1 Kings 2:4

and 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 man on the throne of Israel.’

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — David speaks to his son Solomon at the end of his life, concluding his final charge to maintain covenant faithfulness.

The words — לְמַעַן (le.ma.'An) means "so that" and יָקִים (ya.Kim) means "he may establish." Together they frame the verse as a conditional decree for dynastic continuity.

The thread — The promise of an enduring throne appears in 2 Samuel 7:25, 1 Kings 8:25, and 2 Kings 20:3. These passages trace the same conditional covenant motif across Israel's monarchy.

Why it lands — The text demands that royal succession depends on the descendants' wholehearted obedience to the Law of Moses. It requires the reader to recognize that political stability is contingent upon covenant fidelity.

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

לְמַעַן֩le.ma.'Anso that יָקִ֨יםya.Kimhe may establish יְהוָ֜הYah.wehYahweh אֶת־'et-<obj.>דְּבָר֗וֹde.va.R/oword/ his אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwhich דִּבֶּ֣רdi.Berhe spoke עָלַי֮'a.La/ion/ me לֵאמֹר֒le./Mor<to>/ saying אִם־'im-if יִשְׁמְר֨וּyish.me.Ruthey will guard בָנֶ֜יךָva.Nei./khadescendants/ your אֶת־'et-<obj.>דַּרְכָּ֗םdar.Ka/mway/ their לָלֶ֤כֶתla./Le.khetto/ walk לְפָנַי֙le./fa.Na/i<to>/ before/ me בֶּאֱמֶ֔תbe./'e.Metin/ faithfulness בְּכָל־be./kholwith/ all לְבָבָ֖םle.va.Va/mheart/ their וּבְכָל־u./ve./Khol-and/ with/ all נַפְשָׁ֑םnaf.Sha/mbeing/ their לֵאמֹ֕רle./Mor<to>/ saying לֹֽא־lo'-not יִכָּרֵ֤תyi.ka.Retit will be cut offלְךָ֙le./Khato/ youאִ֔ישׁ'Isha man מֵעַ֖לme./'Alfrom/ on כִּסֵּ֥אki.Se'[the] throne of יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Yis.ra.'ElIsrael

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

2 Kings 20:3 “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is 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 throne of Israel, if only your descendants guard their way to walk before Me as you have done.’
Psalms 132:11 The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne.
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 89:29 I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.
John 15:9 As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Remain in My love.
Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.
Genesis 18:19 For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”
Leviticus 26:3 If you follow My statutes and carefully keep My commandments,