1 Kings 11:34

34 And I shall not take away all the realm from his hand, but I shall put him duke in all the days of his life, for David, my servant, whom I chose, which kept my behests, and my commandments. (And I shall not take away the whole kingdom from him, but I shall keep him as the leader in all the days of his life, for the sake of my servant David, whom I chose, who obeyed my laws, and my commandments.)

1 Kings 11:34 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 11:34

Howbeit, I will not take the kingdom out of his hand
Not any part of it, ( 1 Kings 11:12 ) ,

but I will make him prince all the days of his life;
that is, he shall continue to hold the government of all the tribes so long as he lives:

for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my
commandments and my statutes;
see ( 1 Kings 11:12 ) , or was well pleased with, as the Targum; for keeping the commands of God from right principles, and with right views, is well pleasing to him.

1 Kings 11:34 In-Context

32 but one lineage shall dwell to him, for David, my servant, and for Jerusalem, the city which I chose of all the lineages of Israel; (but one tribe shall stay with him, for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel;)
33 this cutting of the realm shall be; for Solomon forsook me, and worshipped Astarte, the goddess of Sidonians, and Chemosh, the god of Moab, and Moloch, the god of the sons of Ammon; and [he] went not in my ways, that he did rightwiseness before me, and my behests, and my dooms, as David, his father, did. (this breaking of his kingdom shall be because Solomon deserted me, and worshipped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, and Milcom, the god of the Ammonites; and he went not in my ways, so that he did what was right before me, and followed my laws, and my judgements, like his father David did.)
34 And I shall not take away all the realm from his hand, but I shall put him duke in all the days of his life, for David, my servant, whom I chose, which kept my behests, and my commandments. (And I shall not take away the whole kingdom from him, but I shall keep him as the leader in all the days of his life, for the sake of my servant David, whom I chose, who obeyed my laws, and my commandments.)
35 Soothly I shall take away the realm from the hand of his son, and I shall give [the] ten lineages to thee;
36 forsooth I shall give one lineage to his son, that a lantern dwell to David, my servant (so that a light, or a flame, shall remain for my servant David), in all days before me in Jerusalem, the city which I chose, that my name should be there.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.