“For thus says the Lord: ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on 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;
- KJV For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon 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,
- 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 2:4Then Yahweh may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your children are careful of their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you,’ he said, ‘a man on the throne of Israel.’
- Ps 89:29–37I will also make his offspring endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
- Luke 1:32–33He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David,
- 1 Chr 17:11–14It will happen, when your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your offspring after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
- Isa 9:7Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.
- 1 Kgs 8:25Now therefore, may Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail from you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’
- 1 Chr 17:27Now it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you; for you, Yahweh, have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”
- Jer 35:19therefore Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before me forever.’”
- 2 Sam 7:14–16I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;
- 2 Sam 3:29Let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father’s house. Let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has an issue, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.”
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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.