“Go and tell David My servant, ‘This is what the Lord says: “You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in;
Parallel translations
- WEB “Go and tell David my servant, ‘Yahweh says, “You shall not build me a house to dwell in;
- KJV Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:
- BSB “Go and tell My servant David that this is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build Me a house in which to dwell.
- NKJV “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not build Me a house to dwell in.
- NLT “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: You are not the one to build a house for me to live in.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God tells Nathan to inform David that he will not build God's house. God redirects David's good intention according to His own plan.
Overview
Through Nathan, God declares that David is not the one to build His dwelling. The refusal is not a rebuke but a redirection, for God has a greater purpose in mind. As later revealed, the house-building will fall to Solomon, and God will instead build David a house, a dynasty culminating in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 1 Chr 28:2–3Then David the king stood up on his feet, and said, “Hear me, my brothers, and my people! As for me, it was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, and for the footstool of our God; and I had prepared for the building.
- 1 Kgs 8:19Nevertheless, you shall not build the house; but your son who shall come out of your body, he shall build the house for my name.’
- 2 Sam 7:4–5That same night, Yahweh’s word came to Nathan, saying,
- Isa 55:8–9“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says Yahweh.
- 2 Chr 6:8–9But Yahweh said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart;
- Rom 11:33–34Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!
- 1 Chr 22:7–8David said to Solomon his son, “As for me, it was in my heart to build a house to the name of Yahweh my God.
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Christ at the center
The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.
How 1 Chronicles 17:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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