1 Kings 2:3

3 and keep the charge of Jehovah thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest and whithersoever thou turnest thyself;

1 Kings 2:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 2:3

And keep the charge of the Lord thy God
Which may in general respect his whole walk and conversation, and his obedience to the law and will of God; and in particular his just government of Israel committed to his charge:

to walk in his ways;
directed to in his word:

to keep his statutes and his judgments;
his laws, ceremonial, moral, and judicial:

and his testimonies;
as the above laws, which testify of his mind, and declare what he would have done and observed:

as it is written in the law of Moses;
which a king of Israel was obliged to write a copy of, keep by him, and read it, and rule according to it, ( Deuteronomy 17:18-20 ) :

that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever
thou turnest thyself;
to reign in righteousness, and according to the law of God, is the only way to have a prosperous and happy reign: or "that thou mayest act wisely" ^F16; the law of God furnishing out the best rules of government and maxims of policy; see ( Deuteronomy 4:6 Deuteronomy 4:7 ) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

F16 (lykvt Neml) "ut prudenter agas", Montanus, Tigurine version; "ut intelligas universa", V. L.

1 Kings 2:3 In-Context

1 And the days of David were at hand that he should die; and he enjoined Solomon his son saying,

2 I go the way of all the earth: be of good courage therefore, and be a man;

3 and keep the charge of Jehovah thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest and whithersoever thou turnest thyself;

4 that Jehovah may confirm his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, If thy sons 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 upon the throne of Israel.

5 And thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and upon his sandals that were on his feet.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or 'act with intelligence.'