1 Kings 2:3-4

2:3 Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you ¹  by following his instructions ²  and obeying ³  his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish, ⁴  2:4 and the Lord will fulfill his promise to me, ⁵  ‘If your descendants watch their step ⁶  and live faithfully in my presence ⁷  with all their heart and being, ⁸  then,’ he promised, ⁹  ‘you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ ¹⁰ 

1 Kings 2:1

David’s Final Words to Solomon

2:1 When David was close to death, ¹¹  he told ¹²  Solomon his son:

1 Kings 22:12-13

22:12 All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king.” 22:13 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed. ¹³  Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success.” ¹⁴ 

1 Kings 1:9

1:9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened steers at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, ¹⁵  as well as all the men of Judah, the king’s servants.

1 Kings 1:2

1:2 His servants advised ¹⁶  him, “A young virgin must be found for our master, the king, ¹⁷  to take care of the king’s needs ¹⁸  and serve as his nurse. She can also sleep with you ¹⁹  and keep our master, the king, warm.” ²⁰ 

1 Kings 7:17-19

7:17 The latticework on the tops of the pillars was adorned with ornamental wreaths and chains; the top of each pillar had seven groupings of ornaments. ²¹  7:18 When he made the pillars, there were two rows of pomegranate-shaped ornaments around the latticework covering the top of each pillar. ²²  7:19 The tops of the two pillars in the porch were shaped like lilies and were six feet high. ²³ 

Psalms 132:12

132:12 If your sons keep my covenant

and the rules I teach them,

their sons will also sit on your throne forever.”

Zechariah 3:7

3:7 “The Lord who rules over all says, ‘If you live ²⁴  and work according to my requirements, you will be able to preside over my temple ²⁵  and attend to my courtyards, and I will allow you to come and go among these others who are standing by you.

[2:3]  ¹ tn Heb “keep the charge of the Lord your God.”

[2:3]  ² tn Heb “by walking in his ways.”

[2:3]  ³ tn Or “keeping.”

[2:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “then you will cause to succeed all which you do and all which you turn there.”

[2:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “then the Lord will establish his word which he spoke to me, saying.”

[2:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “guard their way.”

[2:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “by walking before me in faithfulness.”

[2:4]  ⁸ tn Or “soul.”

[2:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “saying.”

[2:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from upon the throne of Israel.”

[2:1]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and the days of David approached to die.”

[2:1]  ¹² tn Or “commanded.”

[22:13]  ¹³ tn Heb “the words of the prophets are [with] one mouth good for the king.”

[22:13]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “let your words be like the word of each of them and speak good.”

[1:9]  ¹⁵ tc The ancient Greek version omits this appositional phrase.

[1:2]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “said to.”

[1:2]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “let them seek for my master, the king, a young girl, a virgin.” The third person plural subject of the verb is indefinite (see GKC 460 §144.f). The appositional expression, “a young girl, a virgin,” is idiomatic; the second term specifically defines the more general first term (see IBHS 230 §12.3b).

[1:2]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and she will stand before the king.” The Hebrew phrase “stand before” can mean “to attend; to serve” (BDB 764 s.v. עָמַד).

[1:2]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and she will lie down in your bosom.” The expression might imply sexual intimacy (see 2 Sam 12:3 [where the lamb symbolizes Bathsheba] and Mic 7:5), though v. 4b indicates that David did not actually have sex with the young woman.

[1:2]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and my master, the king, will be warm.”

[7:17]  ²¹ tn Heb “there were seven for the first capital, and seven for the second capital.”

[7:18]  ²² tn Heb “he made the pillars, and two rows surrounding one latticework to cover the capitals which were on top of the pomegranates, and so he did for the second latticework.” The translation supplies “pomegranates” after “two rows,” and understands “pillars,” rather than “pomegranates,” to be the correct reading after “on top of.” The latter change finds support from many Hebrew mss and the ancient Greek version.

[7:19]  ²³ tn Heb “the capitals which were on the top of the pillars were the work of lilies, in the porch, four cubits.” It is unclear exactly what dimension is being measured.

[3:7]  ²⁴ tn Heb “walk,” a frequent biblical metaphor for lifestyle or conduct; TEV “If you [+ truly CEV] obey.” To “walk” in the ways of the Lord is to live life as he intends (cf. Deut 8:6; 10:12-22; 28:9).

[3:7]  ²⁵ sn The statement you will be able to preside over my temple (Heb “house,” a reference to the Jerusalem temple) is a hint of the increasingly important role the high priest played in the postexilic Jewish community, especially in the absence of a monarchy. It also suggests the messianic character of the eschatological priesthood in which the priest would have royal prerogatives.