As in verses 3 and 6, the verb walk, which occurs twice in this verse, means “to live” or “to conduct oneself.” In the first case it stands in apposition with keeping or “obeying” God’s laws and commandments.

Ways … statutes … commandments: See the comments on these terms in 1 Kgs 2.3.

I will lengthen your days: To “lengthen someone’s days” is a Hebrew idiom meaning “to cause someone to live a long time.”

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 .