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]
Read full chapterNotas al pie
- 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.”
1 Chronicles 17:16-27
International Standard Version
David’s Prayer(A)
16 Then King David went in, sat down in the presence of the Lord, and said:
“Who am I, Lord God, and what is my household,[a] since you have brought me to this? 17 Furthermore, this is a small thing to you, God, and yet you have spoken concerning your servant’s household for a great while to come, and you have seen in me the fulfillment[b] of man’s purpose, Lord God.
18 “What more can David say to you about how you are honoring your servant, and you surely know your servant. 19 Lord, for the sake of your servant, and consistent with your heart, you have done all of these great things and are now making these[c] great things known.
20 “Lord, there is no one like you, and we have heard from no god other than you. 21 What other one nation on the earth is like your people Israel, God, which you have redeemed from slavery to become your own people, making a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You did awesome miraculous deeds, driving out nations that stood in their way. 22 You took[d] your people Israel to be your very own people forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.
23 “And now, Lord, let what you have spoken concerning your servant and his household be done forever—and let it be done just as you’ve promised. 24 May your name be made great and honored forever: The Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, is God for Israel, and may the family of David your servant stand before you forever.
25 “Because of you, my God, I have been bold to pray to you, as you have told your servant that you will build him a dynasty. 26 And now, Lord, you are God, and you have promised all of these good things to your servant. 27 Furthermore, it has pleased you to bless the dynasty of your servant, so that it will continue in place forever in your presence, because when you, Lord, grant a blessing, it is an eternal blessing.”
Notas al pie
- 1 Chronicles 17:16 Lit. house, and so throughout the chapter
- 1 Chronicles 17:17 Lit. turning
- 1 Chronicles 17:19 The Heb. lacks these
- 1 Chronicles 17:22 Lit. gave
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
