15
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the gracious promise that I have spoken to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
- Psalms 132:11–18
Where this verse is studied
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About Psalms
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 132; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 7; Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 12:23; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.