1 Kings 11:34

34 But I will not take all of the kingdom from his hand, but I will make him a leader all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my ordinances.

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 tribe shall be for him, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel;

33 because he has forsaken me, and they bowed down to Ashtoreth, the god of [the] Sidonians, to Chemosh, the god of Moab, and to Molech, the god of the {Ammonites}. They did not walk in my ways to do right in my eyes, my ordinances, or my judgments, as [did] David his father.

34 But I will not take all of the kingdom from his hand, but I will make him a leader all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my ordinances.

35 But I will take the kingship from the hand of his son, and I will give ten tribes to you.

36 To his son I will give one tribe in order to be a lamp for my servant David, always before my face, in Jerusalem the city in which I have chosen to place my name.