1 Chronicles 17:1-15
New English Translation
God Makes a Promise to David
17 When David had settled into his palace,[a] he[b] said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a palace[c] made from cedar, while the ark of the Lord’s covenant is under a tent.”[d] 2 Nathan said to David, “You should do whatever you have in mind,[e] for God is with you.”
3 That night God told Nathan,[f] 4 “Go, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord says: “You must not build me a house in which to live. 5 For I have not lived in a house from the time I brought Israel up from Egypt[g] to the present day. I have lived in a tent that has been in various places.[h] 6 Wherever I moved throughout Israel, I did not say[i] to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel,[j] ‘Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?’”’
7 “So now, say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies[k] says: “I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd[l] to make you a leader of my people Israel. 8 I was with you wherever you went and I defeated[m] all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.[n] 9 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle[o] them there; they will live there and not be disturbed[p] anymore. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning[q] 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[r] for you! 11 When the time comes for you to die,[s] I will raise up your descendant,[t] one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He will build me a house, and I will make his dynasty permanent.[u] 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.[v] 14 I will put him in permanent charge of my house and my kingdom; his dynasty will be permanent.”’”[w] 15 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him.[x]
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- 1 Chronicles 17:1 tn Heb “house.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:1 tn Heb “David.” The pronoun “he” has been used in the translation here to avoid redundancy in keeping with contemporary English style.
- 1 Chronicles 17:1 tn Heb “house.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:1 tn Heb “tent curtains.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:2 tn Heb “all that is in your heart.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:3 tn Heb “the word of God was [i.e., came] to Nathan.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:5 tn The words “from Egypt” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- 1 Chronicles 17:5 tc Heb “and I was from tent to tent and from tabernacle.” The words אֶל־מִשְׁכָּן (ʾel mishkan, “to tabernacle”) should probably be added at the end of the sentence to complete this prepositional phrase and produce symmetry with the preceding prepositional phrase. The words probably fell from the text by homoioteleuton.sn I have lived in a tent that has been in various places. The point here is that the Lord moved with the tabernacle as it moved from place to place; he did not confine himself to a particular location.
- 1 Chronicles 17:6 tn In the Hebrew text the statement is phrased as a rhetorical question (“Did I say a word?”) meaning “I did not say a word.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:6 tn Heb “to one of the judges of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:7 tn Traditionally, “Lord of hosts.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:7 tn Heb “and from after sheep.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:8 tn Heb “cut off.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:8 tn Heb “and I will make for you a name like the name of the great men who are in the earth.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:9 tn Heb “plant.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:9 tn Heb “shaken.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:9 tn Heb “and sons of violence will no longer consume them as in the beginning.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:10 tn Here the word “house” is used in a metaphorical sense, referring to a royal dynasty. The Lord’s use of the word here plays off the literal sense that David had in mind as he contemplated building a temple (“house”) for the Lord. In the translation the adjective “dynastic” is supplied to indicate that the term is used metaphorically.
- 1 Chronicles 17:11 tn Heb “and it will be when your days are full to go with your ancestors.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:11 tn Heb “your seed.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:12 tn Heb “and I will establish his throne permanently.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:13 sn The one who ruled before you is a reference to Saul, from whom the kingdom was taken and given to David.
- 1 Chronicles 17:14 tn Heb “and his throne will be established permanently.”
- 1 Chronicles 17:15 tn Heb “according to all these words and according to all this revelation, so Nathan said to David.”
1 Chronicles 17:1-15
Amplified Bible
God’s Covenant with David
17 As David sat in his house (palace), he said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I live in a house of cedars, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains.” 2 Then Nathan said to David, “[a]Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”
3 But it came about that same night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4 “Go and tell David My servant, ‘Thus says the Lord, “You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in; 5 for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought Israel up [from Egypt] until this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from one dwelling place to another. 6 Wherever I have walked with all Israel, did I say a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built for Me a house of cedar?’”’ 7 Now, therefore, this is what you shall say to My servant David: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel. 8 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make your name like the name of the great ones of the earth. 9 I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and not be moved again [nor tremble with fear]; and the [b]wicked will not waste (persecute) them anymore, as formerly, 10 since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. And I will humble and subdue all your enemies.
“Furthermore, I tell you that the Lord will build you a house (a blessed posterity). 11 And it shall come to pass that when your days are completed and you must go to be with your fathers [in death], I will raise up one of your descendants after you, one of your own sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.(A) 13 I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My steadfast love and mercy away from him, as I took it from him (King Saul) who was before you.(B) 14 But I will settle [c]him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forevermore.”’”(C) 15 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
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- 1 Chronicles 17:2 This may have been advice expressed by Nathan rather than a prophecy; in v 4 it becomes clear that God did not tell Nathan to say this.
- 1 Chronicles 17:9 Lit sons of wickedness.
- 1 Chronicles 17:14 At this point the prophecy looks ahead from Solomon to the Messiah (Christ), whose reign will be forever; yet the reference to Solomon is not lost, and the Messiah’s reign in a sense will be the fulfillment of Solomon’s as described here.
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