1 Chronicles 17:16-27
English Standard Version
David's Prayer
16 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 17 And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations,[a] O Lord God! 18 And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. 19 (A)For your servant's sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. 20 There is none like you, O Lord, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21 And who is like your people Israel, the one[b] nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and awesome things, in driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt? 22 And you made your people Israel to be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God. 23 And now, O Lord, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as you have spoken, 24 and your name will be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel's God,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 25 For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. 26 And now, O Lord, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 27 Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you, for it is you, O Lord, who have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”
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- 1 Chronicles 17:17 Or and you look upon me as a man of high rank
- 1 Chronicles 17:21 Septuagint, Vulgate other
1 Chronicles 17:16-27
New English Translation
David Praises God
16 King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family,[a] 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.[b] You have revealed to me what men long to know,[c] O Lord God. 18 What more can David say[d] to you? You have honored your servant; you have given your servant special recognition.[e] 19 O Lord, for the sake of your servant and according to your will,[f] you have done this great thing in order to reveal your greatness.[g] 20 O Lord, there is none like you; there is no God besides you! What we heard is true![h] 21 And who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation[i] in the earth? Their God[j] went to claim[k] a nation for himself! You made a name for yourself by doing great and awesome deeds[l] when you drove out[m] nations before your people whom you had delivered from the Egyptian empire and its gods.[n] 22 You made Israel your very own nation for all time.[o] 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![p] Do as you promised,[q] 24 so[r] it may become a reality[s] and you may gain lasting fame,[t] as people say,[u] ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is the God of Israel.’[v] The dynasty[w] of your servant David will be established before you, 25 for you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a dynasty[x] for him. That is why your servant has had the courage to pray to you.[y] 26 Now, O Lord, you are the true God;[z] you have made this good promise to your servant.[aa] 27 Now you are willing to bless your servant’s dynasty[ab] 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.”[ac]
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- 1 Chronicles 17:16 tn Heb “house.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:17 tn Heb “and this was small in your eyes, O God, so you spoke concerning the house of your servant for a distance.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:17 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 (hammaʿalah) 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.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:18 tn The word “say” is supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew verb means “add.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:18 tn Heb “for honoring your servant, and you, your servant, know.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:19 tn Heb “heart.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:19 tn Heb “to make known all the great deeds.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:20 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “in all which we heard with our ears,” but בְּכֹל (bekhol, “in all”) should probably be emended to כְּכֹל (kekhol, “according to all”).
- 1 Chronicles 17:21 tn Heb “a nation, one.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:21 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.
- 1 Chronicles 17:21 tn Heb “redeem” or “deliver.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:21 tn Heb “to make for yourself a name [with] great and awesome [deeds].”
- 1 Chronicles 17:21 tn Heb “to drive out.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:21 tn Heb “from Egypt, nations.” The parallel text in 2 Sam 7:23 reads “from Egypt, nations and its gods.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:22 tn Heb “and you made your people Israel your own for a people permanently.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:23 tn Heb “and now, O Lord, the word which you spoke concerning your servant and concerning his house, may it be established permanently.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:23 tn Heb “as you have spoken.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:24 tn Following the imperative in v. 23b, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result: “so it might become a reality.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:24 tn Heb “so it might be established.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:24 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.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:24 tn Heb “saying.” The words “as people” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
- 1 Chronicles 17:24 tc Heb “the Lord of Heaven’s Armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], the God of Israel, Israel’s God.” The phrases אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (ʾelohey yisraʾel, “God of Israel”) and אֱלֹהִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל (ʾelohim leyisraʾel, “Israel’s God”) are probably alternative readings that have been conflated in the text.
- 1 Chronicles 17:24 tn Heb “house.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:25 tn Heb “house.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:25 tn Heb “That is why your servant found to pray before you.” Perhaps the phrase אֶת לִבּוֹ (ʾet libbo, “his heart”) should be supplied as the object of the verb “found.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:26 tn Heb “the God.” The article indicates uniqueness here.
- 1 Chronicles 17:26 tn Heb “and you have spoken to your servant this good thing.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:27 tn Heb “house.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:27 tn Heb “for you, O Lord, have blessed and [it is] blessed permanently.”
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