1 Kings 2:12 kjv
Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.
1 Kings 2:12 nkjv
Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.
1 Kings 2:12 niv
So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.
1 Kings 2:12 esv
So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.
1 Kings 2:12 nlt
Solomon became king and sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.
1 Kings 2 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:12 | "When your days are fulfilled...I will raise up your offspring...and I will establish his kingdom." | God's promise to David for a successor and established kingdom. |
| 2 Sam 7:13 | "He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." | Divine promise of an eternal Davidic throne. |
| 1 Chr 22:9-10 | "A son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest...Solomon shall be his name...I will grant peace...and I will establish his throne..." | Prophecy of Solomon's peaceful reign and throne establishment. |
| 1 Chr 29:23 | "Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father. And he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him." | Solomon's enthronement on "the throne of the LORD" highlighting divine appointment. |
| Ps 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever and build up your throne to all generations.’" | Affirmation of the Davidic Covenant and an enduring throne. |
| Ps 89:36-37 | "His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me...a faithful witness in the skies." | Emphasizes the permanence of the Davidic dynasty. |
| Ps 132:11 | "The LORD swore to David a sure oath...‘One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne.’" | Divine oath confirming a Davidic successor on the throne. |
| Prov 25:5 | "Take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness." | Righteous rule contributes to a king's established throne. |
| Isa 9:7 | "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..." | Prophecy pointing to the ultimate enduring Davidic kingdom under Messiah. |
| Jer 33:17 | "For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel." | Divine promise for a continuous Davidic line on the throne. |
| Lk 1:32-33 | "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High...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.” | Fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant in Jesus Christ, the eternal heir. |
| Acts 2:30 | "Being therefore a prophet...he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption." | Connects David's throne promise to Christ's resurrection and rule. |
| Rom 1:3-4 | "...his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead..." | Christ's Davidic lineage confirmed as divine sonship. |
| 1 Sam 16:13 | "...the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward." | Contrast with Solomon's divine anointing, God's choosing kings. |
| 1 Kgs 1:48 | "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted someone to sit on my throne today, with my own eyes seeing it." | David's blessing on Solomon's succession immediately before this verse. |
| 1 Kgs 2:4 | "That the LORD may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons pay attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness...'” | Conditional aspect of the Davidic covenant and the establishment of the kingdom. |
| 2 Chr 1:1 | "Solomon the son of David strengthened his hold on his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great." | Parallels 1 Kings 2:12, emphasizing God's hand in establishing the kingdom. |
| Deut 17:15 | "You may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses." | General principle of divine selection for Israel's king. |
| Prov 16:12 | "It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness." | Reinforces that divine favor and righteous rule secure a throne. |
| Ps 93:2 | "Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting." | Points to God's own eternally established throne as the basis for earthly stability. |
| Heb 1:8 | "But of the Son he says, 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.'" | Christ's eternal kingdom echoing the Davidic throne. |
| 1 Tim 6:15 | "...who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords," | God's ultimate sovereignty over all earthly kings, confirming their thrones. |
1 Kings 2 verses
1 Kings 2 12 Meaning
This verse signifies the formal, legitimate, and divinely-ratified succession of Solomon to the kingship of Israel, inheriting the throne from his father David. It establishes that his reign began with immediate political stability and divine confirmation, marking the fulfillment of promises made to David regarding his dynasty.
1 Kings 2 12 Context
1 Kings chapter 2 details David's final charge to Solomon, admonishing him to obey God's commands and to deal with specific individuals justly. Following David's death and burial in verse 10-11, verse 12 signifies the formal and peaceful transition of power. This transition was previously contested by Adonijah (1 Kgs 1), but was decisively settled by David's command for Solomon's immediate anointing and enthronement. Historically, secure succession was crucial for stability in ancient Near Eastern monarchies. The emphasis on the "throne of David his father" connects Solomon's reign directly to God's covenant with David (2 Sam 7), which promised an enduring dynasty. The verse, therefore, marks a period of stability after years of unrest under Saul and David's own later struggles.
1 Kings 2 12 Word analysis
- So: Hebrew: וְכֵן (w'khen). This conjunction signifies consequence or result. It indicates that Solomon's sitting on the throne is the direct outcome of the events just recounted—David's death and the previous actions securing Solomon's succession (such as his anointing).
- Solomon: Hebrew: שְׁלֹמֹה (Sh'lomoh). Derived from the Hebrew root for "peace" or "completeness" (שלם, shalom). His name prophetically points to his reign being one of peace and rest for Israel, a significant contrast to David's reign of constant warfare.
- sat: Hebrew: יָשַׁב (yashav). While literally "to sit," in this context, it is a technical term signifying enthronement, establishment in authority, and formal occupation of the kingship. It implies a firm, settled position of rule rather than a temporary action.
- on the throne: Hebrew: עַל־כִּסֵּא (al-kisse). The "throne" (כִּסֵּא, kisse) is the physical symbol of royal power, judgment, and authority. Sitting "on the throne" is the ultimate act of assuming royal power.
- of David his father: Hebrew: דָוִד אָבִיו (David 'aviv). This phrase emphasizes legitimacy and continuity. Solomon is not starting a new dynasty but inheriting the established rule and divine promises made to David. It underlines the fulfillment of God's covenant with David for a continuous lineage on the throne (2 Sam 7:12-16).
- and his kingdom: Hebrew: וּמַלְכוּתוֹ (u'malkhutō). Refers to the sphere of Solomon's dominion, the nation of Israel and its territories.
- was firmly established: Hebrew: תִּכֹּן מְאֹד (tikkon m'od).
- tikkon is from the verb כּוּן (kun), meaning "to be firm, established, confirmed, made ready." The form used here implies that its establishment was divinely secured, not merely by human political maneuvering. It conveys a sense of stability and permanence.
- m'od means "very much" or "exceedingly." This adverb emphasizes the significant degree of stability and security Solomon's reign enjoyed from its very beginning. It highlights that the kingdom was not shaky or precarious but powerfully upheld.
1 Kings 2 12 Bonus section
- The stability described here is a stark contrast to the frequent political instability and regicides characteristic of many other ancient Near Eastern kingdoms, underscoring the divine election and protection of the Davidic dynasty in Israel.
- While Solomon's reign begins "firmly established" through divine favor and a clear succession, the conditional nature of the Davidic covenant (1 Kgs 2:4) meant that the long-term endurance and stability of the kingdom would depend on his, and his successors', faithfulness to God's commandments. Solomon himself would later experience a spiritual decline that introduced cracks into this initial firmness.
- This verse foreshadows the ultimate, unending reign of the Messiah, Jesus, who will indeed sit on "the throne of his father David" and whose kingdom will be established "forever" without end, as promised in Luke 1:32-33.
1 Kings 2 12 Commentary
1 Kings 2:12 is a climactic summary statement marking the decisive and divinely-ordained beginning of Solomon's reign. It signifies not merely a change in leadership but a moment of profound stability and the unfolding of God's covenant promises to David. The transfer of authority is legitimate ("on the throne of David his father") and secure ("was firmly established"), a direct outcome of God's blessing and the clearing of potential challengers (as seen in later verses, though not mentioned in this single verse). This firmness denotes both political security and the hand of God in upholding the Davidic dynasty. It sets the stage for a period of unparalleled peace and prosperity in Israel's history under Solomon, fulfilling the meaning inherent in his name.