Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give him alway a light, and to his children.

Howbeit Jehovah would not destroy Judah, for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give unto him a lamp for his children alway.

But the Lord would not destroy Juda, for David his servant's sake, as he had promised him, to give him a light, and to his children always.

Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah, for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give him always a light, and to his children.

and Jehovah was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David his servant, as He said to him, to give to him a lamp, to his sons all the days.

But it was not the Lord's purpose to send destruction on Judah, because of David his servant, to whom he had given his word that he would have a light for ever.

But the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah, because of David, his servant, just as he had promised him, so that he might grant a light to him and to his sons, for all days.

The natural consequence of Jehoram's apostasy would have been the destruction of his house, and the transfer of the throne of Judah to another family. Compare the punishments of Jeroboam 1-Kings 14:10, Baasha 1-Kings 16:2-4, and Ahab 1-Kings 21:20-22. But the promises to David (marginal references) prevented this removal of the dynasty; and so Jehoram was punished in other ways 2-Kings 8:22; 2-Chronicles 21:12-19.

To give him alway a light - To give him a successor in his own family.

Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah for David his servant's sake,.... Not for his merits, but for the mercy he assured him of:
as he promised him to give to him always a light, and to his children; or a kingdom, as the Targum; therefore he would not utterly destroy the tribe, nor suffer the sceptre or government to depart from it till the Messiah came, see Psalm 132:11.

Alway - Until the coming of the Messiah: for so long, and not longer, this succession might seem necessary for the making good of God's promise and covenant made with David. But when the Messiah, was once come, there was no more need of any succession, and the scepter might and did without any inconvenience depart from Judah, and from all the succeeding branches of David's family, because the Messiah was to hold the kingdom forever in his own person, though not in so gross a way as the carnal Jews imagined. A light - A son and successor.