The Meaning of 2 Samuel 23:5 Explained

2 Samuel 23:5

KJV: Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

YLT: For -- not so is my house with God; For -- a covenant age-during He made with me, Arranged in all things, and kept; For -- all my salvation, and all desire, For -- He hath not caused it to spring up.

Darby: Although my house be not so before God, Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in every way and sure; For this is all my salvation, and every desire, Although he make it not to grow.

ASV: Verily my house is not so with God; Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things, and sure: For it is all my salvation, and all my desire, Although he maketh it not to grow.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Although my house  [be] not so with God;  yet he hath made  with me an everlasting  covenant,  ordered  in all [things], and sure:  for [this is] all my salvation,  and all [my] desire,  although he make [it] not to grow. 

What does 2 Samuel 23:5 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 23:1-7 - David's Last Song
Let us place our lips at God's disposal, that He may speak by them, and let His words be on our tongues. God's love is to our souls like morning light. It stole over our hearts in childhood so gently that we did not know when first it came. The happy experiences of those pure and holy years were like the grass-blades that glisten across the lawns soaked in dew. "Thou hast the dew of thy youth."
When our heart is breaking with domestic or public anxiety, what a comfort it is to look away to the Covenant, ordered in all things and sure. Sometimes, indeed, God's purpose in our lives seems to come to a standstill. "He maketh it not to grow," 2 Samuel 23:5. But beneath the scaffolding the building is rising, and under the ground the harvest seeds are swelling.
These verses indicate David's ideal for himself which he had not fully attained. The harp became jangled, and the strain lost its music. There is only one King who can realize all that we ask or think-our fair dream. That King is our Lord Jesus. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 23

1  David, in his last words, professes his faith in God's promises
6  The different state of the wicked
8  A catalogue of David's mighty men

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 23:5 mean?

Although not so my house [is] with God yet a covenant everlasting He has made with me Ordered in all [things] and secure for [this is] all my salvation and all [my] desire not will He make [it] increase
כִּֽי־ לֹא־ כֵ֥ן בֵּיתִ֖י עִם־ אֵ֑ל כִּי֩ בְרִ֨ית עוֹלָ֜ם שָׂ֣ם לִ֗י עֲרוּכָ֤ה בַכֹּל֙ וּשְׁמֻרָ֔ה כִּֽי־ כָל־ יִשְׁעִ֥י וְכָל־ חֵ֖פֶץ לֹ֥א יַצְמִֽיחַ

כִּֽי־  Although 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
כֵ֥ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
בֵּיתִ֖י  my  house  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֵ֑ל  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵל 
Sense: god, god-like one, mighty one.
כִּי֩  yet 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
בְרִ֨ית  a  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
עוֹלָ֜ם  everlasting 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
שָׂ֣ם  He  has  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
לִ֗י  with  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
עֲרוּכָ֤ה  Ordered 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: עָרַךְ  
Sense: to arrange, set or put or lay in order, set in array, prepare, order, ordain, handle, furnish, esteem, equal, direct, compare.
בַכֹּל֙  in  all  [things] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
וּשְׁמֻרָ֔ה  and  secure 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
כָל־  [this  is]  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יִשְׁעִ֥י  my  salvation 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: יֵשַׁע  
Sense: deliverance, salvation, rescue, safety, welfare.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
חֵ֖פֶץ  [my]  desire 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵפֶץ  
Sense: delight, pleasure.
יַצְמִֽיחַ  will  He  make  [it]  increase 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָמַח  
Sense: to sprout, spring up, grow up.