2 Samuel 7:8-12

7:8 “So now, say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd ¹  to make you leader of my people Israel. 7:9 I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated ²  all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. ³  7:10 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle ⁴  them there; they will live there and not be disturbed ⁵  any more. Violent men ⁶  will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning 7:11 and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief ⁷  from all your enemies. The Lord declares ⁸  to you that he himself ⁹  will build a dynastic house ¹⁰  for you. 7:12 When the time comes for you to die, ¹¹  I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, ¹²  and I will establish his kingdom.

[7:8]  ¹ tn Heb “and from after the sheep.”

[7:9]  ² tn Heb “cut off.”

[7:9]  ³ tn Heb “and I will make for you a great name like the name of the great ones who are in the earth.”

[7:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “plant.”

[7:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “shaken.”

[7:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “the sons of violence.”

[7:11]  ⁷ tn Or “rest.”

[7:11]  ⁸ tn In the Hebrew text the verb is apparently perfect with vav consecutive, which would normally suggest a future sense (“he will declare”; so the LXX, ἀπαγγελεῖ [apangelei]). But the context seems instead to call for a present or past nuance (“he declares” or “he has declared”). The synoptic passage in 1 Chr 17:10 has וָאַגִּד (va’aggid, “and I declared”). The construction used in 2 Sam 7:11 highlights this important statement.

[7:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “the Lord.”

[7:11]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “house,” but used here in a metaphorical sense, referring to a royal dynasty. Here the Lord’s use of the word plays off the literal sense that David had in mind as he contemplated building a temple for the Lord. To reflect this in the English translation the adjective “dynastic” has been supplied.

[7:12]  ¹¹ tn Heb, “when your days are full and you lie down with your ancestors.”

[7:12]  ¹² tn Heb “your seed after you who comes out from your insides.”