1 Kings 6 12

1 Kings 6:12 kjv

Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:

1 Kings 6:12 nkjv

"Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father David.

1 Kings 6:12 niv

"As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father.

1 Kings 6:12 esv

"Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father.

1 Kings 6:12 nlt

"Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David.

1 Kings 6 verses

1 Kings 6 12 Meaning

1 Kings 6:12 represents a critical divine interruption within the detailed architectural description of Solomon's Temple. It is a conditional promise from God, affirming that His faithful performance of the Davidic covenant —specifically the establishment of Solomon's kingdom and dynasty—is directly contingent upon Solomon's (and by extension, Israel's) ongoing obedience to God’s statutes, judgments, and commandments. This emphasizes that the Temple, while physically built for God's dwelling, does not guarantee His presence or favor without the corresponding spiritual fidelity of His people.

1 Kings 6 12 Context

This verse is situated mid-way through the description of the building of the First Temple in Jerusalem by King Solomon. The surrounding verses meticulously detail the Temple's dimensions, materials, and internal furnishings, highlighting the monumental effort and grand scale of the construction. The divine utterance in verse 12 strikingly interrupts this architectural narrative. It serves as a profound theological statement, asserting that the true significance and effectiveness of this magnificent physical structure are not inherent, but entirely dependent on the spiritual obedience and faithfulness of Solomon and the Israelite nation to God's covenant. This immediate transition from physical detail to spiritual demand underscores God's priority for righteousness over mere ritual or grandiosity, subtly providing a critique against pagan thought which often equated a god's presence with their physical shrine, regardless of moral conduct.

1 Kings 6 12 Word analysis

• "Concerning this house which you are building," (הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בֹּנֶה - hab-bayit haz-zeh ’ăšer ’attāh bōneh) - This phrase immediately ties God's promise directly to the Temple under construction. It highlights the focus on the current great project.
• "if" (אִם - ’im) - A crucial conditional particle. It establishes that the divine promise about the Temple and kingdom is not automatic but dependent on human response. This marks a pivot from the unconditional Davidic covenant to the conditional outworking of that covenant for Solomon's reign.
• "you will walk" (תֵּלֵךְ - tēlēkh) - From הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning "to walk." This is a common biblical metaphor for one's way of life, conduct, or behavior. It implies continuous, active adherence, not merely passive acknowledgment.
• "in My statutes," (בְּחֻקֹּתַי - b’ḥuqqōtay) - חֻקָּה (chuqqah) refers to divine decrees, ordinances, or fixed rules, emphasizing prescribed ways of living. These are often seen as unchangeable laws based on God's nature.
• "and execute My judgments," (וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַי - w'et-mishpatay) - מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) signifies legal decisions, justice, or equitable rules. This goes beyond mere knowledge of laws to the practical application and enforcement of divine justice.
• "and keep all My commandments," (וְשָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֹתַי - w'shāmarta et-kol-mitzvōtay) - שָׁמַר (shamar) means "to keep, watch, observe, guard." מִצְוָה (mitzvah) refers to direct commands or instructions. This covers the entire scope of God's expressed will, demanding active preservation and obedience. The "all" stresses comprehensiveness.
• "to walk in them," (לָלֶכֶת בָּהֶם - lāleḵet bāhem) - This repetition reinforces the primary action of obedience and underscores that the purpose of knowing God's laws (statutes, judgments, commandments) is to live by them continually. It emphasizes the practical, living out of faith.
• "then I will perform My word with you," (וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת־דְּבָרִי אִתָּךְ - wahaqimōtī et-d'varī 'ittākh) - קוּם (qum) in the Hiphil form, meaning "to establish, fulfill, raise up." God pledges to make His promise stand, to bring it to reality. This is God’s side of the covenantal relationship.
• "which I spoke to your father David." (אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי עַל־דָּוִיד אָבִיךָ - ’ăsher dibbartī ’al-dāvīd ’āvikā) - This directly references the foundational Davidic covenant (2 Sam 7; 1 Chr 17), clarifying what "My word" entails: the promise of an enduring dynasty and kingdom. The verse establishes the conditional link for Solomon's specific reign to a promise given to David.

Words-Group by Words-Group Analysis:

• "Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk...": This links the physical endeavor of temple building with the spiritual requirements of covenant fidelity. The grandeur of the physical structure is immediately qualified by the paramount importance of internal, moral obedience. It's a divine warning issued at the zenith of Solomon's construction project.
• "walk in My statutes, and execute My judgments, and keep all My commandments, to walk in them...": This triad of terms (חֻקָּה, מִשְׁפָּט, מִצְוָה) encompasses the entirety of God's divine revelation and ethical demands. "Walking in them" emphasizes practical, consistent application rather than mere intellectual assent. It represents holistic obedience – following divine patterns, administering justice, and obeying specific commands.
• "then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father David.": This reveals the ultimate stakes: the continued fulfillment of the Davidic covenant for Solomon is dependent on his obedience. While the promise to David of an eternal dynasty was unconditional (rooted in God's faithfulness), its enjoyment by successive kings and the specific flourishing of Solomon's reign are shown here to be conditional on their adherence to God's laws. This distinction is crucial for understanding the subsequent history of the Davidic monarchy.

1 Kings 6 12 Bonus section

• This divine communication demonstrates God's immediate and active engagement with Solomon and the Temple project, signifying that even at this foundational stage, God's standards for His dwelling were paramount.
• The interruption serves as a literary device to highlight the divine perspective on what truly matters to God. It indicates that human endeavors, no matter how grand, are ultimately measured against covenant fidelity.
• The concept of God's "performing His word" ("Haqimoti") signifies God's active involvement in upholding or withdrawing His promises based on the terms of the covenant. It underscores His faithfulness when humans obey and His just judgment when they fail.
• This verse encapsulates a tension common in Old Testament theology: the interplay between God's unconditional promises (e.g., to David's dynasty, 2 Sam 7) and the conditional fulfillment of those promises to subsequent generations based on their obedience (e.g., 1 Kgs 6:12; 1 Kgs 9:4-7). This nuance is key to understanding the eventual downfall of the monarchy and the destruction of the Temple.

1 Kings 6 12 Commentary

1 Kings 6:12 serves as a pivotal theological interjection, redirecting the reader's focus from the impressive physical structure of the Temple to the fundamental spiritual principle governing God's relationship with His people: obedience to the covenant. It articulates that God’s dwelling with Israel in the Temple and His sustained blessing upon the Davidic line are not automatic outcomes of architectural grandeur but are entirely dependent on Solomon's fidelity to God's laws. This conditional statement reframes the purpose and efficacy of the Temple, stressing that divine presence is granted not to a building alone, but to a people in covenantal relationship, actively demonstrating their faith through righteous living. This warning, delivered early in the Temple's construction, foreshadows the eventual destruction of the Temple and exile, as subsequent kings failed to heed this critical requirement. It also subtly counters any pagan idea that a god could be contained or manipulated through a shrine, affirming that Israel's God demanded justice and righteousness.