Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 17:11

And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go [to be] with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

11. be expired ] R.V. be fulfilled, as Sam.

that thou must go to be with ] Sam. and thou shalt sleep with.

which shall be of thy sons ] Sam. which shall proceed out of thy bowels.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11. I will raise up thy seed(Seeon 2Sa 7:12).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

See Gill “1Ch 17:1”.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

In 1Ch 17:11, , “to go with thy fathers,” used of going the way of death, is similar to “to go the way of all the world” ( 1Ki 2:2), and is more primitive than the more usual (2Sa 7:12). , too, is neither to be altered to suit of Samuel; nor can we consider it, with Berth., an alteration made by the author of the Chronicle to get rid of the difficulty, that here the birth of Solomon is only promised, while Nathan’s speech was made at a time when David had rest from all his enemies round about (2Sa 8:1), i.e., as is usually supposed, in the latest years of his life, and consequently after Solomon’s birth. For the difficulty had already been got rid of by the omission of those words in 1Ch 17:1; and the word, “I have cut off all thine enemies from before thee” (1Ch 17:8), does not necessarily involve the destruction of all the enemies who ever rose against David, but refers, as the connection shows, only to the enemies who up till that time had attacked him. Had the author of the Chronicle only wished to get rid of this supposed difficulty, he would simply have omitted the clause, since “they seed” included the sons of David, and needed no explanation if nothing further was meant than that one of his sons would ascend the throne after him. And moreover, the thought, “thy seed, which shall be among thy sons,” which Bertheau finds in the words, would be expressed in Hebrew by , while signifies, “who will come out of (from) thy sons;” for does not denote to be of one, i.e., to belong to him, but to arise, be born, or go forth, from one: cf. Ben. 1Ch 17:16; Ecc 3:20. According to this, the linguistically correct translation, the words cannot be referred to Solomon at all, because Solomon was not a descendant of David’s sons, but of David himself.

(Note: As old Lavater has correctly remarked: Si tantum de Salomone hic locus accipiendus esset, non dixisset: semen quod erit de filiis tuis, sed quod erit de te .)

The author of the Chronicle has interpreted theologically, or rather set forth the Messianic contents of this conception more clearly than it was expressed in . The seed after David, which will arise from his sons, is the Messiah, whom the prophets announced as the Son of David, whose throne God will establish for ever (1Ch 17:12). This Messianic interpretation of David’s explains the divergence of the chronicler’s text in 1Ch 17:13 and 1Ch 17:14 from 2Sa 7:14-16. For instance, the omission of the words after in 2Sa 7:13, “If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men” (2Sa 7:14), is the result of the Messianic interpretation of , since the reference to the chastisement would of course be important for the earthly sons of David and the kings of Judah, but could not well find place in the case of the Messiah. The only thing said of this son of David is, that God will not withdraw His grace from him.

The case is exactly similar, with the difference between 2Sa 7:14 and 2Sa 7:16. Instead of the words, “And thy house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee, thy throne shall be established for ever” (Sam.), the promise runs thus in the Chronicle: “And I will settle ( , cause to stand, maintain, 1Ki 15:4; 2Ch 9:8) him (the seed arising from thy sons) in my house and in my kingdom for ever, and his throne shall be established for evermore.” While these concluding words of the promise are, in the narrative in Samuel, spoken to David, promising to him the eternal establishment of his house, his kingdom, and his throne, in the Chronicle they are referred to the seed of David, i.e., the Messiah, and promise to Him His establishment for ever in the house and kingdom of God, and the duration of His throne for ever. That here does not signify the congregation of the Lord, the people of Israel, as Berth. thinks it must be translated, is clear as the sun; for , immediately preceding, denotes the temple of Jahve, and manifestly refers back to (1Ch 17:12), while such a designation of the congregation of Israel or of the people as “house of Jahve” is unheard of in the Old Testament. The house of Jahve stands in the same relation to the kingdom of Jahve as a king’s palace to his kingdom. The house which David’s seed will build to the Lord is the house of the Lord in his kingdom: in this house and kingdom the Lord will establish Him for ever; His kingdom shall never cease; His rule shall never be extinguished; and He himself, consequently, shall live for ever. It scarcely need be said that such things can be spoken only of the Messiah. The words are therefore merely a further development of the saying, “I will be to him a Father, and I will not take my mercy away from him, and will establish his kingdom for ever,” and tell us clearly and definitely what is implicitly contained in the promise, that David’s house, kingdom, and throne will endure for ever (Sam.), viz., that the house and kingdom of David will be established for ever only under the Messiah. That this interpretation is correct is proved by the fact that the divergences of the text of the chronicler from the parallel narrative cannot otherwise be explained; Thenius and Berth. not having made even an attempt to show how could have arisen out of . The other differences between the texts in the verses in question, (Chron.) for , for (1Ch 17:12, cf. 2Sa 7:13), and instead of (1Ch 17:13, cf. 2Sa 7:15), are only variations in expression which do not affect the sense. With reference to the last of them, indeed, Berth. has declared against Thenius, that the chronicler’s text is thoroughly natural, and bears marks of being more authentic than that of 2 Sam 7.

In the prayer of thanksgiving contained in 1Ch 17:16 to 27 we meet with the following divergences from the parallel text, which are of importance for their effect on the sense.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

see note on: 2Sa 7:12

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

(11) Omit the mark indicating the beginning of a paragraph ().

And it shall come to pass.In accordance with the promise, The Lord will build thee an house (1Ch. 17:10). The phrase is wanting in Samuel, and should probably be supplied, with LXX.

Be expired.Are fulfilled (perfect; Samuel has imperfect tense).

That thou must go to be with thy fathers.Literally, to go with thy fathersan unusual expression, for which Samuel has the ordinary, and thou lie down with thy fathers. (Comp. 1Ki. 2:2 : Go the way of all the earth.)

Which shall be (shall arise or come, Gen. 17:16) of thy sons.Samuel has the more original, which shall go forth from thy bowels. The chronicler has paraphrased this, to suit the taste of a later age.

His kingdom.Heb., malktha later word than the synonym in Samuel (mamlakht).

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

David Accepts God’s Promises With Thankfulness

v. 10. Furthermore I tell thee that the Lord will build thee an house. (Cf with the entire passage 2Sa 7:12-29, and note that the peculiarity of prophecy to combine thoughts near at hand with those afar off is very marked in this paragraph. )

v. 11. And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, to await the great resurrection of the dead, that I will raise up thy Seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish His kingdom. The nearest reference is probably that concerning Solomon, but the Messianic idea comes out more strongly as the announcement progresses.

v. 12. He shall build Me an house, and I will establish His throne forever. The thought clearly looks forward to the house of the Church, the kingdom of the Messiah, and not only to the building of the Temple.

v. 13. I will be His Father, and He shall be My Son. And I will not take My mercy away from Him as I took it away from him that was before thee, Saul having been rejected on account of his disobedience;

v. 14. but I will settle Him in Mine house and in My kingdom forever; and His throne shall be established forevermore, not only through the nearest line of David’s posterity, but, in the person of his greatest Son, to all eternity.

v. 15. According to all these words and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

v. 16. And David the king came and sat before the Lord, in the Tabernacle erected by him, over against the ark, and said, realizing that the Lord’s promise went far beyond a mere promise of establishing a dynasty, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is mine house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto? Cf 2Sa 7:18-29.

v. 17. And yet this, all the temporal blessings which had been given to him from his early youth, was a small thing in Thine eyes, O God; for Thou hast also spoken of Thy servant’s house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O Lord God. The exact text may here be rendered: “Thou hast let me see what Thou hast determined concerning a man who out of the height is Jehovah God. ” It was the greatness of this honor which caused such unusual expressions of humility on the part of David, the fact that his house was to be the bearer of the Messianic blessing.

v. 18. What can David speak more to Thee for the honor of Thy servant? For Thou knowest Thy servant. God knew that David in himself was utterly unworthy of the honor bestowed upon him, but He vouchsafed it out of pure grace.

v. 19. O Lord, for Thy servant’s sake and according to Thine own heart hast Thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. The entire matter, therefore, redounded to the glory of God alone.

v. 20. O Lord, there is none like Thee, neither is there any God beside Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. To this conclusion and confession David was driven by the consideration of God’s unparalleled mercy.

v. 21. And what one nation in the earth is like Thy people Israel, including the spiritual Israel of God’s people of all times, whom God went to redeem to be His own people, to make Thee a name of greatness and terribleness, one which would be feared by the enemies, by driving out nations from before Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed out of Egypt? The deliverance from the bondage of Egypt has always been a picture of the greater deliverance and salvation of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

v. 22. For Thy people Israel didst Thou make Thine own people forever; and Thou, Lord, becamest their God, the spiritual Israel, the Church of God, holding this same truth to this day.

v. 23. Therefore, now, Lord, let the thing that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant and concerning his house, the wonderful Messianic promise, be established forever, and do as Thou hast said.

v. 24. Let it even be established that Thy name may be magnified forever, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel; and let the house of David; Thy servant, be established before Thee.

v. 25. For Thou, O my God, hast told Thy servant, literally, “opened the ears of Thy servant,” that Thou wilt build him an house, the fact that chiefly a spiritual temple is meant again standing out here; therefore Thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before Thee.

v. 26. And now, Lord, Thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto Thy servant;

v. 27. now, therefore, let it please Thee to bless the house of Thy servant that it may be before Thee forever; for Thou blessest, O Lord, and it shall be blessed forever. Cf Psa 33:9. The temple to which reference is chiefly, if not exclusively, made, is that of the Christian Church, of the communion of saints. The Church is a habitation of God through the Spirit, it is the kingdom of Jesus Christ. The Lord Himself lives and rules in this kingdom throughout eternity, and all His saints, who have here tasted His mercy, will there partake of His glory, world without end.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

1Ch 17:11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go [to be] with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

Ver. 11-14. An excellent text and testimony both for the person of Christ and for his kingdom. Note this both against the Papists, who deny the perfection of the holy Scriptures; and the Anabaptists, who deny that the Old Testament ought to be read: for who can rightly understand why and how Christ is called the son of David, unless he read this chapter?

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

go to be. Septuagint reads “sleep” (2Sa 7:12).

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

when thy: 1Ch 29:15, 1Ch 29:28, Act 13:36

go to be: Gen 15:15, Deu 31:16, 1Ki 1:21, 1Ki 2:10, Act 2:29

I will raise: 1Ch 28:5, 2Sa 7:12, 2Sa 7:13, 2Sa 12:24, 2Sa 12:25, 1Ki 8:20, Psa 132:11, Jer 23:5, Jer 23:6, Rom 1:3, Rom 1:4

Reciprocal: 2Sa 23:5 – he hath made 1Ki 1:48 – which 1Ki 2:4 – his word 1Ki 8:19 – General 2Ki 22:20 – I will gather 1Ch 17:17 – thou hast 1Ch 22:9 – a son 1Ch 28:6 – he shall 1Ch 29:23 – sat on the throne 2Ch 1:9 – let thy promise 2Ch 6:9 – thy son 2Ch 6:10 – as the Lord 2Ch 13:5 – to David Psa 18:50 – to his Psa 21:5 – honour Psa 89:29 – His seed Jer 33:17 – David shall never want Act 2:30 – knowing

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge