1 Chronicles 17:1

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

God Makes a Promise to David When David had settled into his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet,“Look, I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of the LORD’s covenant is under a tent.”

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

‫וַיְהִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יָשַׁ֥ב דָּוִ֖יד בְּבֵית֑וֹ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜יד אֶל־נָתָ֣ן הַנָּבִ֗יא הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֤י יוֹשֵׁב֙ בְּבֵ֣ית הֽ͏ָאֲרָזִ֔ים וַאֲר֥וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת יְרִיעֽוֹת׃ ‬

Transliteration

And wayəhî when yāšaḇ Dāwid in bêṯô, and wayyōʾmer Dāwid to-Nāṯān the-nāḇîʾ, behold ʾānōḵî yôšēḇ in bêṯ the-ʾărāzîm, and ʾărôn bərîṯ-YHWH under yərîʿôṯ.

Grammar Details

• *wayəhî*: consecutive imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and it came to pass
• *yāšaḇ*: perfect, 3rd masculine singular - dwelt/sat/remained
• *Dāwid*: proper noun, masculine singular - David
• *bêṯô*: noun, masculine singular construct with 3rd masculine singular suffix - his house
• *wayyōʾmer*: consecutive imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he said
• *Nāṯān*: proper noun, masculine singular - Nathan
• *nāḇîʾ*: noun, masculine singular - prophet
• *ʾānōḵî*: personal pronoun, 1st person singular - I
• *yôšēḇ*: participle, masculine singular - dwelling/sitting
• *bêṯ*: noun, masculine singular construct - house of
• *ʾărāzîm*: noun, masculine plural - cedars
• *ʾărôn*: noun, masculine singular - ark
• *bərîṯ*: noun, feminine singular construct - covenant of
• *YHWH*: proper noun, divine name - LORD
• *yərîʿôṯ*: noun, feminine plural - curtains/tent-cloths

Word Meanings

• *wayəhî*: and it happened/came to pass/was
• *yāšaḇ*: dwelt/sat/remained/lived
• *bêṯô*: his house/dwelling/temple
• *ʾănî*/*ʾānōḵî*: I (emphatic form)
• *yôšēḇ*: dwelling/sitting/remaining/living
• *bêṯ hāʾărāzîm*: house of cedars/cedar house
• *yərîʿôṯ*: curtains/hangings/tent-cloths

Referenced Verses

• 1 Chr 17:5 : 5 For I have not lived in a house from the time I brought Israel up from Egypt to the present day. I have lived in a tent that has been in various places.
• 1 Chr 15:1 : 1 David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem David constructed buildings in the City of David; he then prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.
• 1 Chr 16:1 : 1 David Leads in Worship They brought the ark of God and put it in the middle of the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God.
• 1 Chr 29:29 : 29 King David’s accomplishments, from start to finish, are recorded in the Annals of Samuel the prophet, the Annals of Nathan the prophet, and the Annals of Gad the prophet.
• 2 Chr 1:4 : 4 (Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.
• 2 Chr 6:7-9 : 7 Now my father David had a strong desire to build a temple to honor the LORD God of Israel. 8 The LORD told my father David,‘It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me. 9 But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’
• Ps 132:5 : 5 until I find a place for the LORD, a fine dwelling place for the Powerful One of Jacob.”
• Jer 22:15 : 15 Does it make you any more of a king that you outstrip everyone else in building with cedar? Just think about your father. He was content that he had food and drink. He did what was just and right. So things went well with him.
• Dan 4:4 : 4 Nebuchadnezzar Dreams of a Tree Chopped Down(4:1) I, Nebuchadnezzar, was relaxing in my home, living luxuriously in my palace.
• Dan 4:29-30 : 29 After twelve months, he happened to be walking around on the battlements of the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king uttered these words:“Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?”
• Hag 1:4 : 4 “Is it right for you to live in richly paneled houses while my temple is in ruins?
• Hag 1:9 : 9 ‘You expected a large harvest, but instead there was little. And when you would bring it home, I would blow it right away. Why?’ asks the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.‘Because my temple remains in ruins, thanks to each of you favoring his own house!
• Acts 7:46 : 46 He found favor with God and asked that he could find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob.
• Exod 40:19-21 : 19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 20 He took the testimony and put it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark, and then put the atonement lid on the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung the protecting curtain, and shielded the ark of the testimony from view, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
• 2 Sam 6:17 : 17 They brought the ark of the LORD and put it in its place in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before the LORD.
• 2 Sam 7:1-9 : 1 The Lord Establishes a Covenant with David The king settled into his palace, for the LORD gave him relief from all his enemies on all sides. 2 The king said to Nathan the prophet,“Look! I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of God sits in the middle of a tent.” 3 Nathan replied to the king,“You should go and do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you.” 4 That night the LORD’s message came to Nathan, 5 “Go, tell my servant David:‘This is what the LORD has said: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in? 6 I have not lived in a house from the time I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to the present day. Instead, I was traveling with them and living in a tent. 7 Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say to any of their leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel,“Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?”’ 8 “So now, say this to my servant David:‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has said: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd to make you leader of my people Israel. 9 I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. 10 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle them there; they will live there and not be disturbed any more. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning 11 and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief from all your enemies. The LORD declares to you that he himself will build a dynastic house for you. 12 When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent. 14 I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings. 15 But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will stand before me permanently; your dynasty will be permanent.’” 17 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him. 18 David Offers a Prayer to God King David went in, sat before the LORD, and said,“Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you should have brought me to this point? 19 And you didn’t stop there, O LORD God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family. Is this your usual way of dealing with men, O Sovereign LORD? 20 What more can David say to you? You have given your servant special recognition, O Sovereign LORD! 21 For the sake of your promise and according to your purpose you have done this great thing in order to reveal it to your servant. 22 Therefore you are great, O Sovereign LORD, for there is none like you! There is no God besides you! What we have heard is true! 23 Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation on the earth? Their God went to claim a nation for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome acts for your land, before your people whom you delivered for yourself from the Egyptian empire and its gods. 24 You made Israel your very own people for all time. You, O LORD, became their God. 25 So now, O LORD God, make this promise you have made about your servant and his family a permanent reality. Do as you promised, 26 so you may gain lasting fame, as people say,‘The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ The dynasty of your servant David will be established before you, 27 for you, O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, have told your servant,‘I will build you a dynastic house.’ That is why your servant has had the courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 Now, O Sovereign LORD, you are the true God! May your words prove to be true! You have made this good promise to your servant! 29 Now be willing to bless your servant’s dynasty so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken. By your blessing may your servant’s dynasty be blessed on into the future!”
• 2 Sam 12:1 : 1 Nathan the Prophet Confronts David So the LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to David, Nathan said,“There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.
• 2 Sam 12:25 : 25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet that he should be named Jedidiah for the LORD’s sake.
• 1 Kgs 1:8 : 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s elite warriors did not ally themselves with Adonijah.
• 1 Kgs 1:23 : 23 The king was told,“Nathan the prophet is here.” Nathan entered and bowed before the king with his face to the floor.
• 1 Kgs 1:44 : 44 The king sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites and they put him on the king’s mule.
• 1 Chr 14:1 : 1 David’s Prestige Grows King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters to build a palace for him.