For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
Parallel translations
- WEB For Yahweh says: “David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel;
- BSB For this is what the LORD says: David will never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel,
- NKJV “For thus says the Lord: ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel;
- NASB For this is what the Lord says: ‘David shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel;
- NLT For this is what the Lord says: David will have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel 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
God promises David will never lack a descendant to reign. The Davidic dynasty has an enduring, divinely guaranteed future.
Overview
Despite the imminent collapse of the monarchy in the exile, God reaffirms His covenant with David (2 Sam. 7). The promise of an unbroken line is not finally about an earthly succession but about the eternal King who fulfills it. Christians see this guaranteed in Jesus, the son of David whose throne and reign endure forever (Luke 1:32-33).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 1 Kgs 2:4That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
- Ps 89:29–37His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
- Luke 1:32–33He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
- 1 Chr 17:11–14And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
- Isa 9:7Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
- 1 Kgs 8:25Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.
- 1 Chr 17:27Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever.
- Jer 35:19Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.
- 2 Sam 7:14–16I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
- 2 Sam 3:29Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father’s house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 33:17 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.