1 Chronicles 17

This chapter belongs to the account of David's reign in 1 Chronicles. In the preceding chapter, 1 Chronicles 16, David placed the Ark of the Covenant in a tent and offered a psalm of thanksgiving. Chapter 17 continues the narrative and closely parallels 2 Samuel 7.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 David remarks that he dwells in a house of cedars while the ark remains under curtains, and Nathan tells him, "Do all that is in thine heart."
• Verses 3–6 That night God speaks to Nathan. He says that David is not to build the house, that since the day He brought Israel up He has dwelt in a tent and a tabernacle, and that He never asked any of the judges to build Him a house of cedars.
• Verses 7–10 God reminds David that He took him from following the sheep and made him ruler. He promises to plant His people in a place of their own so that they will be moved no more, and declares, "the LORD will build thee an house."
• Verses 11–14 God says that one of David's sons will build a house for Him and that his throne will be established forever.
• Verse 15 Nathan relays these words to David.
• Verses 16–22 David sits before the LORD and asks, "Who am I?" He confesses that there is none like the LORD and recalls how God redeemed Israel out of Egypt.
• Verses 23–27 David asks God to establish his house and bless it, as He has spoken.

Key Verses

• 1 Chronicles 17:10 "the LORD will build thee an house" — Here the "house" David intended to build (the temple) becomes the "house" God will build (a dynasty).
• 1 Chronicles 17:13 "I will be his father, and he shall be my son" — This verse is quoted in the New Testament and applied to Jesus Christ.
• 1 Chronicles 17:16 "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house" — David's humble response to the promise.

People and Places

• David: King of Israel, who plans to build the temple.
• Nathan: A prophet, who conveys God's promise to David.
• Judges: The leaders who governed Israel before the monarchy.
• David's son: The text does not name him, but he is understood to be Solomon, who built the temple.
• "Him that was before thee": A reference to Saul, who is named in 2 Samuel 7:15.
• Egypt: The land from which Israel was redeemed.

Points for Reflection

• This chapter is often referred to as a text of the Davidic covenant. The clause found in 2 Samuel 7, "If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him," does not appear here. In addition, where 2 Samuel reads "thine house and thy kingdom," this chapter reads "mine house and in my kingdom" (verse 14), which some interpret as Chronicles linking the dynasty to the kingdom of God.
• This chapter does not state why David may not build the temple. The reason is given separately in 1 Chronicles 22:8 and 28:3: he had shed much blood in war.
• Christian tradition holds that the promise of an everlasting throne is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:5 quotes the same words as verse 13, and Luke 1:32–33 also refers to the throne of David. Covenant theology emphasizes that this promise has already been fulfilled in the reign of Christ, while dispensationalism holds that some aspects remain to be literally fulfilled in the future with respect to Israel.