1 Kings 8:23

who keepest covenant and mercy The phrase is found in Deuteronomy 7:9; Deuteronomy 7:12. In God's intent, the covenant and the mercy were the same thing. It was transgression on man's part which called forth any other character in the covenant.

with thy servants The LXX. has the singular, thus restricting the allusion in 1 Kings 8:23-26 entirely to David and his family. The Hebrew by the plural represents the spirit of the phrase in Deuteronomy, and the supplication becomes an appeal to God that He will remember towards David's race the promise which at first was made to all Israel. See Chap. 1 Kings 2:4 and 2 Samuel 7:12, &c.