1 Kings 2:4

that the Lord may continue his word The verb is most commonly rendered -establish" and may be so translated here. Cf. 1 Samuel 1:23 where the same phrase occurs. The sense is of confirming and ratifying what has previously been promised. David is here looking forward to the generations that shall come after him, which fact the A. V. has endeavoured to make clear by the rendering -continue". The word, or promise, alluded to is found 2 Samuel 7:25-29.

saying, If thy children take heed to their way In the passage just mentioned where the promise is recorded there are none of these conditions specified; but we are sure that God's promise was not an unconditional one, and in his Psalms (Psalms 132:12) David has expressly made mention of the condition in words very similar to this verse.

there shall not fail thee(said he) a man on the throne of Israel The Heb. is literally -there shall not be cut off unto thee a man from upon the throne of Israel"; and the same phrase occurs afterwards ch. 1 Kings 8:25; 1 Kings 9:5, and in other parts of the Bible. The sense is -there never shall be wanting some one of thy race to sit on the throne." The promise was made to David's line, and was fulfilled; for as long as the kingdom of Judah existed the family of David were kings.

There is no word in the Hebrew for the parenthetic -said he," but the clause is preceded by the word usually rendered -saying," which seems to have been introduced by some scribe from the earlier part of the verse. The LXX. translates the Hebrew literally (i.e. repeating λέγων); the Vulgate notices neither the -saying" nor -said he".