The Meaning of 1 Kings 15:5 Explained

1 Kings 15:5

KJV: Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

YLT: in that David did that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, and turned not aside from all that He commanded him all days of his life -- only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite;

Darby: because David did that which was right in the sight of Jehovah, and turned not aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Urijah the Hittite.

ASV: because David did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, and turned not aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Because David  did  [that which was] right  in the eyes  of the LORD,  and turned not aside  from any [thing] that he commanded  him all the days  of his life,  save only in the matter  of Uriah  the Hittite. 

What does 1 Kings 15:5 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 15:1-15 - A Better Day Dawns
Again we meet with those references to David that we found in the previous chapter. See 1 Kings 15:3-5; 1 Kings 15:11. His name lingers as sweet fragrance in the air, or as the after-glow of sundown. But Abijam's mother was descended from Absalom, and it is hardly surprising that the unhappy ancestry conflicted with the other and holier influence. Though the lamp burned low, however, it was not entirely extinguished. What a pathetic touch that is in 1 Kings 15:5! One moment of passion may be a long regret to God and to the soul! Yet there is forgiveness with God, that He may be feared, Psalms 130:4.
For Asa's reign, we must turn to the book of Chronicles, where further evidence is given of his truly religious character-at least during the earlier portion of his rule. Even his grandmother was removed from her position. Compare 1 Kings 15:2; 1 Kings 10:1-29; the words father and mother are used loosely, as may be seen in 1 Kings 15:3. On the whole, Asa's policy was directed to the overthrow of the heathen worship, but he seems to have shrunk from a root-and-branch extermination of the evil, 1 Kings 15:14; and the result was personal deterioration and the springing up again of idolatry. Our Lord asks us never to compromise. The right hand that offends must be cut off. The brood of the viper must be stamped out to the last egg. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 15

1  Abijam's wicked reign
7  Asa succeeds him
9  Asa's good reign
16  The war between Baasha and him causes him to make a league with Ben-Hadad
23  Jehoshaphat succeeds Asa
25  Nadab's wicked reign
27  Baasha conspiring against him, executes Ahijah's prophecy
31  Nadab's acts and death
33  Baasha's wicked reign

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 15:5 mean?

because did David - [what was] right in the eyes of Yahweh and not had turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite
אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֥ה דָוִ֛ד אֶת־ הַיָּשָׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־ סָ֞ר מִכֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־ צִוָּ֗הוּ כֹּ֚ל יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו רַ֕ק בִּדְבַ֖ר אוּרִיָּ֥ה הַחִתִּֽי

אֲשֶׁ֨ר  because 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
דָוִ֛ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַיָּשָׁ֖ר  [what  was]  right 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: יָשָׁר 
Sense: straight, upright, correct, right.
בְּעֵינֵ֣י  in  the  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
יְהוָ֑ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְלֹֽא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
סָ֞ר  had  turned  aside 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
מִכֹּ֣ל  from  anything 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
צִוָּ֗הוּ  He  commanded  him 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
יְמֵ֣י  the  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
חַיָּ֔יו  of  his  life 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
רַ֕ק  except 
Parse: Adverb
Root: רַק  
Sense: only, altogether, surely.
בִּדְבַ֖ר  in  the  matter 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
אוּרִיָּ֥ה  of  Uriah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אוּרִיָּה 
Sense: Hittite husband of Bathsheba.
הַחִתִּֽי  the  Hittite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִתִּי  
Sense: the nation descended from Heth, the 2nd son of Canaan; once inhabitants of central Anatolia (modern Turkey), later in north Lebanon.