Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 7:19
And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come. And [is] this the manner of man, O Lord GOD?
19. And is this the manner of man ] It is best to understand these difficult words as David’s expression of humble astonishment at the greatness of the honour destined for him and his house. Render, And this is a law for men! i.e. this decree that my kingdom shall be established for ever, is to be valid for weak human beings, such as myself and my posterity! Another explanation very commonly adopted is, And this is the manner of man, viz. to speak so familiarly and condescendingly as thou hast done to me; but the Heb. word is used nowhere else in the sense of manner, and the whole context requires a reference to the substance rather than to the manner of the communication.
The reading in 1 Chron. is quite different: “thou hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree.” One or other of the texts is perhaps corrupt.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Is this the manner of man – Compare 1Ch 17:17. Our passage may be thus understood: But this is the law (or prerogative) of a great man to found dynasties which are to last into the far future. David expresses his astonishment that he, of such humble birth, and one so little in his own eyes, should not only be raised to the throne, but be assured of the perpetuity of the succession in his descendants, as if he were a man of high degree.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 19. And is this the manner of man] Literally: And this, O Lord God, is the law of Adam. Does he refer to the promise made to Adam, The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent? From my line shall the Messiah spring, and be the spiritual and triumphant King, for ever and ever. See the additions at the end. 2Sa 7:25.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This, to wit, which thou hast already done for me, as he now said, that thou hast brought me hitherto, i.e. to that pitch of honour, and peace, and prosperity, in which through thy favour I now stand. This was yet a small thing in thy sight; though it was more than I deserved, or could expect, yet thou didst not think it enough for thee to give me.
For a great while to come; for many future ages and indeed to all eternity.
Is this the manner of man, O Lord God? do men use to deal so freely and kindly with their inferiors, as thou hast, done with me? No: this is the prerogative of Divine grace, to give such promises and largesses as this. So these are words of admiration; which very well suit with the foregoing and following words. Or, Is this the manner, or law, or custom, of mean or obscure men, &c, as the Hebrew adam is confessed and sometimes to signify as Psa 49:2; 62:9; Isa 2:9; i.e. Is this the manner of mens dealing with mean and obscure persons, such as I am? So the Hebrew haadam is the genitive case of the object, which is frequent in the Hebrew and other languages. And this seems more probable, because it exactly agrees with the parallel place, 1Ch 17:17, where the words are, thou hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, i.e. thou hast dealt with me as if I had been not a poor mean shepherd, but the son of some great monarch, to whom such honours best agree.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. is this the manner of man, OLord God?that is, is it customary for men to show suchcondescension to persons so humble as I am? (See 1Ch17:17.)
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God,…. This of raising him to the throne, and settling him on it, was but a small thing in comparison of what he promised to do for him and his:
but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come; since he had not only spoken of a son that should succeed him in the kingdom, but that he would make him an house, and establish his kingdom; yea, that the throne of his kingdom should be established for ever, that a race of kings should spring from him, and especially the King Messiah, of whose kingdom there would be no end; and so the Targum,
“thou hast spoken of the house of thy servant unto the world to come,”
a phrase often used by the Jews for the times of the Messiah; see Heb 2:5; and so Abarbinel thinks this clause has respect to Messiah the son of David:
and [is] this the manner of man, O Lord God? to bestow their favours on their inferiors, persons of no worth and merit, and is a profuse manner? it is not; and yet to one so much below thee, and so undeserving, hast thou most largely and liberally given such great and unmerited mercies: or is it the manner, or customary to deal thus with men mean and abject, though it may with great personages that make a great figure in the world? it is not: and yet I am regarded by thee as if I was one of the greatest monarchs on earth: this sense agrees with the parallel text in 1Ch 17:17; “and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree”; or, “this is the law”, or “doctrine of the man [who is] the Lord God” c. This doctrine contained in the promise now made respects the seed of the woman, the promised Shiloh, the illustrious man, Jehovah’s fellow, the incarnate God, the Messiah, who is Jehovah our righteousness, the true God and eternal life.
c So Luther and Osiander; or “this is the delineation of the man who is the Lord”, &c. So Hiller. Onomastic. Sacr. p. 447.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(19) Is this the manner of man?This clause is very obscure in the original, and little help in determining its meaning can be had from the ancient versions. The word translated manner is a very common one, and never has this sense elsewhere; its well established meaning is law. Neither is there any reason to suppose that a question is intended. Translate, And this is a law for man! David expresses his surprise that so great a promise, even a decree of an eternal kingdom, should be given to such as himself and his posterity. The same thought is far less strikingly expressed in the parallel passage (1Ch. 17:18), Thou hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
19. For a great while to come Reference to the for ever of 2Sa 7:13; 2Sa 7:16.
Is this the manner of man Rather, This is the law of man. This gracious condescension of God in bestowing these promised blessings upon his servant David and his house is a sublime illustration of that law of love which should ever govern man that law which says, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Lev 19:18. As God dealt with David in his infinite grace, let man do unto his neighbour according to the ability which he may have. “When God the Lord,” says Hengstenberg, “in his treatment of poor mortals, follows the rule which he has laid down for the conduct of men one towards another when he shows himself kind and affectionate this must fill with adoring amazement those who know themselves and God.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Sa 7:19. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God? See 1Ch 17:17 where we read, And thou hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree. David is full of pious wonder, that God should be willing to shew his kindness to him even dead, as is the manner of men, who establish by will their benevolence towards their relations, desiring it to be derived to their sons, and to be perpetual. He renders the passage, For thou providest for the house of thy servant for a long while to come, as is the manner of the sons of men. Various other interpretations are given of the passage; and it is thought by several commentators, that David here refers to God’s goodness, not only extended to his immediate posterity, but to the descent of the Messiah from him, who should sit upon his throne for ever.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
“Handfuls of Purpose”
For All Gleaners
“Is this the manner of man, O Lord God?” 2Sa 7:19 .
David was surprised by the greatness of the divine promise. Not only did the Lord speak of David himself, but he spake of David’s house, saying of his son, “He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: but my mercy shall not depart away from him.” This astounded David; he said Thou hast not only spoken well of me, “thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come.” David saw in the divine procedure a method that was contrary to all known analogies. This is what we must always see in the Scripture, and in all the religion which it discloses. The Bible realises its greatness in its distinctiveness. When we read it we say, Is this the manner of our books? The same characterises the whole service of Jesus Christ. The people who heard him, said, “Never man spake like this man;” and others said, “What manner of man is this?” Jesus Christ cautioned his disciples against merely mimicking the good manners of the pagans; he said, “What do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? ” When he left his disciples, he said, “Not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” If Christianity is a mere variety of religion, if it is one of a hundred other systems, if it is willing to sit down amongst them, and to take what applause it can extract from men in competition with other religions, then indeed it is not worth receiving, certainly not worth dying for; it is when the Christian religion discloses its uniqueness that it discloses its un-approachableness; when it does for men what no other religion can do, then it shows how truly it came out of heaven from God. We are not called upon to exhibit a common morality, but a special spirituality.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
2Sa 7:19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come. And [is] this the manner of man, O Lord GOD?
Ver. 19. And this was yet a small thing in thy sight. ] We should make the most of God’s mercies unto us in our thankful acknowledgments, instancing the particulars.
For a great while to come.
And is this the manner of man, O Lord God?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
manner = Torah or Law.
man. Hebrew. ha-adam = the man. “And is this the law of the man? “i.e. the Man of Psa 8:5, Psa 8:6, who is to have dominion over all the earth, embracing all the world in the scope of this blessing in connection with the Messiah. This is an exclamation of greatest surprise and wonder of this revelation concerning David’s son and David’s Lord.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
And this: 2Sa 12:8, Num 16:9, Num 16:13
but thou: 2Sa 7:11-16, 1Ch 17:17
And is this: Psa 36:7, Isa 55:8, Isa 55:9, Eph 2:7, Eph 3:19, Eph 3:20
manner: Heb. law
Reciprocal: Psa 21:5 – glory Eze 34:18 – a small Mat 7:11 – how Luk 1:48 – regarded Luk 19:25 – Lord Act 7:46 – found 1Jo 3:1 – what
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Sa 7:19. This Which thou hast already done for me, that thou hast brought me hitherto to this pitch of honour, and peace, and prosperity in which, through thy favour, I now stand. Was small Though it was more than I deserved, or could expect, yet thou didst not think it enough for thee to give to me. A great while For many future ages, and indeed to all eternity. Is this, &c. Do men use to deal so kindly with their inferiors as thou hast done with me? No; this is the prerogative of divine grace.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
7:19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come. And [is] this the manner of {h} man, O Lord GOD?
(h) Does this not come rather from your free mercy, than from any worthiness that can be in man?