Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 8:19
Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant’s sake, as he promised him to give him always a light, [and] to his children.
19. Yet [R.V. Howbeit ] the Lord would not destroy ] The R.V. has adopted the rendering of Chronicles, where the original is the same as here.
as he promised him to give him alway a lights, and to his children ] R.V. as he promised him to give unto him a lamp for his children alway. The italic ‘and’ in A.V. shews that there is no conjunction in the Hebrew. Hence the change in R.V. But in 2Ch 21:7 the ‘and’ is expressed, and probably should be here. In 2Sa 21:17 David is called ‘the lamp of Israel’. For the promise to David and his seed see 2Sa 7:12-16, and for the expression ‘to give him a lamp’ see 1Ki 11:36; 1Ki 15:4, in which last passage the A.V. renders the noun ‘lamp’, which for consistency the R.V. has adopted in all the parallel places.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 19. To give him alway a light] To give him a successor in his own family.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Alway, Heb. all days, until the coming of the Messiah, as it is elsewhere limited and explained; for so long, and not longer, this succession might seem necessary for the making good of Gods promise and covenant made with David. But when the Messiah was once come, there was no more need of any succession, and the sceptre might and did without any inconvenience depart from Judah, and from all the succeeding branches of Davids family, because the Messiah was to hold the kingdom for ever in his own person, though not in so gross a way as the carnal Jews imagined, but in a spiritual manner.
A light, i.e. a son and successor. Of this phrase, See Poole “1Ki 11:36“.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah for David his servant’s sake,…. Not for his merits, but for the mercy he assured him of:
as he promised him to give to him always a light, [and] to his children; or a kingdom, as the Targum; therefore he would not utterly destroy the tribe, nor suffer the sceptre or government to depart from it till the Messiah came, see Ps 132:11.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(19) To give him alway a light.Comp. 1Ki. 15:4; 1Ki. 11:36; and for the promise to David, 2Sa. 7:12-16.
And to his children.The reading of many Heb. MSS., the LXX., Vulg., and Targum. Thenius calls this a reading devised for the removal of a difficulty, and asserts that the promise was made to David alone. He would omit the conjunction, and render, To give him alway a lamp in respect of (i.e., through) his sons. (See 2Ch. 21:7, Note.) Keil adopts the same reading, but translates, To give him, that is, his sons, a lamp, making to his sons an explanatory apposition.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Ki 8:19. To give him alway a light, and to his children That he should always have a light in his children. Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
I pray the Reader not hastily to pass over this sweet verse. Judah must not, cannot indeed, be destroyed for Jesus’s sake. Our Lord sprang out of Judah. So that there is a blessing in it, and he that looketh on saith, destroy it not. Oh! precious, precious consideration! Isa 65:8-9 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ki 8:19 Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant’s sake, as he promised him to give him alway a light, [and] to his children.
Ver. 19. To give him alway a light. ] i.e., A successor, till Shiloh should come. Luk 1:31 For although the Maccabees, who were of another tribe, bore sway for a season; yet at the same time, as Calvin well observeth, sat the Synedrium, who were of David’s posterity, exercised chief authority, and lasted till Christ’s nativity in great power.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
as He promised. Compare 1Sa 7:13.
light. Compare 1Ki 11:36. See note on Gen 15:17. Hebrew. ner. Found only four times, and always of David (2Sa 21:17. 1Ki 11:36. 1Ki 8:19. 2Ch 21:7).
and to his children. Many codices, and five early printed editions, read “for his children”: i.e. sons.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
for David: 2Ki 19:34, 2Sa 7:12, 2Sa 7:13, 2Sa 7:15, 1Ki 11:36, 1Ki 15:4, 1Ki 15:5, 2Ch 21:7, Isa 7:14, Isa 37:35, Jer 33:25, Jer 33:26, Hos 11:9, Luk 1:32, Luk 1:33
light: Heb. candle, or lamp, 1Ki 11:36
Reciprocal: 2Ki 11:2 – they hid him
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 8:19. To give him always a light A son and successor, until the coming of the Messiah: for so long, and not longer, this succession might seem necessary for the making good of Gods promise and covenant made with David. But when the Messiah was once come, there was no more need of any succession, and the sceptre might and did without any inconvenience depart from Judah, and from all the succeeding branches of Davids family, because the Messiah was to hold the kingdom for ever in his own person, though not in so gross a way as the carnal Jews imagined.