2 Samuel 7:1-29. The Promise of Perpetual Dominion to the house of David =1 Chronicles 17. Cp. Psalms 89:19-37 1 3. David's desire to build a house for the Lord 1. _when the king sat in his house_ WHEN THE KING DWELT IN HIS HOUSE, which he had built in the "city of David" (ch. 2 Samuel 5:9; 2 Samu... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nathan the prophet_ The first mention of one of the most eminent men in the reigns of David and Solomon. It was he who rebuked David for his sin with Bathsheba (ch. 2 Samuel 12:1 ff.); who became Solomon's tutor (ch. 2 Samuel 12:25, note), and took a leading part in securing his succession to the t... [ Continue Reading ]
_the word of the_Lord _came unto Nathan_ Observe the clear distinction between Nathan's own judgment, which approved David's resolution, and the divine message which he was commissioned to deliver to David.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord's message to David The connexion of thought in 2 Samuel 7:5 is as follows: "_Thou_shalt not build a house for _Me_(5 7), but _I_, who have chosen thee to be the ruler of my people, will build an house _for thee_(8 11), and thy son shall erect an house for me" (12, 13). The reasons why Davi... [ Continue Reading ]
_my servant David_ Any Israelite might call Himself God's servant in addressing God: but only a few who were raised up to do special service, such as Moses and Joshua, are honoured by being thus distinctively styled "Servants of Jehovah." See Introd. p. 44. _Shalt thou build Thou_is emphatic. The q... [ Continue Reading ]
_with any of the tribes of Israel_ 1 Chronicles 17:6 reads _judges_for _tribes_, and at first sight this appears to be required by the following words, "whom I commanded," &c., which seem more applicable to an individual ruler than to a tribe. But the reading "tribes" is supported by the versions, a... [ Continue Reading ]
_from the sheepcote_ Rather, FROM THE PASTURE. Cp. Psalms 78:70-71. _to be ruler_ Cp. ch. 2 Samuel 5:2; 2 Samuel 6:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Moreover I will appoint_ It is probably best to take the verbs here as perfects: AND I HAVE APPOINTED … AND HAVE PLANTED THEM, AND THEY DWELL IN THEIR OWN PLACE. For the metaphor of _planting_, comp. Exodus 15:17; Psalms 44:2. _and move no more_ Better, AND SHALL NOT BE DISTURBED ANY MORE. _the c... [ Continue Reading ]
_as beforetime, and as since the time_ It is best to connect the first clause of 2 Samuel 7:11 with 2 Samuel 7:10. _Beforetime_refers to the beginning of the nation's history in Egypt; _since_, &c. to the various oppressions they had suffered from the beginning of the period of the Judges down to th... [ Continue Reading ]
And _when And_is not in the Hebrew text; perhaps _and it shall come to pass_, which is found in the LXX., has dropped out. Nathan now passes on from recounting God's past mercies to Israel and David to a direct prophecy concerning the establishment of David's house. _I will set up thy seed_ First S... [ Continue Reading ]
_for my name_ The Name of God signifies God Himself so far as He has revealed and manifested Himself to men. His promise concerning the Temple was that He would "put His name there," that is, that He would be present and reveal Himself there in an especial manner. See 1 Kings 8:29; 1 Kings 9:3. _st... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will be his father and he shall be my son_ The nation of Israel is honoured with the lofty title of "Jehovah's son" (Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 14:1; Hosea 11:1); and the king, as the representative of the nation, enjoys the same distinction. This relationship implies, on the part of God, the watch... [ Continue Reading ]
_shall not depart_, &c. Lit, SHALL NOT BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM, AS I TOOK IT AWAY FROM SAUL, WHOM I TOOK AWAY FROM BEFORE THEE. The three verbs belong to the same root. But there is perhaps some error in the text. 1 Chronicles 17:13 reads, "my mercy will I not take away from him, as I took it away fr... [ Continue Reading ]
_thy kingdom shall be stablished_ Better, THY KINGDOM SHALL BE MADE SURE. Two different words are translated "shall be stablished" in this verse. The second corresponds to that in 2 Samuel 7:13: the first is that rendered in 1 Samuel 2:35, "a _sure_house, and in Isaiah 55:3, "the _sure_mercies of Da... [ Continue Reading ]
_this vision_ The manner in which God's message was communicated to Nathan was by "a vision," in which his spiritual sight was quickened to discern the truth. The word for "vision" is derived from the same root as _chôzeh_, one of the words translated -seer" (see on 1 Samuel 9:9), and is distinguish... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then went king David in, and sat before the_Lord] In the tent where the Ark, the symbol of God's presence, was. As sitting does not seem to have been a customary posture for prayer, some commentators render _tarried_instead of _sat_. Others suppose that David sat to meditate, and afterwards stood u... [ Continue Reading ]
David's prayer and thanksgiving David's address to God consists of (_a_) humble thanksgiving for the undeserved favour shewn to him and his house, 2 Samuel 7:18; (_b_) praise for God's past manifestations of his glory in and to Israel, 2 Samuel 7:22; (_c_) petition for the final fulfilment of the p... [ Continue Reading ]
_And_is _this the manner of man_ It is best to understand these difficult words as David's expression of humble astonishment at the greatness of the honour destined for him and his house. Render, AND THIS IS A LAW FOR MEN! i.e. this decree that my kingdom shall be established for ever, is to be vali... [ Continue Reading ]
_thou, Lord_God, _knowest thy servant_ Words fail, and David appeals to God's omniscience. Cp. Psalms 17:3; Psalms 139:1-4; John 21:17.... [ Continue Reading ]
_For thy word's sake_ To fulfil Thy promises made to me through Samuel. The reading of 1 Chronicles 17:19, and of the LXX. here, is _for thy servant's sake_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherefore thou art great_ Since Thou hast done these great things for me, I praise Thee and acknowledge Thy greatness. Cp. Psalms 35:27; Psalms 40:16; Psalms 48:1. _for_there is _none like thee_, &c. Cp. Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 3:24; Deu 4:35; 1 Samuel 2:2. _according to all_, &c. David passes f... [ Continue Reading ]
_And what_, &c. FOR WHAT, &c., a further reason for the last statement. Cp. Deuteronomy 4:7; Deuteronomy 4:32-38. _whom God went_&c. Better, WHICH THEIR GOD WENT TO REDEEM. _Elôhîm_, the Heb. word for God, is a plural noun, but regularly takes a singular verb when it denotes the true God. Here the... [ Continue Reading ]
_thou hast confirmed_ ESTABLISHED, the same word as in 2 Samuel 7:13. Cp. Deuteronomy 32:6. _art become their God_ Hast proved Thyself to be their God, in fulfilment of the promises in Genesis 17:7-8; Exodus 6:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
_let the house of thy servant David be established_ Rather, THE HOUSE OF THY SERVANT DAVID SHALL BE ESTABLISHED; an expression of confident assurance, the ground of which is introduced by the "for" of 2 Samuel 7:27.... [ Continue Reading ]
_hast revealed to thy servant_ Lit. _hast uncovered the ear of thy servant_, a figure of speech said to be derived from the practice of removing the hair or a corner of the turban from another's ear in order to whisper a secret into it. Cp. 1 Samuel 9:15. _therefore_ The promise justified a prayer... [ Continue Reading ]
_thou art that God_ Better, THOU ART GOD, AND THY WORDS SHALL BE TRUTH. Truth is an essential attribute of God, and His promises must therefore prove true. Cp. Exodus 34:6; Psalms 19:9; John 17:17.... [ Continue Reading ]
_let the house of thy servant be blessed_ Or, SHALL THE HOUSE OF THY SERVANT BE BLESSED. David concludes with words of confident hope, on the ground that "Jehovah hath spoken it." Cp. 1 Chronicles 17:27.... [ Continue Reading ]