1 Kings 2:3

3 And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and observe his ceremonies, and his precepts, and judgments, and testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses: that thou mayst understand all thou dost, and whithersoever thou shalt turn 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 drew nigh that he should die, and he charged his son Solomon, saying:

2 I am going the way of all flesh: take thou courage and shew thyself a man.

3 And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and observe his ceremonies, and his precepts, and judgments, and testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses: that thou mayst understand all thou dost, and whithersoever thou shalt turn thyself:

4 That the Lord may confirm his words, which he hath spoken of me, saying: If thy children shall take heed to their ways, and shall walk before me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul, there shall not be taken away from thee a man on the throne of Israel.

5 Thou knowest also what Joab, the son of Sarvia, hath done to me, what he did to the two captains of the army 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 on his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.