Discovery Box1 Chronicles 17:10-27
Context17:10 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 house 1 for you! 17:11 When the time comes for you to die, 2 I will raise up your descendant, 3 one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. 17:12 He will build me a house, and I will make his dynasty permanent. 4 17:13 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. 5 17:14 I will put him in permanent charge of my house and my kingdom; his dynasty will be permanent.”’” 6 17:15 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him. 7
17:16 David went in, sat before the Lord, and said: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, 8 that you should have brought me to this point? 17:17 And you did not stop there, O God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family. 9 You have revealed to me what men long to know, 10 O Lord God. 17:18 What more can David say 11 to you? You have honored your servant; you have given your servant special recognition. 12 17:19 O Lord, for the sake of your servant and according to your will, 13 you have done this great thing in order to reveal your greatness. 14 17:20 O Lord, there is none like you; there is no God besides you! What we heard is true! 15 17:21 And who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation 16 in the earth? Their God 17 went to claim 18 a nation for himself! You made a name for yourself by doing great and awesome deeds 19 when you drove out 20 nations before your people whom you had delivered from the Egyptian empire and its gods. 21 17:22 You made Israel your very own nation for all time. 22 You, O Lord, became their God. 17:23 So now, O Lord, may the promise you made about your servant and his family become a permanent reality! 23 Do as you promised, 24 17:24 so 25 it may become a reality 26 and you may gain lasting fame, 27 as people say, 28 ‘The Lord who commands armies is the God of Israel.’ 29 David’s dynasty 30 will be established before you, 17:25 for you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a dynasty 31 for him. That is why your servant has had the courage to pray to you. 32 17:26 Now, O Lord, you are the true God; 33 you have made this good promise to your servant. 34 17:27 Now you are willing to bless your servant’s dynasty 35 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.” 36
[17:10] 1 tn Here the word “house” is used in a metaphorical sense, referring to a royal dynasty. The
[17:11] 2 tn Heb “and it will be when your days are full to go with your ancestors.”
[17:12] 4 tn Heb “and I will establish his throne permanently.”
[17:13] 5 sn The one who ruled before you is a reference to Saul, from whom the kingdom was taken and given to David.
[17:14] 6 tn Heb “and his throne will be established permanently.”
[17:15] 7 tn Heb “according to all these words and according to all this revelation, so Nathan said to David.”
[17:17] 9 tn Heb “and this was small in your eyes, O God, so you spoke concerning the house of your servant for a distance.”
[17:17] 10 tn 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.”
[17:18] 11 tn The word “say” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[17:18] 12 tn Heb “for honoring your servant, and you, your servant, know.”
[17:19] 14 tn Heb “to make known all the great deeds.”
[17:20] 15 tn 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”).
[17:21] 16 tn Heb “a nation, one.”
[17:21] 17 tn 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.
[17:21] 18 tn Heb “redeem” or “deliver.”
[17:21] 19 tn Heb “to make for yourself a name [with] great and awesome [deeds].”
[17:21] 20 tn Heb “to drive out.”
[17:21] 21 tn Heb “from Egypt, nations.” The parallel text in 2 Sam 7:23 reads “from Egypt, nations and its gods.”
[17:22] 22 tn Heb “and you made your people Israel your own for a people permanently.”
[17:23] 23 tn Heb “and now, O
[17:23] 24 tn Heb “as you have spoken.”
[17:24] 25 tn Following the imperative in v. 23b, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result: “so it might become a reality.”
[17:24] 26 tn Heb “so it might be established.”
[17:24] 27 tn 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.”
[17:24] 28 tn Heb “saying.” The words “as people” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[17:24] 29 tc Heb “the
[17:24] 30 tn Heb “the house of David.”
[17:25] 32 tn 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.”
[17:26] 33 tn Heb “the God.” The article indicates uniqueness here.
[17:26] 34 tn Heb “and you have spoken to your servant this good thing.”
[17:27] 36 tn Heb “for you, O
