Then Yahweh may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your children are careful of their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you,’ he said, ‘a man on the throne of Israel.’
Parallel Translations
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Then Yahweh may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your children are careful of their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you,’ he said, ‘a man on the throne of Israel.’
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That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
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that the LORD may establish His word which He spoke concerning me, saying: If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee, said He, a man on the throne of Israel.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (32)
Passages linked to 1 Kings 2:4 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 2 Kings 20:3 “Remember now, Yahweh, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
- 2 Samuel 7:25 Now, Yahweh God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as you have spoken.
- 1 Kings 8:25 Now therefore, may Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail from you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’
- Psalms 132:11-12 Yahweh has sworn to David in truth. He will not turn from it: “I will set the fruit of your body on your throne. If your children will keep my covenant, my testimony that I will teach them, their children also will sit on your throne forever more.”
- Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
- Psalms 89:29-37 I will also make his offspring endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. If his children forsake my law, and don’t walk in my ordinances; if they break my statutes, and don’t keep my commandments; then I will punish their sin with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. But I will not completely take my loving kindness from him, nor allow my faithfulness to fail. I will not break my covenant, nor alter what my lips have uttered. Once I have sworn by my holiness, I will not lie to David. His offspring will endure forever, his throne like the sun before me. It will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.”
- John 15:9-10 Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love.
- Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless.
- Genesis 18:19 For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”
- Leviticus 26:3 “ ‘If you walk in my statutes and keep my commandments, and do them,
- Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.
- Deuteronomy 7:12 It shall happen, because you listen to these ordinances and keep and do them, that Yahweh your God will keep with you the covenant and the loving kindness which he swore to your fathers.
- Deuteronomy 10:12 Now, Israel, what does Yahweh your God require of you, but to fear Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, and to serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
- Deuteronomy 11:13 It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to my commandments which I command you today, to love Yahweh your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
- 2 Samuel 7:11-16 and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. I will cause you to rest from all your enemies. Moreover Yahweh tells you that Yahweh will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled, and you sleep with your fathers, I will set up your offspring after you, who will proceed out of your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men; but my loving kindness will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before you. Your house and your kingdom will be made sure forever before you. Your throne will be established forever.” ’ ”
- 1 Kings 3:3 Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the statutes of David his father; except that he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.
- 1 Kings 3:14 If you will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
- 1 Kings 8:23 and he said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keeps covenant and loving kindness with your servants, who walk before you with all their heart;
- 1 Kings 9:5 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised to David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail from you a man on the throne of Israel.’
- 2 Kings 23:3 The king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, and to keep his commandments, his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book; and all the people agreed to the covenant.
- 2 Kings 23:25 There was no king like him before him, who turned to Yahweh with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; and there was none like him who arose after him.
- 1 Chronicles 17:11-15 It will happen, when your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your offspring after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He will build me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will not take my loving kindness away from him, as I took it from him that was before you; but I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom forever. His throne will be established forever.” ’ ” According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
- 1 Chronicles 22:9-11 Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of peace. I will give him rest from all his enemies all around; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for my name; and he will be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’ Now, my son, may Yahweh be with you and prosper you, and build the house of Yahweh your God, as he has spoken concerning you.
- 1 Chronicles 28:5-7 Of all my sons (for Yahweh has given me many sons), he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of Yahweh’s kingdom over Israel. He said to me, ‘Solomon, your son, shall build my house and my courts; for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he continues to do my commandments and my ordinances, as it is today.’
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 You, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Yahweh searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.
- 2 Chronicles 17:3 Yahweh was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and didn’t seek the Baals,
- Psalms 37:9 For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for Yahweh shall inherit the land.
- Psalms 37:22 For such as are blessed by him shall inherit the land. Those who are cursed by him shall be cut off.
- Zechariah 14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city will be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go out into captivity, and the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.
- Luke 1:6 They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
- Jude 1:20-21 But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
- Jude 1:24 Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain And without hypocrisy.
And without hypocrisy.
Hebrew, a man shall not be cut off to thee from off the throne.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 1Ki 2:4 That the LORD may continue his word…
1Ki 2:4 That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
Ver. 4. If thy children take heed to their way.] Walking circumspectly and by rule; not at random, at all adventures. Here observe that God’s promises are with a condition; which is as an oar in a boat, or stern of a ship, and turneth the promise another way.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Confirm his word, i.e. fulfil his promise, the condition…
Confirm his word, i.e. fulfil his promise, the condition upon which it was suspended being performed.
Take heed to their ways, i.e. diligently observe all their actions, to order them according to God’s word.
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To walk before me; to live as those that have God before their eyes, and endeavour to approve themselves to him.
In truth; not only in pretence and show, but truly and sincerely. With all their heart, and with all their soul, i.e. universally, freely, and fervently.
There shall not fail thee a man on the throne of Israel; the succession shall be continued in thy line without any interruption.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain That the Lord may continue his word which he…
That the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me,.... his word of promise concerning the kingdom of David, and the succession of it, and confirm and establish it:
saying, if thy children take heed to their way; they are directed to walk in, even the way of the Lord, and not turn to the right hand or the left:
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to walk before me in truth: in the sincerity and integrity of their hearts, according to the word of truth, and under the influence of the spirit of truth:
with all their heart, and with all their soul; in the most cordial manner, with the strongest affection and zeal; with all eagerness and earnestness; with their whole hearts engaged in every duty performed by them: then the Lord said,
there shall not fail thee a man on the throne of Israel; one to succeed him in the throne; this, with respect to his throne, literally considered, was conditional; but, spiritually considered, was absolute, and had its fulfilment in the Messiah, whose throne is for ever; see Luk 1:32.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Confirm his word - Fulfil his promise, the condition…
Confirm his word - Fulfil his promise, the condition upon which it was suspended, being performed.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 4. That the Lord may continue his word]…
Verse 4. That the Lord may continue his word] The prosperity which God has promised to grant to my family will depend on their faithfulness to the good they receive; if they live to God, they shall sit for ever on the throne of Israel. But alas! they did not; and God's justice cut off the entail made by his mercy.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain That the Lord may continue his word - The…
That the Lord may continue his word - The original promise given to David indirectly, through Nathan 2Sa 7:11-17, and apparently unconditional, afterward was made conditional upon continued obedience. (See the margin reference “f.”) David reminds Solomon of this, in order to impress upon him a powerful motive to continue faithful and obedient.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Truth and sincerity. (Calmet) --- This promise was made,…
Truth and sincerity. (Calmet) --- This promise was made, 2 Kings vii. 16. (Menochius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain there shall not fail thee . . . a…
there shall not fail thee . . . a man on the throne of Israel--a reference to the promise made to David of the sovereignty being vested perpetually in his lineage (Sa2 7:11-16), which was confirmed to Solomon afterwards (see Kg1 9:5), and repeated with reference to its spiritual meaning long after (Jer 33:17).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 4. His word which he spake concerning me —…
4. His word which he spake concerning me — See 2Sa_7:11-16, and notes there.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 4. that the Lord may continue his word] The…
4. that the Lord may continue his word] The verb is most commonly rendered ‘establish’ and may be so translated here. Cf. 1Sa_1:23 where the same phrase occurs. The sense is of confirming and ratifying what has previously been promised. David is here looking forward to the generations that shall come after him, which fact the A. V. has endeavoured to make clear by the rendering ‘continue’. The word, or promise, alluded to is found 2Sa_7:25-29.
saying, If thy children take heed to their way] In the passage just mentioned where the promise is recorded there are none of these conditions specified; but we are sure that God’s promise was not an unconditional one, and in his Psalms (Psa_132:12) David has expressly made mention of the condition in words very similar to this verse.
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there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel] The Heb. is literally ‘there shall not be cut off unto thee a man from upon the throne of Israel’; and the same phrase occurs afterwards ch. 1Ki_8:25, 1Ki_9:5, and in other parts of the Bible. The sense is ‘there never shall be wanting some one of thy race to sit on the throne.’ The promise was made to David’s line, and was fulfilled; for as long as the kingdom of Judah existed the family of David were kings.
There is no word in the Hebrew for the parenthetic ‘said he,’ but the clause is preceded by the word usually rendered ‘saying,’ which seems to have been introduced by some scribe from the earlier part of the verse. The LXX. translates the Hebrew literally (i.e. repeating λέγων); the Vulgate notices neither the ‘saying’ nor ‘said he’.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain That the Lord may continue rather, "establish" (ut confirmet),…
That the Lord may continue rather, "establish" (ut confirmet), as it is rendered in 2Sa_7:25, where this same word of promise is spoken of. Cf. 1Ki_8:26 His word which He spake concerning me by the mouth of Nathan, 2Sa_7:12-17 (cf.; Psa_89:4) or David may refer to some subsequent promise made to him directly. In the promise of 2Sa 7. there is no mention of any stipulations, "If thy children," etc. But both here and in Psa_122:1, 1Ki_8:25, special prominence is given to the condition (dum se bene gesserint) which no doubt was understood, if not expressed, when the promise was first made), saying, If thy children take heed to lit., "keep," same word as in vers. 2, 3 their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul there shall not fail thee lit., "be cut off to thee," as marg. (cf. 1Sa_2:29; Jos_9:23) This word does not occur in the original promise made through Nathan. But it does occur in subsequent versions of the promise, 1Ki_8:25, 1Ki_9:5, as well as here a strong presumption that the promise must have been repeated to David in another shape said he, a man on the throne of Israel.
But this thought that the permanence of his dynasty depended on the faithful observance of the law as it is written in the book of Moses (i.e., in all its details), seems to have reminded the dying man that he himself had not always kept the statutes he was urging his successor to keep. It had been his duty as king, as the power ordained of God, to visit all violations of the law of God with their appropriate penalties; and this duty, in some instances at least, had been neglected. For the law of Moses, reaffirming the primaeval law which formed part of the so called "precepts of Noah" (Genesis 6) that ix. blood must be expiated by blood enjoined, with singular emphasis and distinctness, the death of the murderer (Num_35:16, Num_35:17, Num_35:18, Num_35:19, Num_35:30-33; Exo_21:14) It declared that so long as murder remained unpunished, the whole land was defiled and under a curse. (Num_35:33) And it gave the king no power to pardon, no discretion in the matter. Until the red stain of blood was washed out "by the blood of him that shed it" the Divine Justice was not satisfied, and a famine or pestilence or sword might smite the land. Now, David knew all this: he could not fail to know it, for he had seen his country, a few years before, visited by a famine because of the unavenged blood of the Gibeonites. (2Sa_21:1) And yet, one notorious and infamous murderer had not been put to death. The assassin of Abner and of Amasa still polluted the earth, still occupied a distinguished position, and defied punishment. But if the law of Moses was to be kept, then, whatever it might cost, and however painful it might be, (Deu_19:13) he must die; and David, for the welfare of his kingdom, the stability of his throne, and above all, the honour of God, must require his death. No doubt it had often burdened his mind, especially during these last days of feebleness, the thought that punishment had been so long delayed; and therefore, as he sees the end approaching, he feels that he must enjoin upon his successor the fulfilment of that duty which he had been too "weak" to discharge. (2Sa_3:39) Hence he proceeds,
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.