2 Kings 21:8 kjv
Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.
2 Kings 21:8 nkjv
and I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers?only if they are careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them."
2 Kings 21:8 niv
I will not again make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses gave them."
2 Kings 21:8 esv
And I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander anymore out of the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that my servant Moses commanded them."
2 Kings 21:8 nlt
If the Israelites will be careful to obey my commands ? all the laws my servant Moses gave them ? I will not send them into exile from this land that I gave their ancestors."
2 Kings 21 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:7 | To your offspring I will give this land. | Initial land promise to Abram. |
| Gen 13:15 | all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. | Everlasting grant to Abram's descendants. |
| Deut 4:1 | now, O Israel, listen... that you may live and go in and take possession.. | Link between listening, living, and land. |
| Deut 4:40 | keep his statutes and his commandments... that it may go well with you... | Obedience for wellbeing in the land. |
| Deut 8:1 | All the commandment... you shall be careful to do... that you may live... | Doing the commandments for life and possession. |
| Deut 11:8-9 | observe all the commands... so that you may have strength and possess... | Strength and possession tied to obedience. |
| Deut 28:1-14 | If you faithfully obey... all these blessings will come upon you... | Blessings of obedience, including land. |
| Deut 28:15-68 | if you do not obey... all these curses will come on you... | Curses for disobedience, including exile. |
| Lev 26:3-5 | If you walk in my statutes... I will give you your rains in their season... | Prosperity in the land tied to following statutes. |
| Lev 26:14-16 | if you will not listen... but despise my statutes... | Consequences of rejecting the law. |
| Josh 1:7-8 | Only be strong and very courageous... you may prosper... | Meditation and obedience to the law for success. |
| Josh 23:15-16 | every good promise... has been fulfilled... every evil threat... too. | Fulfillment of both blessing and curse. |
| 1 Kgs 2:3 | keep the charge of the L ORD your God... that you may prosper... | David's charge to Solomon: prosperity through obedience. |
| 1 Kgs 6:12 | concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes | Promise regarding the temple and conditional dwelling. |
| 1 Kgs 9:6-7 | But if you turn aside... this house will become a heap of ruins... | Threat of destruction/exile if covenant broken. |
| 2 Kgs 17:23 | the L ORD removed Israel from his presence, as he had said... | The consequence of disobedience for the northern kingdom. |
| Ps 1:1-3 | Blessed is the man who walks not... his delight is in the law... prosper. | The blessing of meditating and obeying God's law. |
| Jer 7:7 | then I will let you dwell in this place... given to your fathers... | Conditional dwelling reiterated through Jeremiah. |
| Ezek 36:27 | I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes... | New Covenant solution for obedience. |
| Rom 2:13 | for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law will be justified. | Emphasis on doing, not just hearing, the law. |
| Heb 4:1 | a promise of entering his rest remains... | The ultimate "rest" (spiritual land) available. |
| Heb 8:10 | I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts... | Fulfillment of obedience under the New Covenant. |
2 Kings 21 verses
2 Kings 21 8 Meaning
God promised to secure Israel's presence in the land given to their forefathers. This promise was conditional upon their complete obedience to all divine commands, specifically the comprehensive law revealed through His servant Moses. It highlighted God's established covenant terms, where sustained dwelling in the land was directly tied to faithfulness and adherence to His instructions, even amidst profound wickedness.
2 Kings 21 8 Context
This verse is situated in the deeply troubled reign of King Manasseh of Judah (2 Kings 21:1-18). Manasseh’s wickedness, described in the preceding verses (21:1-7), surpasses all previous kings, introducing child sacrifice and widespread idolatry even within the Temple. He undoes the reforms of his father Hezekiah and leads Judah into unprecedented apostasy. Despite this, verse 8 states God's conditional commitment: if Israel observes His laws, He will not remove them from the land. This serves as a stark reminder of the enduring covenant stipulations and highlights God’s longsuffering before the inevitable judgment articulated in the subsequent verses (21:10-15), making Manasseh’s unrepentant sin stand in even sharper contrast to God's continued offer of grace based on covenant adherence. It underscores that exile is not arbitrary but a consequence of blatant and persistent covenant violation.
2 Kings 21 8 Word analysis
- And I will not again remove: Implies a settled intent, almost a definitive stance against displacement if the condition is met. "Again" (`od) suggests a repeated intention or thought of removing them, showing God’s previous long-suffering. This emphasizes the promise of security contingent on fidelity.
- the foot of Israel: "Foot" (regel) is a synecdoche representing the entire person or presence. "Removing the foot" means uprooting or exiling, losing a permanent dwelling. This imagery signifies stability and possession of the land as an integral aspect of their national identity and divine favor.
- from the land: `Eretz, specifically refers to the promised land of Canaan, the geographical heart of God's covenant with His people. Possession of this land was a cornerstone of the Abrahamic covenant and integral to Israel’s identity as God's chosen nation.
- which I gave to their fathers: Explicitly connects the current generation's possession to the ancestral covenant promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This highlights God as the sovereign giver and rightful owner of the land, reinforcing His divine prerogative to set terms for its tenure.
- only if they will observe to do: The pivotal conditional clause (
raq 'im). "Observe" (shamar) means to watch over, guard, be careful to keep. "To do" ('asah) implies actively performing and executing. It's not just about knowing the law, but meticulously and continually living by it, encompassing both passive preservation and active application of God's commands. - according to all that I have commanded them: Refers to the divine instructions and statutes given directly by God, encompassing His absolute authority and expectations. This covers the totality of His revealed will for His people.
- and according to all the law: Torah (instruction, teaching, law). This specifies the body of God's teaching, understood broadly as divine revelation given for guidance. It emphasizes the comprehensiveness and systematic nature of God’s commands.
- that my servant Moses commanded them: Designates Moses as the divinely appointed mediator and faithful steward through whom the Torah was communicated. "My servant Moses" (Moshe avdi) is a recurring honorific highlighting Moses' unique and trusted relationship with God, lending unparalleled authority to the commands delivered through him. This links the present generation's responsibility directly to the foundational covenant at Sinai.
2 Kings 21 8 Bonus section
This verse stands as a lamentable "road not taken" for Judah, highlighting the ultimate irony. Despite God explicitly stating the path to sustained blessing (full obedience to the Torah), Manasseh and Judah would persistently choose widespread and deep-seated idolatry and injustice. The repetition of "all" (all that I have commanded, all the law) underscores the totality of commitment God required, leaving no room for partial obedience or syncretism. This contrasts sharply with Manasseh's readiness to adopt "all" the detestable practices of the nations. The divine communication here reflects God’s patient upholding of His covenant standards, even in the face of profound national rebellion, thereby justifying the later, severe judgment of exile not as caprice, but as the inevitable consequence of a chosen, catastrophic failure to meet conditions clearly stated and repeatedly reiterated.
2 Kings 21 8 Commentary
2 Kings 21:8 encapsulates the Deuteronomic theology woven throughout the Books of Kings: Israel’s well-being and continued tenure in the promised land were fundamentally dependent on their faithful adherence to God's covenant and His Law given through Moses. Despite Manasseh's profound apostasy and the people's descent into idolatry, this verse articulates God's unwavering principle: the terms for remaining in the land were clear and consistently applied. It serves as a stark reminder of the "if-then" framework of the covenant. God had indeed given the land, fulfilling His patriarchal promises, but He retained the sovereign right to condition their ongoing possession based on their obedience to His explicit commandments. The nation's persistent failure to "observe to do" all the Law would ultimately lead to the consequences foretold, highlighting divine justice. This verse underlines that exile was not an arbitrary punishment, but the tragic outcome of a broken covenant by the human party, even as God extended patient grace with clear conditions.