But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.
Parallel translations
- WEB But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for my name, because you are a man of war, and have shed blood.’
- BSB but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for My Name, because you are a man of war who has spilled blood.’
- NKJV But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.’
- NASB But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name, because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’
- NLT but God said to me, ‘You must not build a Temple to honor my name, for you are a warrior and have shed much blood.’
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 told David he could not build the temple because he was a warrior who had shed much blood. It explains why the task passed to another.
Overview
The Lord forbade David, a man of war, from building his house, reserving that work for a man of peace. This was not condemnation but a fitting distinction between the kingdom's establishment by the sword and the temple's construction in peace. It anticipates Christ, the true Prince of Peace, who builds God's lasting house.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- 1 Chr 22:8But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.
- 1 Chr 17:4Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:
- 1 Kgs 5:3Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.
- 2 Chr 6:8–9But the LORD said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart:
- 2 Sam 7:5–13Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
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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.
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Original language
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