The Meaning of 1 Kings 9:6 Explained

1 Kings 9:6

KJV: But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:

YLT: If ye at all turn back -- you and your sons -- from after Me, and keep not My commands -- My statutes, that I have set before you, and ye have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them,

Darby: But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments, my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them;

ASV: But if ye shall turn away from following me, ye or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[But] if ye shall at all  turn  from following  me, ye or your children,  and will not keep  my commandments  [and] my statutes  which I have set  before  you, but go  and serve  other  gods,  and worship  them: 

What does 1 Kings 9:6 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 9:1-14 - A Searching Word To The Wise
God's second revelation of Himself to Solomon had a double object. In the first place, it assured the king that his prayer was heard and that the new building was accepted. It is always thus. When we yield ourselves to God, desiring to be His alone, He enters on possession, hallowing, infilling, and guaranteeing our security. In the second place, God laid down the conditions on which both king and people might be assured of permanent prosperity. We must be whole-hearted, not in the miles but in the steps of our daily walk. Obedience to the inner voice is essential. The child of God distinguishes his Father's voice from every other sound and call, because it is definite and unvarying.
It was a pity that, after such loyal cooperation, Hiram was disappointed with his recompense. Happy are they who, as they work for God, look for no reward from their fellows, because they are the servants of a Master whose generous gifts do not need to be eked out by additions from any other quarter. Do right, because it is right, and not because you are looking for any gift or reward from human hands.
1 Kings 9:1-28 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 9

1  God's covenant in a vision with Solomon
10  The mutual presents of Solomon and Hiran
15  In Solomon's works the Gentiles were his bondmen, the Israelites servants
24  Pharaoh's daughter removes to her house
25  Solomon's yearly solemn sacrifices
26  His navy fetches gold from Ophir

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 9:6 mean?

[But] if at all turn you or your sons from following Me and not do keep My commandments [and] My statutes which I have set before you but go and serve gods other and worship them
אִם־ שׁ֨וֹב תְּשֻׁב֜וּן אַתֶּ֤ם וּבְנֵיכֶם֙ מֵֽאַחֲרַ֔י וְלֹ֤א תִשְׁמְרוּ֙ מִצְוֺתַ֣י חֻקֹּתַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לִפְנֵיכֶ֑ם וַהֲלַכְתֶּ֗ם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֖ם לָהֶֽם

אִם־  [But]  if 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
שׁ֨וֹב  at  all 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
תְּשֻׁב֜וּן  turn 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
וּבְנֵיכֶם֙  or  your  sons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
מֵֽאַחֲרַ֔י  from  following  Me 
Parse: Preposition-m, first person common singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
וְלֹ֤א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תִשְׁמְרוּ֙  do  keep 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
מִצְוֺתַ֣י  My  commandments 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: מִצְוָה  
Sense: commandment.
חֻקֹּתַ֔י  [and]  My  statutes 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: חֻקָּה  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, enactment, something prescribed.
נָתַ֖תִּי  I  have  set 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לִפְנֵיכֶ֑ם  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וַהֲלַכְתֶּ֗ם  but  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וַעֲבַדְתֶּם֙  and  serve 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
אֱלֹהִ֣ים  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲחֵרִ֔ים  other 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: אַחֵר  
Sense: another, other, following.
וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֖ם  and  worship 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.