He is mindful of his covenant for ever means God always keeps the terms of the covenant he made with his people. For the Hebrew verb here the Masoretic Text has an imperative form in the masculine plural which is a command to the readers to “Remember” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Nouvelle Bible Segond, Braun), that is, “Never forget” (Good News Translation). Revised Standard Version does not follow the Masoretic Text here but rather follows the wording in the parallel verse in the Masoretic Text of Psa 105.8 and in some Septuagint manuscripts of 1 Chronicles and translates the Hebrew verb as a third person masculine singular with God as the subject. New English Bible similarly has “He called to mind.” Either reading fits the context, but most translations follow the Masoretic Text with the imperative verb “Remember.” Here as often in the Old Testament, “to remember” is not simply an activity of the mind; rather, “to remember” implies acting upon what is remembered. For covenant see the comments on 1 Chr 11.3.

Of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations is parallel with of his covenant for ever. For a thousand generations intensifies the poetic effect by being more specific. However, this phrase means “for an unlimited time,” “endlessly,” and it is semantically equivalent to for ever.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Remember his covenant forever;
never, never forget the promises he has made to you.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .