2 Samuel 23:5 kjv
Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.
2 Samuel 23:5 nkjv
"Although my house is not so with God, Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire; Will He not make it increase?
2 Samuel 23:5 niv
"If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part; surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire.
2 Samuel 23:5 esv
"For does not my house stand so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?
2 Samuel 23:5 nlt
"Is it not my family God has chosen?
Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me.
His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail.
He will ensure my safety and success.
2 Samuel 23 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | "I will raise up your offspring after you... I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house... your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever..." | Davidic Covenant's foundational promise. |
| Ps 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with My chosen... ‘I will establish your seed forever and build up your throne to all generations.’" | God's oath to David's dynasty. |
| Ps 89:34-37 | "My covenant I will not break... His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me..." | Unbreakable nature of the Davidic covenant. |
| Ps 132:11-12 | "The LORD has sworn to David... ‘Of the fruit of your body I will set on your throne.’" | Divine promise of perpetual kingship. |
| Isa 55:3 | "Incline your ear, and come to Me... I will make an everlasting covenant with you—The sure mercies of David." | God's new covenant built on Davidic promises. |
| Jer 32:39-40 | "I will make an everlasting covenant with them... I will not turn away from doing them good." | God's everlasting covenant with His people. |
| Jer 31:31-34 | "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel..." | Prophecy of the New Covenant. |
| Eze 34:23-24 | "I will establish one Shepherd over them... My servant David... My servant David will be prince among them." | David (Messiah) as the shepherd king. |
| Eze 37:24-25 | "David My servant shall be king over them... they shall walk in My judgments... forever." | United kingdom under the eternal David. |
| Lk 1:32-33 | "He will be great... the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever..." | Angel Gabriel's prophecy about Jesus. |
| Acts 2:30 | "Therefore, being a prophet... he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that He would set one of his descendants on his throne." | Peter connecting David's promise to Christ. |
| Acts 13:34 | "And concerning that He raised Him from the dead... ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’" | Resurrection of Christ fulfilling Isaiah 55:3. |
| Rom 1:3-4 | "...concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh..." | Jesus' Davidic lineage confirmed. |
| 2 Tim 2:8 | "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead..." | Emphasizing Jesus' identity and resurrection. |
| Rev 22:16 | "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you... I am the Root and the Offspring of David..." | Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of David's line. |
| Heb 13:20 | "Now may the God of peace... bring up from the dead our Lord Jesus... through the blood of the everlasting covenant." | New Covenant secured by Christ's blood. |
| Ps 27:1 | "The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?" | David's understanding of God as his salvation. |
| Ps 73:25 | "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none on earth that I desire besides You." | God as David's supreme desire. |
| 1 Kgs 8:25 | "Therefore now, O LORD God of Israel, keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man sitting before Me on the throne of Israel.’" | Solomon's prayer invoking the covenant. |
| Deut 7:9 | "Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant..." | God's faithfulness as covenant keeper. |
2 Samuel 23 verses
2 Samuel 23 5 Meaning
2 Samuel 23:5 is a profound statement by David, reflecting on his life and legacy as he nears death. It articulates a stark contrast between the imperfection and shortcomings within his own royal house ("my house is not so with God") and the flawless, divinely-initiated, and eternally guaranteed covenant God has established with him. This "everlasting covenant" is described as perfectly "ordered" and absolutely "secure," signifying God's meticulous planning and unwavering faithfulness. David expresses that this covenant, which points to future fulfillment, is the complete source of his "salvation" and his ultimate "desire," asserting his unshakeable conviction that God will surely bring all its promises to fruition, particularly the enduring lineage leading to the Messiah.
2 Samuel 23 5 Context
2 Samuel 23 opens with "These are the last words of David." This verse forms part of a prophetic song or oracle delivered by the aged King David. It is not merely a personal reflection but a divine pronouncement (v. 2, "The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me"). David is evaluating his life and legacy in light of God's covenant promises, specifically the Davidic Covenant established in 2 Samuel 7.Historically, ancient Near Eastern kings often delivered "last words" or testaments, which served as summations of their reign, counsel for successors, and final pronouncements. For David, this involves acknowledging both his personal and familial failings ("my house is not so with God") and yet holding fast to the absolute certainty and unconditionality of God's covenant with him. The Davidic covenant (2 Sam 7:12-16) promised a perpetual dynasty and an eternal kingdom through his offspring. This promise transcends the earthly rule of individual kings and ultimately points to a future, perfect ruler. David's words here show his complete reliance not on his own righteousness or his family's perfect obedience, but on God's unchanging nature and fidelity to His promise.
2 Samuel 23 5 Word analysis
- Although (כִּי - ki): A particle often translated "though" or "surely," here implying concession ("although") but also a strong affirmation. It introduces a contrast.
- my house (בֵיתִ֣י - bêtī): Refers to David's royal lineage, his dynasty, his descendants, and the spiritual condition within his family and administration.
- is not so (לֹ֣א כֵ֗ן - lō ḵēn): Literally "not thus." This phrase signifies imperfection, deficiency, or failure compared to what God's covenant ideally represents or what might have been expected. It points to the moral and spiritual failings evident within David's family (e.g., Amnon, Absalom, Adonijah).
- with God (עִם־אֵ֔ל - ‘im-ʾēl): "El" (אֵל) is a common designation for God, often conveying power and might. This phrase emphasizes the divine standard against which David's house falls short. The contrast is between human frailty and divine perfection.
- yet (כִּ֣י - ki): Here functioning as an emphatic "surely" or "indeed," introducing the contrasting truth of God's action despite David's house's failings.
- He has made (עָשָׂה - ‘aśā): Literally "made," "done," "appointed." God is the active agent in initiating and establishing the covenant.
- with me (לִ֖י - lî): The covenant is personally directed to David, though its implications extend through his lineage.
- an everlasting covenant (בְּרִ֥ית עוֹלָ֛ם - bərīt ‘ōlām): This is a key term. "B'rit" (covenant) signifies a binding agreement. "Olam" (everlasting) denotes perpetual, eternal, and unchanging. This highlights the unconditional, secure, and enduring nature of God's promise, in contrast to temporary human achievements or conditional Mosaic covenants.
- ordered in all things (עֲרוּכָ֥ה בַכֹּל֙ - ‘ărûḵâ bakkol): "Aruka" means arranged, set in order, prepared. "Bakkol" means "in everything" or "in all respects." It describes the covenant as perfectly organized, wisely planned, and meticulously designed by God Himself. Nothing is left to chance or human intervention.
- and secure (וּשְׁמֻרָ֖ה - ūšəmurā): "Shmurah" means guarded, preserved, kept. It indicates the covenant's absolute safety and inviolability because God Himself upholds and protects it. It cannot fail.
- For (כִּי־ - kî): Explains the reason for David's confidence.
- this (הִיא - hî̄’): Refers directly back to the "everlasting covenant."
- is all my salvation (כָל־יִשְׁעִ֑י - kōl-yišʿî): "Yish'i" means deliverance, help, rescue, salvation. The covenant is the entirety of his hope and means of deliverance, encompassing spiritual, temporal, and eternal well-being.
- and all my desire (וְכָל־חֵֽפֶץ - wəkōl-ḥēp̄eṣ): "Chefetz" means pleasure, delight, longing, what one desires. It signifies that the fulfillment of this covenant is David's deepest aspiration, his heart's true longing. His hope rests entirely on God's promise.
- will He not bring it to pass? (כִּי־לֹ֣א יַצְמִ֑יחַ - kî-lōʾ yaṣmîaḥ): This is a rhetorical question, emphatically meaning "Surely He will bring it to pass!" "Yatsmiach" literally means "cause to sprout" or "make to grow/flourish," implying development and certain fruition. It refers to the covenant's ultimate fulfillment, especially in the coming "Branch" or "Sprout" (a messianic title - cf. Jer 23:5, Zech 3:8).
2 Samuel 23 5 Bonus section
The rhetorical question "will He not bring it to pass?" (kî-lōʾ yaṣmîaḥ) employs a negative particle that anticipates a positive answer. It's a powerful statement of faith and certainty, emphasizing God's omnipotence and faithfulness in bringing about His promised salvation through the Messianic King. The Hebrew verb "yatstzmiakh" (cause to sprout or grow) resonates with prophetic language referring to the Messiah as the "Branch" (e.g., Jer 23:5, Zech 3:8). Thus, David is expressing his absolute conviction in the ultimate fulfillment of the covenant through a future, flourishing descendant who embodies complete righteousness and brings salvation. This verse underscores the unilateral nature of the Davidic covenant – it's God's promise, kept by God, fulfilled by God, irrespective of human failure, testifying to His sovereign grace.
2 Samuel 23 5 Commentary
2 Samuel 23:5 is a cornerstone of David's testament, embodying his faith and understanding of God's character. Despite his profound self-awareness of the imperfections within his royal household, which had been plagued by sin, rebellion, and internal strife, David expresses an unshakeable confidence in God's unilateral and unconditional Davidic covenant. This "everlasting covenant" stands in stark contrast to human failings, revealing God's absolute sovereignty and faithfulness. It is "ordered in all things" by divine wisdom and "secure" through divine preservation, meaning its fulfillment does not depend on David or his descendants' performance but solely on God's unwavering word. This covenant becomes David's comprehensive "salvation" and his ultimate "desire," pointing beyond his earthly reign to the perfect, eternal King who would one day come from his lineage – the Messiah. His final rhetorical question "will He not bring it to pass?" is not an expression of doubt, but a powerful affirmation of certain divine accomplishment, underscoring his certainty in God's promises and the ultimate arrival of the Branch who would bring perfect redemption and righteous rule. It highlights God's unwavering commitment even when His human instruments fall short, making the covenant a testament to grace.