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1 Chronicles Chapter Seventeen

 

1 Chronicles 17 Outline of Contents

God’s Covenant with David (v.1~27)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 17

This chapter contains an account of David's intention to build an house for God, which, he signified to Nathan the prophet, who first encouraged him to it; but afterwards was sent by the Lord to him with an order to desist from it, assuring him, at the same time, that his son should build it, and that his own house and kingdom should be established for ever; for which David expressed great thankfulness, the whole of which is related in 2 Samuel 7:1 with some little variation, see the notes there; only one thing has since occurred, which I would just take notice of, that here, 1 Chronicles 17:5 as there also, it is said by the Lord, that he had "not dwelt in an house since the day he brought up Israel out of Egypt"; which seems to suggest that he had dwelt in one before, as has been hinted on 2 Samuel 7:6 even while the people of Israel were in Egypt, though it is nowhere mentioned by Moses, or any other writer; yet it is not unreasonable to suppose it; for as the ancestors of the Israelites, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, when only travellers from place to place, built altars for God wherever they came; so their posterity, it is highly probable, not only did the same, but when they found themselves settled in Egypt, in the land of Goshen, might build places of worship; and when we consider the wealth of Joseph, and his family, and indeed of all Israel, who enjoyed for many years great plenty, prosperity, and liberty, before their servitude, the vast numbers they increased to and the long continuance of them in Egypt, more than two hundred years; it will not seem strange that they should build houses for religious worship, and even one grand and splendid for public service, to which also they might be led by the example of the Egyptians; who, as Herodotus saysF9, were the first that erected altars, images, and temples to the gods, and who in the times of Joseph had one at On, where his father-in-law officiated as priest, Genesis 41:45 or rather to this they might be directed by some hints and instructions of their father Jacob before his death, who it is certain had a notion of a Bethel, an house for the public worship of God, Genesis 28:17 and I find a learned manF11Dickinson. Physic. vet. & vera, c. 19. sect. 24. of our own nation of this opinion, and which he founds upon this passage; and he supposes the house God dwelt in, in Egypt, was not a tent of goats' hair, as in the wilderness, but a structure of stones or bricks, a firm and stable house, such an one as Abraham built at Damascus when settled there; which continued to the times of Augustus Caesar, as related by Nicholas of DamascusF12Apud. Joseph. Antiqu. l. 1. c. 7. sect. 2. . See 2 Samuel 7:1.cf13 (i) Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 4.

 

1 Chronicles 17:1  Now it came to pass, when David was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains.”

   YLT  1And it cometh to pass as David sat in his house, that David saith unto Nathan the prophet, `Lo, I am dwelling in a house of cedars, and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah [is] under curtains;'

Verses 1-27

See Chapter Introduction

 

1 Chronicles 17:2  2 Then Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

   YLT  2and Nathan saith unto David, `All that [is] in thy heart do, for God [is] with thee.'

 

1 Chronicles 17:3  3 But it happened that night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

   YLT  3And it cometh to pass on that night that a word of God is unto Nathan, saying,

 

1 Chronicles 17:4  4 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not build Me a house to dwell in.

   YLT  4`Go, and thou hast said unto David My servant, Thus said Jehovah, Thou dost not build for Me the house to dwell in:

 

1 Chronicles 17:5  5 For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.

   YLT  5for I have not dwelt in a house from the day that I brought up Israel till this day, and I am from tent unto tent: and from the tabernacle,

 

1 Chronicles 17:6  6 Wherever I have moved about with all Israel, have I ever spoken a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar–’”’

   YLT  6whithersoever I have walked up and down among all Israel, a word spake I, with one of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed My people, saying, Why have ye not built for Me a house of cedars?

 

1 Chronicles 17:7  7 Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel.

   YLT  7`And now, thus dost thou say to My servant, to David, Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, I have taken thee from the habitation, from after the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel,

 

1 Chronicles 17:8  8 And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a name like the name of the great men who are on the earth.

   YLT  8and I am with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and I cut off all thine enemies from thy presence, and have made for thee a name like the name of the great ones who [are] in the earth.

 

1 Chronicles 17:9  9 Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously,

   YLT  9`And I have prepared a place for My people Israel, and planted it, and it hath dwelt in its place, and is not troubled any more, and the sons of perverseness add not to wear it out as at first,

 

1 Chronicles 17:10  10 since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Also I will subdue all your enemies. Furthermore I tell you that the Lord will build you a house.[a]

   YLT  10yea, even from the days that I appointed judges over My people Israel. `And I have humbled all thine enemies, and I declare to thee that a house doth Jehovah build for thee,

 

1 Chronicles 17:11  11 And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

   YLT  11and it hath come to pass, when thy days have been fulfilled to go with thy fathers, that I have raised up thy seed after thee, who is of thy sons, and I have established his kingdom,

 

1 Chronicles 17:12  12 He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.

   YLT  12he doth build for Me a house, and I have established his throne unto the age;

 

1 Chronicles 17:13  13 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.

   YLT  13I am to him for a father, and he is to Me for a son, and My kindness I turn not aside from him as I turned it aside from him who was before thee,

 

1 Chronicles 17:14  14 And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.”’”

   YLT  14and I have established him in My house, and in My kingdom unto the age, and his throne is established unto the age.'

 

1 Chronicles 17:15  15 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

   YLT  15According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so spake Nathan unto David.

 

1 Chronicles 17:16  16 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?

  YLT  16And David the king cometh in and sitteth before Jehovah, and saith, `Who [am] I, O Jehovah God, and what my house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?

 

1 Chronicles 17:17  17 And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree, O Lord God.

   YLT  17And this is small in Thine eyes, O God, and Thou speakest concerning the house of thy servant afar off, and hast seen me as a type of the man who is on high, O Jehovah God!

 

1 Chronicles 17:18  18 What more can David say to You for the honor of Your servant? For You know Your servant.

   YLT  18`What doth David add more unto Thee for the honour of Thy servant; and Thou Thy servant hast known.

 

1 Chronicles 17:19  19 O Lord, for Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.

   YLT  19O Jehovah, for Thy servant's sake, and according to Thine own heart Thou hast done all this greatness, to make known all these great things.

 

1 Chronicles 17:20  20 O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

   YLT  20O Jehovah, there is none like Thee, and there is no god save Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

 

1 Chronicles 17:21  21 And who is like Your people Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people—to make for Yourself a name by great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations from before Your people whom You redeemed from Egypt?

   YLT  21`And who [is] as Thy people Israel, one nation in the earth whom God hath gone to ransom to Him for a people, to make for Thee a name great and fearful, to cast out from the presence of Thy people whom Thou hast ransomed out of Egypt -- nations?

 

1 Chronicles 17:22  22 For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, Lord, have become their God.

   YLT  22Yea, Thou dost appoint Thy people Israel to Thee for a people unto the age, and Thou, O Jehovah, hast been to them for God.

 

1 Chronicles 17:23  23 “And now, O Lord, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as You have said.

   YLT  23`And now, O Jehovah, the word that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant, and concerning his house, let be stedfast unto the age, and do as Thou hast spoken;

 

1 Chronicles 17:24  24 So let it be established, that Your name may be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You.

  YLT  24and let it be stedfast, and Thy name is great unto the age, saying, Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, is God to Israel, and the house of Thy servant David is established before Thee;

 

1 Chronicles 17:25  25 For You, O my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build him a house. Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray before You.

   YLT  25for Thou, O my God, Thou hast uncovered the ear of Thy servant -- to build to him a house, therefore hath Thy servant found to pray before Thee.

 

1 Chronicles 17:26  26 And now, Lord, You are God, and have promised this goodness to Your servant.

   YLT  26`And now, Jehovah, Thou [art] God Himself, and Thou speakest concerning Thy servant this goodness;

 

1 Chronicles 17:27  27 Now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You have blessed it, O Lord, and it shall be blessed forever.”

   YLT  27and now, Thou hast been pleased to bless the house of Thy servant, to be to the age before Thee; for Thou, O Jehovah, hast blessed, and it is blessed to the age.'

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Chronicles 17:10 That is, a royal dynasty