But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart.
Parallel translations
- WEB But 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;
- KJV But 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:
- BSB But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Since it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you have done well to have this in your heart.
- NKJV But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well in that it was in your heart.
- NLT But the Lord told him, ‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good,
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 that he did well to have it in his heart to build the temple. God commended David's intention even while reserving the task for another.
Overview
The Lord affirmed the goodness of David's desire to build a house for his name. God honors the godly motives of his servants, even when his plan assigns the actual work elsewhere. This shows that faithfulness includes accepting God's timing and his right to direct how his purposes are accomplished.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- 2 Cor 8:12For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have.
- 1 Kgs 8:18–21But 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.
- Mark 14:8She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for the burying.
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Christ at the center
Temple, priesthood, and the repeated need for a faithful king who seeks the LORD all point past every imperfect reign to the King and Temple who finally and fully dwell with God's people.
How 2 Chronicles 6:8 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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