Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 29:27
The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — David concludes his final address to the assembled leaders and the nation, recording the official timeline of his rule before noting his death and Solomon’s succession.
The words — מָלַךְ (malak) literally means "he reigned," and אַרְבָּעִים (arbāʿîm) translates directly to "forty," establishing the precise chronological framework of the passage.
The thread — This exact formula appears in 1 Kings 2:11, while 2 Samuel 5:4 records the same forty-year total without the Hebron-to-Jerusalem breakdown, and 1 Chronicles 3:4 specifies his seven-year rule from Hebron alongside his subsequent Jerusalem reign.
Why it lands — The text explicitly states the duration and geographic distribution of David’s authority before recording his death, requiring the reader to verify the complete timeline before accepting the narrative transition to Solomon.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 2:11 The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
- 2 Samuel 5:4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.
- 1 Chronicles 3:4 These six sons were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months. And David reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years,