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2 Samuel 7:18-29
New English Translation

David Offers a Prayer to God

18 King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family,[a] that you should have brought me to this point? 19 And you didn’t stop there, O Lord God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family.[b] Is this your usual way of dealing with men,[c] O Sovereign Lord? 20 What more can David say to you? You have given your servant special recognition,[d] O Sovereign Lord! 21 For the sake of your promise and according to your purpose[e] you have done this great thing in order to reveal it to your servant.[f] 22 Therefore you are great, O Sovereign Lord, for there is none like you. There is no God besides you! What we have heard is true.[g] 23 Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation[h] on the earth? Their God[i] went[j] to claim[k] a nation for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome acts for your land,[l] before your people whom you delivered for yourself from the Egyptian empire and its gods.[m] 24 You made Israel your very own people for all time.[n] You, O Lord, became their God. 25 So now, O Lord God, make this promise you have made about your servant and his family a permanent reality.[o] Do as you promised,[p] 26 so you may gain lasting fame,[q] as people say,[r] ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ The dynasty[s] of your servant David will be established before you, 27 for you, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, have told[t] your servant, ‘I will build you a dynastic house.’[u] That is why your servant has had the courage[v] to pray this prayer to you. 28 Now, O Sovereign Lord, you are the true God.[w] May your words prove to be true![x] You have made this good promise to your servant.[y] 29 Now be willing to bless your servant’s dynasty[z] so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken. By your blessing may your servant’s dynasty be blessed from now on into the future!”[aa]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 7:18 tn Heb “house.”
  2. 2 Samuel 7:19 tn Heb “and this was small in your eyes, O Lord God, so you spoke concerning the house of your servant for a distance.”
  3. 2 Samuel 7:19 tn Heb “and this [is] the law of man”; KJV “is this the manner of man, O Lord God?”; NAB “this too you have shown to man”; NRSV “May this be instruction for the people, O Lord God!” This part of the verse is very enigmatic; no completely satisfying solution has yet been suggested. The present translation tries to make sense of the MT by understanding the phrase as a question that underscores the uniqueness of God’s dealings with David as described here. The parallel passage in 1 Chr 17:17 reads differently (see the note there).
  4. 2 Samuel 7:20 tn Heb “and you know your servant.” The verb here refers to recognizing another in a special way and giving them special treatment (see 1 Chr 17:18). Some English versions take this to refer to the Lord’s knowledge of David himself: CEV “you know my thoughts”; NLT “know what I am really like.”
  5. 2 Samuel 7:21 tn Heb “for the sake of your word and according to your heart.”
  6. 2 Samuel 7:21 tn Heb “to make known, your servant.”
  7. 2 Samuel 7:22 tn Heb “in all which we heard with our ears.” The phrase translated “in all” בְּכֹל (bekhol) should probably be emended to “according to all” כְּכֹל (kekhol).
  8. 2 Samuel 7:23 tn Heb “a nation, one.”
  9. 2 Samuel 7:23 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.
  10. 2 Samuel 7:23 tn The verb is plural in Hebrew, agreeing grammatically with the divine name, which is a plural of degree.
  11. 2 Samuel 7:23 tn Heb “redeem.”
  12. 2 Samuel 7:23 tn Heb “and to do for you [plural form] the great [thing] and awesome [things] for your land.”
  13. 2 Samuel 7:23 tn Heb “from Egypt, nations and their gods.” The LXX has “nations and tents,” which reflects a mistaken metathesis of letters in אֶלֹהָיו (ʾelohayv, “its gods”) and אֹהָלָיו (ʾohalayv, “its tents”).
  14. 2 Samuel 7:24 tn Heb “and you established for yourself your people Israel for yourself for a people permanently.”
  15. 2 Samuel 7:25 tn Heb “and now, O Lord God, the word which you spoke concerning your servant and concerning his house, establish permanently.”
  16. 2 Samuel 7:25 tn Heb “as you have spoken.”
  17. 2 Samuel 7:26 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.
  18. 2 Samuel 7:26 tn Heb “saying.” The words “as people” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
  19. 2 Samuel 7:26 tn Heb “the house.” See the note on “dynastic house” in the following verse.
  20. 2 Samuel 7:27 tn Heb “have uncovered the ear of.”
  21. 2 Samuel 7:27 tn Heb “a house.” This maintains the wordplay from v. 11 (see the note on the word “house” there) and is continued in v. 29.
  22. 2 Samuel 7:27 tn Heb “has found his heart.”
  23. 2 Samuel 7:28 tn Heb “the God.” The article indicates uniqueness here.
  24. 2 Samuel 7:28 tn The translation understands the prefixed verb form as a jussive, indicating David’s wish/prayer. Another option is to take the form as an imperfect and translate “your words are true.”
  25. 2 Samuel 7:28 tn Heb “and you have spoken to your servant this good thing.”
  26. 2 Samuel 7:29 tn Heb “house” (again later in this verse). See the note on “dynastic house” in v. 27.
  27. 2 Samuel 7:29 tn Or “permanently”; cf. NLT “it is an eternal blessing.”
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2 Samuel 7:18-29
Lexham English Bible

18 Then King David went and sat before Yahweh and said, “Who am I, my lord Yahweh, and what is my house that you have brought me up to this place?[a] 19 Still, this was insignificant[b] in your eyes, my lord Yahweh, and also you have spoken about the house of your servant from afar, and this may be the teaching of humans, my lord Yahweh. 20 What more can David say to you?[c] You know your servant, my lord Yahweh. 21 Because of your word and according to your heart, you have done all of this great thing, in order to let your servant know. 22 Therefore you are great, my lord Yahweh, for there is no one like you, and there is no god except you, in all that we have heard with our ears. 23 Who is like your people, like Israel? Israel is the one nation on earth whose God led them,[d] in order to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to do for you[e] the great and awesome things for your land in the presence of your people whom he redeemed for himself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods. 24 You have established your people Israel for yourself as a people forever, and you, O Yahweh, have become their God. 25 So then, Yahweh God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do just as you have promised. 26 Your name shall be great forever, and they will say,[f] ‘Yahweh of hosts is God over Israel’; and the house of your servant David shall be established before you. 27 For you, O Yahweh of hosts, are God of Israel! You have revealed to the ear of your servant, ‘I will build a house for you’; therefore your servant has found courage[g] to pray this prayer to you. 28 Now, my Lord Yahweh, you alone are God, and your words are[h] true. You have promised this good to your servant. 29 So then, be content and bless the house of your servant to be forever in your presence, for you, my Lord Yahweh, have spoken, and because of your blessing, may the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 7:18 Literally “here”
  2. 2 Samuel 7:19 Literally “small”
  3. 2 Samuel 7:20 Literally “And what can David still add to say”
  4. 2 Samuel 7:23 Literally “went”; LXX reads “led”
  5. 2 Samuel 7:23 David switches pronouns from the third person to the second person
  6. 2 Samuel 7:26 Literally “saying”
  7. 2 Samuel 7:27 Literally “has found his heart”
  8. 2 Samuel 7:28 Hebrew “will be”
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