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.

1 KINGS 15:5KJV
Know the Bible

1 Kings 15:5 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 15:5 mean?

1 Kings 15:5 says that King David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD throughout his life, obeying God's commands, except for his wrongdoing in the case involving Uriah the Hittite. The verse highlights David's overall faithfulness but also honestly points out his serious failure with Uriah.

This verse appears in a summary about King Abijam’s reign, explaining why David is held up as a standard for good kingship in Israel’s history. The writer is showing that, despite David’s great sin with Uriah, his life was marked by obedience to God, which set him apart from other kings who turned away from God more completely.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 15:5

  • יָשָׁר (yashar, "right"): This word means "upright" or "straight," describing David’s actions as generally aligned with what God considers good, not just outwardly correct but genuinely in line with God’s will.
  • עֵינֵי (ʿeney, "eyes"): The phrase "in the eyes of the LORD" uses this word to stress that it is God’s perspective that matters, not just human opinion or appearances.
  • דָּבָר (davar, "matter"): The word translated "matter" refers specifically to the incident with Uriah, signaling that David’s failure was not a general pattern but a particular, memorable event.
  • צִוָּה (tsivvah, "commanded"): This word means "to command" or "give orders," emphasizing that David generally kept the specific instructions God gave, highlighting the seriousness of his exception.

Why 1 Kings 15:5 matters

  • This verse clears up the idea that biblical heroes are perfect; it openly acknowledges David’s sin, showing that even the most faithful people can fail in serious ways.
  • The verse sets David apart from other kings by showing that his life was characterized by obedience, with only one major exception, which is not glossed over but named directly.
  • By mentioning Uriah the Hittite, the verse connects to the larger story of David’s life and the consequences of his actions, reminding readers that God’s standards are consistent and that even favored leaders are accountable.

Where else these words appear

“Uriah” Hebrew H223 · used in 33 verses

  • 2 Samuel 11:3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
  • 2 Samuel 11:16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
  • 2 Kings 16:15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.

“Hittite” Hebrew H2850 · used in 47 verses

  • Genesis 15:20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
  • Numbers 13:29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
  • 2 Samuel 11:21 Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

“right” Hebrew H3477 · used in 119 verses

  • Exodus 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
  • 2 Chronicles 29:2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.
  • Proverbs 2:7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.