The use of the archaic English pronouns, thou, thy and thee, in prayers to God is standard in Revised Standard Version, but it will be noted that this practice has been abandoned in New Revised Standard Version and other modern versions since such pronouns are no longer a part of everyday English and they do not reflect any difference in the Hebrew original. Translators should certainly not attempt to reflect this Revised Standard Version distinction in their own language. Note that Revised Standard Version also uses archaic verb forms in prayers, such as hast in this verse. However, in Hebrew only common verb forms are used.

Thou hast shown great and steadfast love to thy servant David: Hast shown … steadfast love renders a Hebrew expression meaning “to do kindness” (see the comments on “deal loyally” in 1 Kgs 2.7). The sense is that God has acted toward David in a way that demonstrates his steadfast love for David. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “You dealt most graciously….” In Hebrew the pronoun “You” is emphatic, but this is not represented in either Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation (see also the comments on the beginning of verse 7). Compare, however, “You yourself have done…” (Chouraqui) and “You have acted with great loyalty…” (Anchor Bible). The emphatic pronoun shows that God is the one who took the initiative.

The Hebrew noun rendered steadfast love occurs twice in this verse. This same term in Hebrew is sometimes translated “loyalty” in Revised Standard Version. Revised English Bible uses the expression “constant love.”

The word servant here is used figuratively to describe David’s relationship to God as someone who was faithful to him and submissive to his will. For a fuller discussion on servant, see “Translating 1–2 Kings,” page 12.

Walked: See the comments on verse 3.

In faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart: Each of these nouns in Hebrew functions as an adverb, telling “how” David had lived in relationship with God. Notice that Good News Translation rephrases here and uses three adjectives in place of the three nouns of the Hebrew text: “good, loyal, and honest”. Faithfulness renders a Hebrew noun that expresses the sense of “certainty” or “dependability.” It is similar in meaning to steadfast love, but the focus is clearly on stability and trustworthiness. This noun seems to be the basis for the Good News Translation rendering “loyal.” Righteousness renders a Hebrew noun that is sometimes translated “justice.” The noun implies agreement with some standard of behavior that is expected of people because they have a certain relationship. While the noun includes the idea of moral, ethical behavior, the Hebrew word implies right behavior within a relationship in a way that the English word righteousness does not. In this context the term is better translated “loyal” (Good News Translation) or “true” (New Living Translation). Uprightness of heart is rendered “in integrity of heart” in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and simply “integrity” in Anchor Bible. The Hebrew noun translated uprightness comes from a root meaning “to be straight” or “to be upright.” Words based on this root are sometimes used in a literal sense. But they are also often used in an ethical sense, as in this verse, where Holladay renders the Hebrew noun “sincerity.”

Hast given him a son to sit on his throne: The son who sits on David’s throne refers to Solomon himself. See the comments on 1 Kgs 1.13.

This day is literally “as this day.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh expresses the idea of comparison with the rendering “as is now the case.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .