1 Kings 9:4 kjv
And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
1 Kings 9:4 nkjv
Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments,
1 Kings 9:4 niv
"As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws,
1 Kings 9:4 esv
And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules,
1 Kings 9:4 nlt
"As for you, if you will follow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations,
1 Kings 9 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 5:32-33 | "Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left... walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you..." | Wholehearted obedience to God's commands. |
| Deut 6:5 | "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." | Love of God from the heart, foundation for obedience. |
| 1 Sam 12:24 | "Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you." | Serving God wholeheartedly and truthfully. |
| Psa 26:1 | "Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide." | A desire for God to examine one's integrity. |
| Psa 78:70-72 | "He chose David also his servant... He brought him to feed Jacob his people... So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart..." | David's leadership marked by heart integrity. |
| Psa 101:2 | "I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart." | A commitment to personal and household integrity. |
| Prov 10:9 | "He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known." | Uprightness brings security. |
| Jer 7:23 | "But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you..." | God's fundamental command to obey His voice. |
| Zech 3:7 | "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts..." | Walking in God's ways brings privilege. |
| Luke 1:6 | "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." | Zacharias and Elisabeth's blameless walk. |
| Acts 13:22 | "And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king: to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart..." | David as the model king, a man after God's heart. |
| Heb 8:10 | "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts..." | New Covenant: inward writing of God's law. |
| Eph 2:10 | "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." | Created in Christ for a life of good works. |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." | Call to live holy lives, like God's character. |
| Rev 2:10 | "...be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." | Enduring faithfulness leads to eternal reward. |
| Matt 7:21 | "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." | True entry into kingdom requires doing God's will. |
| John 14:15 | "If ye love me, keep my commandments." | Love for Christ expressed through obedience. |
| Rom 12:1-2 | "...present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God... be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..." | Spiritual worship is living obediently and transformed. |
| Gal 5:16 | "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." | Walking by the Spirit leads to righteous living. |
| Col 1:9-10 | "...might be filled with the knowledge of his will... That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work..." | Walking worthy of the Lord involves spiritual knowledge and good works. |
| 1 John 2:3-4 | "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar..." | Keeping commandments as evidence of knowing God. |
| James 1:22-25 | "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves... if he be a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." | Emphasis on being a doer of the Word, not just a hearer. |
| Mic 6:8 | "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" | Summarizes God's core requirements: justice, mercy, humility. |
1 Kings 9 verses
1 Kings 9 4 Meaning
God here addresses Solomon after the dedication of the temple, establishing the conditions for the continued prosperity of his kingdom and lineage. It emphasizes that Solomon's reign will endure and flourish if he diligently walks in personal obedience and devotion to God, much like his father David. This walk requires both inner purity (integrity of heart) and outward ethical behavior (uprightness), comprehensive adherence to God's entire Law, including statutes and judgments, as commanded by God.
1 Kings 9 4 Context
This verse is part of God's direct response to Solomon following the dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8 and Solomon's prayer of dedication. God had previously appeared to Solomon at Gibeon (1 Kgs 3). This second appearance solidifies God's covenant with the newly built Temple and David's dynasty. Chapter 9 begins by stating God heard Solomon's prayer. Verses 1-3 assure Solomon of the sanctity and perpetuity of the Temple. Verses 4-9 then pivot to the conditions for the continuity of the kingdom. While God affirms His choice of the Temple and David's line, He reiterates that these promises are conditional upon the king's and the people's fidelity to His covenant. Solomon, like David, is held personally accountable for leading in obedience. This conditional warning sets a somber tone for Solomon's reign, foreshadowing the eventual division of the kingdom due to his later unfaithfulness (1 Kgs 11). The historical context is that of the burgeoning Israelite monarchy under a united kingdom, where the king was meant to embody the nation's spiritual devotion and lead in righteousness according to God's revealed Law given at Sinai.
1 Kings 9 4 Word analysis
- And as for thee: This phrase immediately makes the divine statement personal to Solomon. It singles him out as the recipient of the conditions, highlighting his individual responsibility as king.
- if thou wilt walk before me:
- Walk: Hebrew halak (הָלַךְ). It implies a continuous, habitual mode of life, a lifestyle.
- Before me: Hebrew lifnai (לִפְנֵי). It signifies living in God's presence, under His direct observation, approval, and guidance. This "walk" is about living with a conscious awareness of God's scrutiny and in communion with Him. It's a foundational concept for a relationship with God throughout the Old Testament.
- as David thy father walked: David serves as the benchmark. While not sinless, David's core disposition was one of devotion, seeking God's heart, repenting when he failed, and obeying God's commands generally. His integrity of heart set a precedent for future kings. This points not to perfect behavior, but to a consistent inclination toward God's will and prompt repentance when deviating.
- in integrity of heart:
- Integrity: Hebrew b'tom (בְּתֹם). It denotes completeness, blamelessness, innocence, soundness, being whole, without defect or duplicity.
- Heart: Hebrew levav (לֵבָב). In Hebrew thought, the "heart" is the seat of intellect, will, emotions, and moral character—the entire inner being.
- Combined, it means sincere devotion, a genuine and undivided loyalty to God from one's innermost being, free from hypocrisy or divided affections.
- and in uprightness:
- Uprightness: Hebrew uv'yashar (וּבְיֹשֶׁר). This term emphasizes moral rectitude, straightforwardness, justice, and being ethically correct. It points to observable actions and righteous conduct that align with God's moral standards. It complements "integrity of heart" by ensuring that inner purity manifests in outward, truthful living.
- to do according to all that I have commanded thee: This specifies that the "walk" must translate into active, comprehensive obedience to God's commandments. "All" signifies that there is no picking and choosing which commands to follow; God requires complete submission to His revealed will.
- and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
- Keep: Hebrew shammar (שָׁמַר). To guard, observe, protect, heed carefully. It implies not just occasional adherence, but diligent preservation and obedience.
- Statutes: Hebrew huqqim (חֻקִּים). Divine decrees, ordinances, established rules that regulate moral and ceremonial life.
- Judgments: Hebrew mishpatim (מִשְׁפָּטִים). Judicial rulings, laws, and precepts that define righteousness and justice, often related to interhuman relationships and ethical conduct.
- Together, these terms cover the entire breadth of God's Mosaic Law, encompassing ritual, moral, and civil precepts. This highlights that obedience must be all-encompassing, touching every area of life and rule.
1 Kings 9 4 Bonus section
This verse, with its conditional promise based on the king's obedience, sets up a key prophetic tension in the Davidic covenant. While the covenant in 2 Samuel 7 appears unconditional regarding David's house lasting forever, verses like 1 Kings 9:4 introduce a layer of conditionality concerning the continued flourishing and enjoyment of the blessings within that dynasty for individual kings. This dual aspect (unconditional dynasty, conditional enjoyment of its blessings for a particular king) explains why God allowed the division of the kingdom after Solomon, yet promised to preserve a remnant for David's sake (1 Kgs 11:13). Ultimately, this finds its full resolution in Jesus Christ, the Son of David, who perfectly walked in integrity, uprightness, and complete obedience, fulfilling all of God's commands (Heb 4:15), thus inheriting an eternal and unconditional kingdom (Luke 1:32-33) and serving as the true King of Israel who never failed the covenant. The call to "walk before God" remains a timeless invitation to a life of relationship and devotion for all who follow Him.
1 Kings 9 4 Commentary
1 Kings 9:4 encapsulates the essence of biblical kingship and, by extension, the calling for all believers: a life lived in conscious, unwavering obedience to God, rooted in an undivided heart. God's standard for Solomon is David, not in David's failures, but in his fundamental orientation towards God's will and quickness to repent. "Integrity of heart" speaks to internal devotion, ensuring sincerity over mere external conformity. This must be matched by "uprightness," demonstrating external, ethical conduct aligned with God's righteous character. The emphasis on "all" God's commands, including "statutes and judgments," underscores that God's covenant blessings are conditioned on complete obedience, a comprehensive faithfulness that leaves no room for selective adherence. This verse serves as a crucial theological principle, affirming God's faithfulness to His promises while simultaneously stressing humanity's responsibility to obey, illustrating the conditional nature of the covenant with kings. It implies that power and privilege demand higher accountability to God. Solomon’s ultimate failure to live up to these conditions later in his reign becomes a tragic illustration of the consequences of divided loyalties and unfaithfulness.