Commentary for I Kings 11:36
וְלִבְנ֖וֹ אֶתֵּ֣ן שֵֽׁבֶט־אֶחָ֑ד לְמַ֣עַן הֱיֽוֹת־נִ֣יר לְדָֽוִיד־עַ֠בְדִּי כָּֽל־הַיָּמִ֤ים ׀ לְפָנַי֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם הָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֣רְתִּי לִ֔י לָשׂ֥וּם שְׁמִ֖י שָֽׁם׃
And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David My servant may have a lamp alway before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen Me to put My name there.
Rashi on I Kings
A lamp. A kingdom. ניר is an expression of a yoke.13The king’s subjects must obey their king, just as the ox must obey the person controlling his yoke. Alternatively, ניר means “a candle [=נר],” just as a candle illuminates its surroundings, so does a king influence his subjects.—Metzudas Dovid
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