XVII. 1. David, desiring to build a house for God, receives from Nathan a Divine promise of perpetual dominion (1 Chronicles 17:1). 2. His prayer (1 Chronicles 17:16). This section is a duplicate of 2 Samuel 7. The differences are mostly verbal rather than essential, and are due, as usual, to a nat... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW IT CAME TO PASS, AS DAVID SAT IN HIS HOUSE. — In both texts the story of this chapter naturally follows that of the removal of the Ark, although the events themselves appear to belong to a later period of David’s reign, “when the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies” (2 Samue... [ Continue Reading ]
Do. — Samuel, “Go, do.” ALL THAT IS IN THINE HEART. — According to Hebrew ideas, the heart was the seat of the mind and will, as well as of the emotions. But even the great Greek Aristotle, seven centuries later than David, supposed the brain to be merely a kind of cooling counterpoise to the heat... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SAME NIGHT. — The words indicate a dream as the method of communication (Job 4:13; 1 Samuel 27:6).... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID MY SERVANT. — Samuel, “unto my servant, unto David.” THOU SHALT NOT BUILD ME AN HOUSE TO DWELL IN. — Rather, _It is not thou that shalt build me the house to dwell in._ Samuel, interrogatively, implying a negation, “Wilt _thou_ build me a house for me to dwell in?” The chronicler, thinking of... [ Continue Reading ]
SINCE THE DAY THAT I BROUGHT UP ISRAEL (“out of Egypt,” Samuel) UNTO THIS DAY. — The construction, as compared with Samuel, is simplified, and the sentence abbreviated. BUT HAVE GONE ... — Literally, _and I became from tent to tent, and from dwelling._ This is clearly too brief for sense; some words... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERESOEVER. — _As long as_... Literally, _In all that_... WITH (in) ALL ISRAEL. — Samuel, “in (among) all the sons of Israel.” (Comp. Leviticus 26:11; Deuteronomy 23:15.) THE JUDGES OF ISRAEL. — Samuel has “tribes.” The term “judges” would be more intelligible in later times, and has probably been... [ Continue Reading ]
I TOOK THEE FROM THE SHEEPCOTE... — Comp. Psalms 78:70. The pronoun is emphatic: “I it was who took thee from the pasture.” FROM FOLLOWING. — Heb., _from behind._ Samuel has the older form of this preposition. THAT THOU SHOULDEST BE_._ — That thou mightest become. RULER. — _Nâgîd_ (1 Chronicles 9... [ Continue Reading ]
WHITHERSOEVER THOU HAST WALKED. — Same phrase as in 1 Chronicles 17:6, “wheresoever,” _i.e.,_ throughout thy whole career. AND HAVE CUT OFF ALL THINE ENEMIES. — This appears to refer not merely to the death of Saul and the overthrow of his house, but also to the successful conclusion of some of the... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL ORDAIN A PLACE FOR MY PEOPLE ISRAEL, AND WILL PLANT THEM. — Comp. Exodus 15:17; Psalms 44:2. Although Israel had effected a settlement in Canaan, the history seems to show that down to the times of David the tribal boundaries were subject to great fluctuation, and the inroads of surrounding p... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SINCE THE TIME THAT I COMMANDED JUDGES. — Heb., _from days that..._ Samuel, more definitely, “from the day that I appointed judges ever my people.” This whole clause should not have been separated from 1 Chronicles 17:9, which it properly concludes. The allusion is to the oppressions undergone i... [ Continue Reading ]
Omit the mark indicating the beginning of a paragraph (¶). AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS. — In accordance with the promise, “The Lord will build thee an house” (1 Chronicles 17:10). The phrase is wanting in Samuel, and should probably be supplied, with LXX. BE EXPIRED. — _Are fulfilled_ (perfect; Samu... [ Continue Reading ]
HE. — The emphatic word. BUILD ME. — Samuel, “for my name.” (See 1 Kings 8:29; 1 Kings 9:3.) HIS THRONE. — Samuel, “throne of his kingdom” — a characteristic abridgment.... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL BE HIS FATHER ... — Heb., _I_ (on my part) _will become a father unto him, and he_ (on his part) _shall become a son to me._ (Comp. Psalms 2:7.) After these words, Samuel adds: “If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men.” The omi... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I WILL SETTLE HIM (Heb., _make him stand_) IN MINE HOUSE AND IN MY KINGDOM. — Samuel, “and thine house and thy kingdom shall be maintained for ever _before thee;_ thy throne,” &c.; where, however, the LXX. and Syriac have “before me,” which agrees. better with our text. The change of persons in... [ Continue Reading ]
ACCORDING TO ALL THESE WORDS, AND ACCORDING TO ALL THIS VISION. — The matter of this prophecy (1 Chronicles 17:3) undoubtedly rests upon authentic tradition. Neither the compiler of Samuel, however, nor the chronicler professes to give an exact report of the words of Nathan, as if they had been take... [ Continue Reading ]
SAT BEFORE THE LORD. — In the tent of the Ark. AND SAID. — Comp. Psalms 18, title. WHO AM I. — The longer form of the pronoun _I_ is used in Samuel (_’anokhî;_ here _’anî_). O LORD GOD. — Heb., _Jehovah Elohim._ Samuel has “Adonai Jehovah,” which is more original. David addresses God as “my Lord,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YET. — Samuel has the word here supplied in italics. David says, “My unlooked-for exaltation was not enough: thou hast also revealed to me the far future of my offspring.” O GOD. — Here and at the end of the verse Samuel again has “my Lord, Jehovah.” ALSO. — Samuel has this word in the text. A... [ Continue Reading ]
Samuel has the omitted “speak.” (Comp. Psalms 120:3.) The word translated “for the honour,” may be a corruption of that for “to speak.” OF THY SERVANT? — The Hebrew term is in the accusative case, and should be omitted as a mistaken repetition of the same word at the end of the verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
O LORD. — Not in Samuel. Probably belongs to end of last verse. FOR THY SERVANT’S SAKE. — Comp. Psalms 132:10; 2 Chronicles 6:42. Samuel has the more original “for thy word’s sake.” (Comp. 1 Chronicles 17:23, and 1 Chronicles 16:15.) HEART — _i.e.,_ purpose, intent. IN MAKING KNOWN ALL THESE GREAT... [ Continue Reading ]
One or two words are omitted. (See 2 Samuel 7:22 : “Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God, for there is none,” &c. Comp. Isaiah 46:9; Isaiah 45:18; Isaiah 45:5, &c._;_ Deuteronomy 33:26; and for the end of the verse, Psalms 44:1; Exodus 10:2; Deuteronomy 4:9.)... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHAT ONE NATION IN THE EARTH. — Rather, _And who is like Thy people Israel, a single_ (isolated) _race on the earth?_ (Comp. Numbers 23:9.) NATION (_gôy_) — _i.e.,_ race; a people considered as united by common blood, speech, country. PEOPLE (‘_âm_) — _i.e.,_ a political community, social unio... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THY PEOPLE ISRAEL ... — Literally, _And Thou gavest_ (Samuel, _confirmedst it_)_ Thy people Israel unto Thyself for a people._ Our reading is probably a result of partial obliteration. AND THOU, LORD ... — Literally, _and Thou, Jehovah, becamest unto them for a God._ (See Genesis 17:7; Genesis... [ Continue Reading ]
LORD. — Samuel adds “God.” LET THE THING... BE ESTABLISHED. — _Let the word_ (promise) _be upheld, maintained, assured._ Samuel has a different verb, “establish thou.”... [ Continue Reading ]
LET IT EVEN BE ESTABLISHED. — “Yea, let it be assured.” This repetition is wanting in Samuel. THE LORD OF HOSTS IS THE GOD OF ISRAEL... — “Jehovah Sabaoth, God of Israel, is God to Israel.” “God of Israel” is not read here in Samuel, but in the next verse. AND LET THE HOUSE OF DAVID... BE ESTABLIS... [ Continue Reading ]
O MY GOD. — Samuel: “Jehovah Sabaoth, God of Israel.” HAST TOLD THY SERVANT THAT THOU WILT BUILD HIM AN HOUSE. — Literally, _hast uncovered the ear of Thy servant, to build him a house._ Samuel has the more usual construction: “saying, A house I will build thee.” (Comp. 1 Samuel 9:15.) HATH FOUND... [ Continue Reading ]
LORD, THOU ART GOD. — _Jehovah, Thou art the_ (true) _God._ Samuel: “my Lord Jehovah.” The chronicler omits the clause which follows in Samuel: “and thy words become truth” (prove true).... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THEREFORE LET IT PLEASE THEE. — Rather, _and now Thou hast willed to bless._ Samuel: “and now be willing, and bless.” FOR THOU BLESSEST, O LORD. — _For Thou, Jehovah, hast blessed._ Samuel is, as usual, fuller: “For thou, my Lord Jehovah, hast spoken [promised], and in virtue of thy blessing th... [ Continue Reading ]