Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and paid homage to the king, and said, “Let my lord King David live forever!”
Parallel translations
- WEB Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and showed respect to the king, and said, “Let my lord king David live forever!”
- KJV Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.
- BSB Bathsheba bowed facedown in homage to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”
- NASB Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and prostrated herself before the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever.”
- NLT Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground before the king and exclaimed, “May my lord King David live forever!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Bathsheba bows in gratitude and blesses David with long life. Her response shows relief and honor toward the king.
Overview
Bathsheba responds to David's decree with deep reverence and the customary blessing, 'Let my lord King David live forever.' Her words express both thanks and loyalty as the crisis turns toward resolution. The courtly blessing underscores the honor due the king who has acted to keep his oath.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Dan 2:4Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live forever: tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
- Dan 5:10The queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: the queen spoke and said, O king, live forever; don’t let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed.
- Dan 3:9They answered Nebuchadnezzar the king, O king, live for ever.
- Heb 12:9Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live?
- Neh 2:3I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why shouldn’t my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates have been consumed with fire?”
- Matt 21:37But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
- Dan 6:21Then Daniel said to the king, O king, live forever.
- Esth 3:2All the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate bowed down, and paid homage to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai didn’t bow down or pay him homage.
- 1 Kgs 1:25For he has gone down today, and has slain cattle, fatlings, and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king’s sons, the captains of the army, and Abiathar the priest. Behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, ‘Long live king Adonijah!’
- Dan 6:6Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus to him, King Darius, live forever.
- 2 Sam 9:6Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, and fell on his face, and showed respect. David said, “Mephibosheth.” He answered, “Behold, your servant!”
- Eph 5:33Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
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Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 1:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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