2 Samuel 7:19

19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. 1You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD!

2 Samuel 7:19 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 7:19

And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God
This of raising him to the throne, and settling him on it, was but a small thing in comparison of what he promised to do for him and his:

but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to
come;
since he had not only spoken of a son that should succeed him in the kingdom, but that he would make him an house, and establish his kingdom; yea, that the throne of his kingdom should be established for ever, that a race of kings should spring from him, and especially the King Messiah, of whose kingdom there would be no end; and so the Targum,

``thou hast spoken of the house of thy servant unto the world to come,''

a phrase often used by the Jews for the times of the Messiah; see ( Hebrews 2:5 ) ; and so Abarbinel thinks this clause has respect to Messiah the son of David:

and [is] this the manner of man, O Lord God?
to bestow their favours on their inferiors, persons of no worth and merit, and is a profuse manner? it is not; and yet to one so much below thee, and so undeserving, hast thou most largely and liberally given such great and unmerited mercies: or is it the manner, or customary to deal thus with men mean and abject, though it may with great personages that make a great figure in the world? it is not: and yet I am regarded by thee as if I was one of the greatest monarchs on earth: this sense agrees with the parallel text in ( 1 Chronicles 17:17 ) ; "and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree"; or, "this is the law", or "doctrine of the man [who is] the Lord God" F3. This doctrine contained in the promise now made respects the seed of the woman, the promised Shiloh, the illustrious man, Jehovah's fellow, the incarnate God, the Messiah, who is Jehovah our righteousness, the true God and eternal life.


FOOTNOTES:

F3 So Luther and Osiander; or "this is the delineation of the man who is the Lord" So Hiller. Onomastic. Sacr. p. 447.

2 Samuel 7:19 In-Context

17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?
19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD!
20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD!
21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.

Cross References 1

  • 1. ver. 12, 13; 1 Chronicles 17:17
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.