2 Chronicles 21:7

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

Howbeit the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever.

Complete Jewish Bible:

However, ADONAI was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant he had made with David; inasmuch as he had promised to give him and his children a lamp that would burn forever.

Berean Standard Bible:

Yet the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant He had made with David, and since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.

American Standard Version:

Howbeit Jehovah would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a lamp to him and to his children alway.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

Howbeit the LORD{H3068} would{H14} not destroy{H7843} the house{H1004} of David{H1732}, because of the covenant{H1285} that he had made{H3772} with David{H1732}, and as he promised{H559} to give{H5414} a light{H5216} to him and to his sons{H1121} for ever{H3117}.

Cross-References (KJV):

1 Kings 11:36

  • And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.

Psalms 132:17

  • There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.

Psalms 132:18

  • His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

2 Samuel 7:12

  • And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

2 Samuel 7:17

  • According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

Luke 1:69

  • And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

Luke 1:79

  • To give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:


Commentary for 2 Chronicles 21:7

2 Chronicles 21:7 is a verse that reflects the unconditional nature of God's promise to King David, as recorded in the historical narrative of the Chronicles. The verse comes at a time when the kingdom of Judah is being led by King Jehoram, who is noted for his unfaithfulness and for leading the people into idolatry. Despite Jehoram's apostasy, the verse emphasizes that God would not destroy the house of David. This divine restraint is rooted in the covenant God made with David, as found in 2 Samuel 7, where God promised David that his dynasty would last forever.

The theme of this verse is the steadfastness of God's promises, particularly the Davidic covenant. It underscores the idea that God's commitments are not contingent on human merit but are fulfilled according to His sovereign will and faithfulness. The "light" mentioned in the verse symbolizes the hope and guidance that God would continue to provide to David's descendants, ensuring that the Davidic line would not be extinguished. This promise ultimately points to the coming of Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, who would be the eternal "light" to the world, as prophesied in the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament.

In its historical context, this verse serves to explain why, despite the repeated moral failures of Judah's kings, the kingdom of Judah was not immediately destroyed like the northern kingdom of Israel. It also provides a theological explanation for the survival of the Davidic line through the Babylonian exile and beyond, maintaining the hope of a future Messiah who would restore and rule over God's people with justice and righteousness.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

  1. Strong's Number: H3068
    There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יְהֹוָה
    Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
    Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
    Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
  2. Strong's Number: H14
    There are 1894 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אָבָה
    Transliteration: ʼâbâh
    Pronunciation: aw-baw'
    Description: a primitive root; to breathe after, i.e. (figuratively) to be acquiescent; consent, rest content will, be willing.
  3. Strong's Number: H7843
    There are 136 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: שָׁחַת
    Transliteration: shâchath
    Pronunciation: shaw-khath'
    Description: a primitive root; to decay, i.e. (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively); batter, cast off, corrupt(-er, thing), destroy(-er, -uction), lose, mar, perish, spill, spoiler, [idiom] utterly, waste(-r).
  4. Strong's Number: H1004
    There are 1718 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בַּיִת
    Transliteration: bayith
    Pronunciation: bah'-yith
    Description: probably from בָּנָה abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.); court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out).
  5. Strong's Number: H1732
    There are 911 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: דָּוִד
    Transliteration: Dâvid
    Pronunciation: daw-veed'
    Description: rarely (fully); דָּוִיד; from the same as דּוֹד; loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse; David.
  6. Strong's Number: H1285
    There are 264 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בְּרִית
    Transliteration: bᵉrîyth
    Pronunciation: ber-eeth'
    Description: from בָּרָה (in the sense of cutting (like בָּרָא)); a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh); confederacy, (con-) feder(-ate), covenant, league.
  7. Strong's Number: H3772
    There are 280 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: כָּרַת
    Transliteration: kârath
    Pronunciation: kaw-rath'
    Description: a primitive root; to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces); be chewed, be con-(feder-) ate, covenant, cut (down, off), destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hew (down), make a league (covenant), [idiom] lose, perish, [idiom] utterly, [idiom] want.
  8. Strong's Number: H559
    There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אָמַר
    Transliteration: ʼâmar
    Pronunciation: aw-mar'
    Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
  9. Strong's Number: H5414
    There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: נָתַן
    Transliteration: nâthan
    Pronunciation: naw-than'
    Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield.
  10. Strong's Number: H5216
    There are 42 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: נִיר
    Transliteration: nîyr
    Pronunciation: neer
    Description: or נִר; also נֵיר; or נֵר; or (feminine) נֵרָה; from a primitive root (see נִיר; נוּר) properly, meaning to glisten; a lamp (i.e. the burner) or light (literally or figuratively); candle, lamp, light.
  11. Strong's Number: H1121
    There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בֵּן
    Transliteration: bên
    Pronunciation: bane
    Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
  12. Strong's Number: H3117
    There are 1931 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יוֹם
    Transliteration: yôwm
    Pronunciation: yome
    Description: from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb); age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger.