The Lord hath sworn [in] truth unto David
By Nathan the prophet; when he assured him that his house,
kingdom, and throne, should be established for ever, ( 2 Samuel 7:5
2 Samuel
7:12 2 Samuel
7:16 ) ; and though there is no mention made of the oath of
God, no doubt there was one; or however his word was his oath, as
Kimchi observes: besides, the Apostle Peter is express for it
that there was one, which was added to his word for the
confirmation of it; who is said to swear by himself, because
there is no greater; and sometimes by one or other of his
perfections, as by his holiness elsewhere; so here in or by his
truth, his faithfulness, being the God of truth that cannot lie.
Or it may be rendered, "the Lord hath sworn truth unto David"
F24; that which is truth: and we may be
assured he could not possibly assert or swear anything else; see
( Psalms
89:3 Psalms 89:4 Psalms 89:35
Psalms
89:49 ) ;
he will not turn from it;
change his mind, repent of his oath; make it void, or not fulfil
it; for he is unchangeable in his perfections, purposes, and
promises; whatever he says and swears to he will certainly
perform;
of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy
throne;
a king upon thy throne, as the Targum: meaning not Solomon;
though it is true that the Lord chose him, above all the sons of
David, to be his successor in the kingdom, and did place him upon
his throne before his death; but a greater than Solomon is here,
even the Messiah; as is clear from the testimony of the Apostle
Peter, ( Acts 2:30
) , by which it appears not only that this promise and oath
relate to the Messiah; but that David knew they did, and so
understood them; and which have been fulfilled in Jesus of
Nazareth: who, as he was notoriously the fruit of David's body
according to the flesh, or his human nature; or was of his seed,
being born of the Virgin Mary, who lineally descended from him;
so he was set upon the throne of David, as it was foretold both
by the prophet Isaiah, and by the angel to the virgin, he should,
( Isaiah
9:6 Isaiah
9:7 ) ( Luke 1:32 Luke 1:33 ) ; not in a
literal sense; for though he was no doubt right heir to the
throne of David so understood, yet his kingdom was not of this
world; but he was set as King over God's holy hill of Zion, the
church; and reigned over the house of Jacob, the whole Israel of
God; the mystical and spiritual Israel, consisting of Jews and
Gentiles: his throne, or the seat of his kingdom, is the church;
his sceptre the Gospel; his crown the glory true believers in him
give him; his laws, by which he rules, are its his word, and
written in the hearts of his subjects; and his kingdom shall
continue for ever.