1 Kings 11:39 kjv
And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.
1 Kings 11:39 nkjv
And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.' "
1 Kings 11:39 niv
I will humble David's descendants because of this, but not forever.'?"
1 Kings 11:39 esv
And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever.'"
1 Kings 11:39 nlt
Because of Solomon's sin I will punish the descendants of David ? though not forever.'"
1 Kings 11 39 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | ...I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name...I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever...if he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod...But My steadfast love will not depart from him... | Davidic covenant promises enduring dynasty despite discipline. |
| Ps 89:30-37 | If his sons forsake My law...I will punish their transgression with the rod...But I will not remove My steadfast love from him, nor be false to My faithfulness...My covenant I will not violate...His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as the sun before Me. | God's faithfulness to Davidic covenant despite his descendants' sin. |
| 1 Kgs 11:9-11 | The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord...Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice...I will surely tear the kingdom from you." | God's anger and decision to divide the kingdom due to Solomon's idolatry. |
| 1 Kgs 11:12-13 | However, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it in your days...but I will leave you one tribe for the sake of David My servant and for the sake of Jerusalem. | God delays full judgment during Solomon's lifetime and preserves a remnant for David's sake. |
| 1 Kgs 11:31 | ...Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon...’ | Ahijah's prophecy directly stating the tearing of the kingdom from Solomon. |
| 1 Kgs 12:15 | ...Thus the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord spoke by Ahijah... | God's sovereignty in orchestrating the division of the kingdom. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder...Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it...forevermore. | Prophecy of an everlasting, perfect King from David's line (Messiah). |
| Isa 11:1 | There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. | Prophecy of the Messiah, indicating the Davidic line will appear diminished before glorious restoration. |
| Jer 23:5-6 | "Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He shall reign as king and deal wisely...And this is the name by which He will be called: ‘The Lord is our Righteousness.’" | God promises a future righteous king from David's lineage. |
| Jer 33:15-17 | "In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth...For thus says the Lord: ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel.’" | Reiteration of an unbroken Davidic line for future kingship. |
| Ezek 37:24-25 | "My servant David shall be king over them...and they shall walk in My rules and keep My statutes...and My servant David shall be their prince forever." | Promise of a reunited Israel under a future Davidic king (Messiah). |
| Amos 9:11 | "In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old..." | Prophecy of restoring the broken Davidic monarchy. |
| Lk 1:32-33 | "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." | Angel Gabriel's prophecy to Mary regarding Jesus' eternal reign on David's throne. |
| Acts 2:29-31 | "Brothers, I may confidently say to you that the patriarch David both died and was buried...he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up..." | Peter connects David's prophetic understanding of the Messiah's resurrection to his eventual reign. |
| Rom 1:3 | ...concerning His Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh... | Acknowledges Jesus' physical lineage from David, confirming His Messianic credentials. |
| Heb 1:8 | But of the Son He says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever..." | Applied to Christ, affirming His eternal kingdom reign. |
| Heb 12:6 | For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives. | Connects divine affliction/punishment to God's love and fatherly discipline, rather than rejection. |
| Rev 5:5 | And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that He can open the scroll..." | Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment as the Lion of Judah and Root of David. |
| Rev 22:16 | “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” | Jesus unequivocally identifies Himself as David's descendant and ultimate heir. |
1 Kings 11 verses
1 Kings 11 39 Meaning
This verse declares God's righteous judgment upon the lineage of David, specifically in response to King Solomon's grievous apostasy. It signifies that David's descendants will experience a period of divine affliction, resulting in a diminished or suffering monarchy. Crucially, the verse provides a vital qualification: this period of affliction will not last forever, ensuring that God's overarching covenant with David concerning an enduring kingship remains ultimately secure.
1 Kings 11 39 Context
1 Kings chapter 11 details King Solomon's tragic spiritual decline. Despite being the wisest man and having built the magnificent Temple, Solomon accumulated many foreign wives who turned his heart away from Yahweh to worship their pagan gods (1 Kgs 11:1-8). This egregious breach of God's covenant provoked the Lord's intense anger (1 Kgs 11:9-10), leading to God's pronouncement that He would tear the kingdom from Solomon's hand, leaving only one tribe for his son for the sake of David and Jerusalem (1 Kgs 11:11-13).
Verse 39, "And I will afflict the seed of David because of this, but not forever," is part of a prophetic message delivered by the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam (1 Kgs 11:29-39), confirming God's plan to give Jeroboam ten tribes. Ahijah explains that this judgment on David's line (Solomon's descendants) is directly because of Solomon's unfaithfulness (referenced as "because of this"). The crucial addition "but not forever" clarifies that while the current manifestation of the kingdom would be severely broken and the Davidic line would experience a period of intense hardship and limited power, God's enduring covenant promise to David would not be utterly negated. This statement preserves hope for the ultimate and eternal reign of a Davidic king. Historically, this prophecy would be fulfilled through the division of the kingdom under Rehoboam and the eventual decline, exile, and lack of independent Davidic rule until the coming of the Messiah.
1 Kings 11 39 Word analysis
- And I will afflict: (וַעֲנִּיתִי `va'aniti`) From the Hebrew verb עָנָה (`anah`), meaning to humble, bring low, oppress, discipline, or cause to suffer. Here, it denotes an active divine imposition of suffering or hardship upon David's descendants. This "affliction" is not arbitrary destruction but a form of disciplinary action by God in response to disobedience, aiming to correct or purify, as seen throughout the Bible in God's dealings with His people (cf. Heb 12:6).
- the seed: (זֶרַע `zera`) This Hebrew term literally means "seed" but is widely used metaphorically to refer to offspring, descendants, or posterity. In this context, it refers collectively to the royal line, the successive generations of David's dynastic family. Its use emphasizes the generational impact of Solomon's sin.
- of David: (דָּוִד `davida`) Refers to King David, through whom God established the everlasting covenant regarding an eternal throne and kingdom (2 Sam 7). This explicitly links the coming affliction back to the covenant line, making the punishment significant because it touches the very lineage God promised to uphold.
- because of this: (בְּזֹאת `b'zot`) This phrase acts as a direct causal link. It points back to Solomon's specific sin described earlier in the chapter—his idolatry and turning away from God by following the pagan gods of his foreign wives (1 Kgs 11:4-10). It highlights that divine judgment is not arbitrary but directly proportionate to specific acts of disobedience against God's covenant commands.
- but not forever: (לֹא לָעַד `lo la'ad`) This is a profoundly significant qualification.
- לֹא (`lo`): The common Hebrew negation, "not."
- לָעַד (`la'ad`): Means "to perpetuity," "for always," or "forever."
1 Kings 11 39 Bonus section
- Covenant Conditionality and Unconditionality: This verse exquisitely demonstrates the intricate balance of God's covenant with David. While the promise of an enduring dynasty (2 Sam 7:16) was unconditional on God's part, the experience of prosperity and peace for the individual kings and the immediate state of the kingdom were often conditional upon their obedience (Ps 89:30-32). The "affliction" speaks to this conditional element, while "but not forever" points back to the overarching unconditional promise of an eternal heir.
- Messianic Foreshadowing: The phrase "but not forever" is a powerful pointer to the Messiah. The Davidic kingdom, in its earthly political form, did suffer immense decline, eventually ceasing to exist after the Babylonian exile. However, the covenant demanded an ongoing succession. The only way for the promise of a perpetual king from David's line to be realized, despite the earthly "affliction," was through a unique descendant whose reign would transcend earthly limitations—Jesus Christ. His kingdom is not merely eternal in duration but also un-afflictible.
- Divine Sovereignty in Judgment: The tearing of the kingdom is not simply a political upheaval; it is a direct act of God's will (1 Kgs 12:15). This reinforces God's supreme authority over human kings and kingdoms, showing that even a monarch as powerful and renowned as Solomon remains subject to Yahweh's judgment. This challenges any contemporary Ancient Near Eastern views of kings having absolute, unchallenged divine rights.
1 Kings 11 39 Commentary
1 Kings 11:39 distills a foundational theological principle: God's unwavering commitment to His covenantal promises despite His people's and even their leaders' profound failures. Here, God's justice is on full display as He declares that He will actively bring suffering upon the "seed of David" because of King Solomon's grievous idolatry and turning away. This punishment manifests historically in the imminent division of the kingdom, the subsequent struggles of the Judahite monarchy, and ultimately the Babylonian exile, where the Davidic line lost its political throne. Yet, embedded within this pronouncement of judgment is a vital clause of hope: "but not forever." This clause is God's enduring faithfulness breaking through the immediate consequence of sin. It acts as an assurance that the temporary affliction will not obliterate the Davidic dynasty, nor will it invalidate the promise of an everlasting kingdom through David's line. Instead, it serves to refine and purify, preparing the way for the eventual, ultimate, and eternal king, Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfills the "not forever" clause by establishing a kingdom that will indeed never end (Isa 9:7; Lk 1:33). It exemplifies divine discipline (Heb 12:6) – severe yet ultimately redemptive, aimed not at destruction but at the eventual triumph of God's perfect plan.