1 Chronicles 17 (NET)

God Makes a Promise to David

1 When David had settled into his palace,1 he2 said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a palace3 made from cedar, while the ark of the Lord’s covenant is under a tent.”4 2 Nathan said to David, “You should do whatever you have in mind,5 for God is with you.”

3 That night God told Nathan the prophet,6 4 “Go, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord says: “You must not build me a house in which to live. 5 For I have not lived in a house from the time I brought Israel up from Egypt7 to the present day. I have lived in a tent that has been in various places.8 6 Wherever I moved throughout Israel, I did not say9 to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel,10 ‘Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?’”’

7 “So now, say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord who commands armies11 says: “I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd12 to make you a leader of my people Israel. 8 I was with you wherever you went and I defeated13 all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.14 9 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle15 them there; they will live there and not be disturbed16 anymore. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning17 10 and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies.

“‘“I declare to you that the Lord will build a dynastic house18 for you! 11 When the time comes for you to die,19 I will raise up your descendant,20 one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He will build me a house, and I will make his dynasty permanent.21 13 I will become his father and he will become my son. I will never withhold my loyal love from him, as I withheld it from the one who ruled before you.22 14 I will put him in permanent charge of my house and my kingdom; his dynasty will be permanent.”’”23 15 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him.24

David Praises God

16 David went in, sat before the Lord, and said: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family,25 that you should have brought me to this point? 17 And you did not stop there, O God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family.26 You have revealed to me what men long to know,27 O Lord God. 18 What more can David say28 to you? You have honored your servant; you have given your servant special recognition.29 19 O Lord, for the sake of your servant and according to your will,30 you have done this great thing in order to reveal your greatness.31 20 O Lord, there is none like you; there is no God besides you! What we heard is true!32 21 And who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation33 in the earth? Their God34 went to claim35 a nation for himself! You made a name for yourself by doing great and awesome deeds36 when you drove out37 nations before your people whom you had delivered from the Egyptian empire and its gods.38 22 You made Israel your very own nation for all time.39 You, O Lord, became their God. 23 So now, O Lord, may the promise you made about your servant and his family become a permanent reality!40 Do as you promised,41 24 so42 it may become a reality43 and you may gain lasting fame,44 as people say,45 ‘The Lord who commands armies is the God of Israel.’46 David’s dynasty47 will be established before you, 25 for you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a dynasty48 for him. That is why your servant has had the courage to pray to you.49 26 Now, O Lord, you are the true God;50 you have made this good promise to your servant.51 27 Now you are willing to bless your servant’s dynasty52 so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O Lord, have blessed it and it will be blessed from now on into the future.”53

1tn Heb “house.” 2tn Heb “David.” The pronoun “he” has been used in the translation here to avoid redundancy in keeping with contemporary English style. 3tn Heb “house.” 4tn Heb “tent curtains.” 5tn Heb “all which is in your heart.” 6tn Heb “the word of God was [i.e., came] to Nathan the prophet.” 7tn The words “from Egypt” are supplied in the translation for clarification. 8tc Heb “and I was from tent to tent and from tabernacle.” The words אֶל־מִשְּׁכָּן (’el-mishÿkan, “to tabernacle”) should probably be added at the end of the sentence to complete this prepositional phrase and produce symmetry with the preceding prepositional phrase. The words probably fell from the text by homoioteleuton.sn I have lived in a tent that has been in various places. The point here is that the Lord moved with the tabernacle as it moved from place to place; he did not confine himself to a particular location. 9tn In the Hebrew text the statement is phrased as a rhetorical question (“Did I say?”) meaning “I did not say.” 10tn Heb “to one of the judges of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people.” 11tn Traditionally, “Lord of hosts.” 12tn Heb “and from after sheep.” 13tn Heb “cut off.” 14tn Heb “and I will make for you a name like the name of the great men who are in the earth.” 15tn Heb “plant.” 16tn Heb “shaken.” 17tn Heb “and sons of violence will no longer consume them as in the beginning.” 18tn Here the word “house” is used in a metaphorical sense, referring to a royal dynasty. The Lord’s use of the word here plays off the literal sense that David had in mind as he contemplated building a temple (“house”) for the Lord. In the translation the adjective “dynastic” is supplied to indicate that the term is used metaphorically. 19tn Heb “and it will be when your days are full to go with your ancestors.” 20tn Heb “your seed.” 21tn Heb “and I will establish his throne permanently.” 22sn The one who ruled before you is a reference to Saul, from whom the kingdom was taken and given to David. 23tn Heb “and his throne will be established permanently.” 24tn Heb “according to all these words and according to all this revelation, so Nathan said to David.” 25tn Heb “house.” 26tn Heb “and this was small in your eyes, O God, so you spoke concerning the house of your servant for a distance.” 27tn The translation “You have revealed to me what men long to know” is very tentative; the meaning of the Hebrew text is unclear. The text appears to read literally, “and you see me like the searching of man, that which is upward,” which is nonsensical. The translation above assumes the following: (1) The Qal verb translated “you see me” is repointed as a Hiphil, “you showed me,” (2) תּוֹר (tor) is understood in the sense of “searching, exploring,” and (3) הַמַּעֲלָה (hamma’alah) is taken in a temporal sense of “that which lies beyond.” Thus one could translate, “you have shown me what men search for, what lies beyond.” 28tn The word “say” is supplied in the translation for clarification. 29tn Heb “for honoring your servant, and you, your servant, know.” 30tn Heb “heart.” 31tn Heb “to make known all the great deeds.” 32tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “in all which we heard with our ears,” but בְּכֹל (bÿkhol, “in all”) should probably be emended to כְּכֹל (kÿkhol, “according to all”). 33tn Heb “a nation, one.” 34tn Heb “whose God,” or “because God.” In the Hebrew text this clause is subordinated to what precedes. The clauses are separated in the translation for stylistic reasons. 35tn Heb “redeem” or “deliver.” 36tn Heb “to make for yourself a name [with] great and awesome [deeds].” 37tn Heb “to drive out.” 38tn Heb “from Egypt, nations.” The parallel text in 2 Sam 7:23 reads “from Egypt, nations and its gods.” 39tn Heb “and you made your people Israel your own for a people permanently.” 40tn Heb “and now, O Lord, the word which you spoke concerning your servant and concerning his house, may it be established permanently.” 41tn Heb “as you have spoken.” 42tn Following the imperative in v. 23b, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result: “so it might become a reality.” 43tn Heb “so it might be established.” 44tn Heb “and your name might be great permanently.” Following the imperative in v. 23b, the prefixed verbal form with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result (parallel to the previous purpose/result clause): “[so]…you might gain lasting fame.” 45tn Heb “saying.” The words “as people” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons. 46tc Heb “the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], the God of Israel, Israel’s God.” The phrases אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (’elohey yisra’el, “God of Israel”) and אֱלֹהִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל (’elohim lÿyisra’el, “Israel’s God”) are probably alternative readings that have been conflated in the text. 47tn Heb “the house of David.” 48tn Heb “house.” 49tn Heb “That is why your servant found to pray before you.” Perhaps the phrase אֶת לִבּוֹ (’et libbo, “his heart”) should be supplied as the object of the verb “found.” 50tn Heb “the God.” The article indicates uniqueness here. 51tn Heb “and you have spoken to your servant this good thing.” 52tn Heb “house.” 53tn Heb “for you, O Lord, have blessed and [it is] blessed permanently.”