2 Samuel 7:7-11

7:7 Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say ¹  to any of the leaders ²  whom I appointed to care for ³  my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?”’

7:8 “So now, say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd ⁴  to make you leader of my people Israel. 7:9 I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated ⁵  all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. ⁶  7:10 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle ⁷  them there; they will live there and not be disturbed ⁸  any more. Violent men ⁹  will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning 7:11 and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief ¹⁰  from all your enemies. The Lord declares ¹¹  to you that he himself ¹²  will build a dynastic house ¹³  for you.

[7:7]  ¹ tn Heb “Did I speak a word?” In the Hebrew text the statement is phrased as a rhetorical question.

[7:7]  ² tn Heb “tribes” (so KJV, NASB, NCV), but the parallel passage in 1 Chr 17:6 has “judges.”

[7:7]  ³ tn Heb “whom I commanded to shepherd” (so NIV, NRSV).

[7:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “and from after the sheep.”

[7:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “cut off.”

[7:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “and I will make for you a great name like the name of the great ones who are in the earth.”

[7:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “plant.”

[7:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “shaken.”

[7:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “the sons of violence.”

[7:11]  ¹⁰ tn Or “rest.”

[7:11]  ¹¹ tn In the Hebrew text the verb is apparently perfect with vav consecutive, which would normally suggest a future sense (“he will declare”; so the LXX, ἀπαγγελεῖ [apangelei]). But the context seems instead to call for a present or past nuance (“he declares” or “he has declared”). The synoptic passage in 1 Chr 17:10 has וָאַגִּד (va’aggid, “and I declared”). The construction used in 2 Sam 7:11 highlights this important statement.

[7:11]  ¹² tn Heb “the Lord.”

[7:11]  ¹³ tn Heb “house,” but used here in a metaphorical sense, referring to a royal dynasty. Here the Lord’s use of the word plays off the literal sense that David had in mind as he contemplated building a temple for the Lord. To reflect this in the English translation the adjective “dynastic” has been supplied.