1 Kings 2:4

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.

And without hypocrisy.

Hebrew, a man shall not be cut off to thee from off the throne.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.