Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Samuel · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Verſ. 1. ANd it came to paſſe when the king ſat in his houſe, &c.] This clauſe when the king ſat in his houſe, is here inſerted, Firſt, to imply, though▪ more obſcurely, what is afterwards more fully expreſſed, to wit, that David for the preſent had reſt from warre, he ſat quietly in his houſe, the Lord had given him reſt round about from all his enemies, (as it follows in the next words) and ſo being freed from former troubles, he began to think of further promoting the cauſe of religion, and of building a temple for the ark, which he had lately brought to Jeruſalem. And ſecondly, to intimate what it was that made him think of building a temple, to wit, that he was come to dwell in that ſtately houſe, which he had built for himſelf (for the building whereof Hiram had ſent him, both cedar trees, and carpenters, and maſons, chap. 5.11,) and ſo ſitting in this his palace, he began to think with himſelf, how unreaſonable it was, that he ſhould dwell in ſuch a ſtately houſe, and the ark of God ſhould be lodged the whileſt in a poore tent or tabernacle: for though when the people of Iſrael removed from one place to another, the Lord choſe to dwell in a tent which might be removed, yet now that Iſrael had been a long time ſettled in the land which God had given them, it was no longer neceſſary that Gods dwelling place ſhould be a tent; and therefore David conceived, that his purpoſe of building a ſettled houſe for God, would not be a croſſing of that which God himſelf had ordered▪ in chooſing a tent to be his dwelling place.
Verſ. 3. And Nathan ſaid to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart, &c.] Yet afterwards by expreſſe direction from God, he was appointed to croſſe this which now he ſaid; whereby is manifeſt, that the Prophets had not alwayes the ſpirit of prophecy upon them, but ſpake ſometimes as private men, as Samuel did, 1. Sam. 16.6. And it came to paſſe when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and ſaid, Surely the Lords anointed is before him: and 2. Kings 4.27. And when ſhe came to the man of God to the hill, ſhe caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God ſaid, Let her alone, for her ſoul is vexed within her; and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. But before Nathan came to David with that meſſage, this preſent approbation had encouraged him to bind his reſolution with a ſolemne vow, to wit, that which we reade of, Pſal. 132.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Lord remember David, and all his afflictions. How he ſware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob. Surely, I will not come into the tabernacle of my houſe: nor go up into my bed. I will not give ſleep to mine eies, or ſlumber to mine eye-lids; Untill I find out a place for the Lord; an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
Verſ. 5, Shalt thou build me an houſe for me to dwell in?] That is, thou ſhalt not. The Lord purpoſed to have a houſe built which ſhould be the peculiar place of his worſhip and ſervice, and had made known ſo much long ſince to his people, Deut. 12.11. Then there ſhall be a place which the Lord your God ſhall chooſe, to cauſe his Name to dwell there, thither ſhall ye bring all that I command you: your burnt-offerings and your ſacrifices, &c. But David was not the man he had appointed for this work, and therefore though the Lord commended David for this holy intention, as is evident, 1. Kings 8.18. And the Lord ſaid unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an houſe unto my Name, thou diddeſt well that it was in thine heart, and made many gracious promiſes unto him at this time, ver. 10, 11, 12, &c. to teſtifie how well he took it that he had ſuch a purpoſe in his mind: yet withall he made known to him, that he meant not that it ſhould be done by him▪ but by his ſonne, and ſhewed him alſo the reaſons why he might not do it, (though they be not here expreſſed) to wit, Firſt, becauſe he ſhould ſtill be ſo encumbred with warres, that he ſhould not have leaſure or opportunity to effect ſo qreat a work: 1. Kings 5.3. Thou knoweſt how that David my father, could not build an houſe unto the Name of the Lord his God, for the warres that were about him on every ſide, untill the Lord put them under the ſoles of his feet. Secondly, becauſe he had been a man of warre, and had ſhed bloud; 1. Chron. 22, 7, 8. And David ſaid to Solomon, My ſonne, as for me it was in my mind to build an houſe unto the Name of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, ſaying, Thou haſt ſhed bloud abundantly, and haſt made great warres; thou ſhalt not build an houſe unto my Name, becauſe thou hast ſhed much bloud upon the earth in my ſight: and it muſt be a peaceable king that was to build the Temple, that he might be a type of Chriſt, the Prince of peace, Iſa. 9.6.
Verſ. 6. Whereas I have not dwelt in any houſe▪ ſince the time that I brought up the children of Iſrael out of Egypt, &c.] Though Davids intent was generally in it ſelf good, inſomuch that the Lord himſelf commended him for it, as is manifeſt in that place before cited, 1. Kings 8.18. yet it was not without ſome mixture of errour: for herein he failed, becauſe he undertook to do it without any particular direction or warrant from God, led hereto onelyonly by the judgement of his own reaſon, that it was not fit God ſhould dwell within curtains, when he dwelt in an houſe of cedar; and therefore though the Lord told him that his purpoſe was in the generall commendable, yet withall he rejected his purpoſe, and diſcovered thereby that he ſhould have waited his leaſure and direction, and diſproved his reaſon, ſhewing that till he required a Temple to be built, the ark was altogether as well in a tabernacle, as in a Temple; which was evident, becauſe he had never charged any of the Judges with this fault, Why build ye not me an houſe of cedar? See the note upon 1. Chron. 17.6.
Verſ. 8. Thus ſaith the Lord of hoſts, I took the from the ſheep-cote from following the ſheep, &c.] That David might not be diſcouraged, and fear that this inhibition that he ſhould not go forward in the work intended, did proceed from the Lords diſregarding of him, or from any diſpleaſure the Lord had conceived againſt him (as a loving wife will grieve if her husband refuſe any ſervice ſhe proffers to do him) in theſe following words he ſhews how well he eſteemed of him, both by recounting what he had done for him, & by promiſing what he would do more. But yet withall, in theſe words, I took thee from the ſheep-cote, &c. to be ruler over my people, the Lord implies, that in doing this, for which he had exalted him, in ruling his people, he might ſufficiently approve his thankfulneſſe to God, and leave the care of building a Temple, to whom God ſhould chooſe.
Verſ. 10. (Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Iſrael, and will plant them, &c.] This paſſage included in our Bibles in a Parentheſis, is very intricate and obſcure. According to our tranſlation, the meaning I conceive is this. Becauſe the glory and happines of a king, depends much upon the pro…perous and flouriſhing eſtate of his people; therefore the Lord doth promiſe David, that the Iſraelites ſhould be now ſettled peaceably and quietly in the land of Canaan, and ſhould not be moleſted and oppreſſed, as they had formerly been in the dayes of the Judges; I will appoint a place, ſaith the Lord and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more, that is, I will now ſettle them ſo in the land of Canaan, that they ſhall quietly enjoy it, as their own lawfull inheritance, and not be diſpoſſeſſed and toſſed up and down, as formerly they have been; neither ſhall the children of wickedneſſe afflict them any more, as before time; that is, neither ſhall they be moleſted and vexed continually by their oppreſſing neighbours, as in former times they have been (and obſervable it is, that ſpeaking of thoſe that had afflicted and diſtreſſed the poore people of God, he terms them in that reſpect, children of wickedneſſe) and as ſince the time that I commanded Judges to be over my people Iſrael, and have cauſed thee to rest from all thine enemies, that is, and as they have been oppreſſed, ever ſince that I appointed Judges to govern and defend them, even unto this time, that I have now given thee peace and reſt, from thine enemies round about. This I conceive muſt needs be the meaning of this paſſage, according to our tranſlation: for though it may be queſtioned, why the Lord ſhould ſay, I will appoint a place for my people Iſrael—that they may dwell in a place of their own. Since God had done this long ſince (he had long ſince appointed the land of Canaan to be theirs, and had driven out the inhabitants that had dwelt in it before, & had put them into poſſeſſion of it, and they had enjoyed it as their own for many years together) yet for anſwer to this, we muſt know, that becauſe hitherto the Philiſtines and other of the old inhabitants of Canaan, had ſtill kept ſome good part of the land from them, and by them and other neighbouring nations, they had been hitherto ever and anon moleſted, they being ſtill ready upon all advantages to challenge their land, and to ſeek to wreſt it from them; therefore the Lord ſpeaks of the peaceable poſſeſſion of the land, as a thing that was not yet made good to them; but ſhould be now in the dayes of David and Solomon. And whereas again it may be objected, that much ſeems here to be promiſed, which was never made good to the Iſraelites, as that the Lord would ſo plant them in a place of their own, that they ſhould thence move no more, and that the children of wickedneſſe ſhould not afflict them any more, as before time. &c. whereas we ſee, that after Solomons dayes, both the kingdome of Iſrael and Judah, were often invaded and waſted by many of the neighbouring nations, and that the Iſraelites were at laſt carried captive to Aſſyria and Babylon, and other countries; to this the anſwer muſt be, that either this muſt be reſtrained to the time of David and Solomon his ſonne, in whoſe time the Iſraelites did at laſt peaceably enjoy their land as their own, without any moleſtation from the neighbouring nations; or elſe it muſt be underſtood as a conditionall promiſe, God reſerving liberty to himſelf, to deal otherwiſe with them, if they ſhould rebell againſt him (and indeed accordingly we ſee how marvelouſly they flouriſhed, till in the end of Solomons reigne they fell again to idolatry) or elſe we muſt expect the full accompliſhment hereof, when this people ſhall come in to Chriſt, and ſo ſhall be planted again in their own land, never to be removed thence any more, nor ever more to be afflicted by the children of wickedneſſe.
Verſ. 11. Alſo the Lord telletb thee, that he will make thee an houſe.] That is, that he will rear up of thy poſterity, on whom the kingdome ſhall be eſtabliſhed after thee, from one generation to another, till it comes at laſt to be eſtabliſhed in Chriſt: ſee the note, Exod. 1.21.
Verſ. 13. He ſhall build an houſe for my name.] That is, a houſe for my worſhip and ſervice; of which ſee the note, Deut. 12.4. and it is meant of Solomons building the Temple; for though David in his life time prepared great ſtore of materialls for this great work, 1. Chron. 22.14. and did alſo give unto Solomon the pattern of the houſe, and the ſervices thereof, which he had received from the Lord, 1. Chron. 28.11. Then David gave to Solomon his ſonne the pattern of the porch, &c. and again, verſ. 19. All this, ſaid David, the Lord made me underſtand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern, yet David laid not ſo much as the foundation of the building, but Solomon began and finiſhed the work, 1. Kings 5.1. &c. But withall it is meant likewiſe of Chriſt the ſonne of David, by whom onelyonly the Church is built, that houſe of God of which the Temple was a type, 1. Pet. 3.5. Ye alſo as lively ſtones are built up a ſpirituall houſe, an holy prieſthood, to offer up spirituall ſacrifice acceptable to God by Jeſus Chriſt.
Verſ. 14. I will be his father, and he ſhall be my ſonne, &c.] This clauſe is alſo meant both of Solomon, and Chriſt. That it is meant of Solomon is clear, 1. Chron. 28.6. where this propheſie is repeated, Solomon thy ſonne he ſhall build my houſe, and my courts; for I have choſen him to be my ſonne, and I will be his father; and that it is alſo meant of Chriſt is as evident, Heb. 1.5. where the Apoſtle proves by this place, that Chriſt was farre above the angels; For unto which of the Angels ſaid he at any time, Thou art my ſonne, this day have I begotten thee? and Again, I will be to him a father, and he ſhall be to me a ſonne? Indeed the following clauſe cannot be meant of Chriſt, If he commit iniquity I will chaſten him, &c. for though ſinne was imputed to Chriſt, Iſaiah 53.6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all: yet it cannot be therefore ſaid of Chriſt, that he did commit iniquity. The rule therefore for underſtanding theſe propheticall paſſages, is this, That onelyonly thoſe paſſages are to be applyed to Chriſt wherein Solomon was a type of Chriſt; the firſt therefore is meant both of Solomon and Chriſt, I will be his father, and he ſhall be my ſonne, but in a different reſpect, God was a father to Solomon by adoption and grace, to Chriſt, by naturall generation; but then the ſecond, is meant onelyonly of Solomon, If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the ſtripes of the children of men, and thereby ſome underſtand that men ſhould be the rods wherewith Solomon ſhould be chaſtiſed; and ſo indeed it was with Solomon when he fell to idolatry in his latter dayes, God corrected him for this, by the rebellions of Hadad, and Rezon, and Jeroboam againſt him, 1, Kings 11.14, &c. but rather I conceive the meaning is, either generally, that as men uſe to correct their ſonnes, whom they love moſt dearly, ſo God would correct Solomon, though he would not caſt him off as he caſt off Saul, yet he would make him ſmart for it, if he ſinned againſt him; or elſe that God would correct him with moderation and gentleneſſe: for indeed, gentle correction may well be termed the rod of men, and the ſtripes of the children of men, both becauſe ſuch correction is fitted to the weakneſſe of men, and becauſe men are wont ſo to correct their children with a light and gentle hand; or elſe in oppoſition to the ſtrokes of Gods revenging juſtice: for as the heavineſſe of Gods judgements upon Babylon is implyed in that expreſſion, Iſa. 47.3. I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man; ſo on the contrary, Gods gentleneſſe may be well intended by this expreſſion, I will chaſten him with the rod of men, and with the ſtripes of the children of men. If God ſhould plead againſt us with his great power, as Job ſpeaks, chap. 23.6. it would ſoon grind us to powder; but his purpoſe in ſmiting his children is onelyonly to amend and not to deſtroy, and therefore he doth it with great moderation and pitie.
Verſ. 15. But my mercy ſhall not depart away from him, &c.] That is, I will not caſt him off from being king, as I did Saul: It is not that mercy which is the portion of Gods redeemed ones, of which the Lord ſaith here, that it ſhould not depart away from Solomon, as he took it from Saul; for Saul never had any ſhare in this mercy, and where God affords this mercy, he never takes it away. But the mercy here ſpoken of, is onelyonly that of continuing the kingdome to him: this mercy the Lord ſaith ſhould not depart from Solomon, he would not utterly caſt him off from being king as David had ſeen Saul caſt off, whence is that laſt clauſe, whom I put away before thee.
Verſ. 16. And thine houſe and thy kingdome ſhall be eſtabliſhed for ever before thee, &c.] Theſe words before thee, are added, becauſe his kingdome ſhould be eſtabliſhed in him unto the day of his death, and ſhould whileſt he yet lived, be ſettled upon his ſonne, and ſo ſhould continue in his poſterity, they ſeeing and enjoying it till the coming of Chriſt, in whom it ſhould be eſtabliſhed for ever.
Verſ. 17. According to all theſe words, and according to all this viſion, ſo did Nathan ſpeak unto David.] And herein did Nathan approve his integrity and fidelity; he was not aſhamed at Gods command to unſay and recant what he had formerly ſaid, and to contradict the counſel which himſelf had given to David, ver. 3. And Nathan ſaid to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee.
Verſ. 18. Then went king David in, and ſat before the Lord, &c.] That is, he went into the tent where the ark was, and continued there before the Lord: for the Hebrew word here uſed, ſignifies as properly and uſually to remain and abide in a place, or at a thing, as to ſit, as Gen. 27.44. Lev. 14.8. 1. Sam. 1.22. and 20.19. I deny not but that perhaps David might in theſe his private ſoliloquies, even ſitting (as elſewhere walking, and lying in his bed) powre forth his ſoul unto the Lord in prayer, as Moſes prayed ſitting, Exod. 17.12. But Moſes hands were heavy, and they took a ſtone and put under him, and he ſat thereon: and Elijah, 1. Kings 19.4. But he himſelf went a dayes journey into the wilderneſſe, and came and ſat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himſelf that he might die, and ſaid, It is enough now, O Lord, take away my life. But the more probable opinion is, either that by this word (ſat) is meant, tarried before the Lord, or elſe that he at firſt ſat down in the tabernacle, and meditated of Gods goodneſſe and mercy to him, and afterwards addreſſed himſelf to pray unto the Lord, & that kneeling, as the greateſt of Gods ſervants were wont to do; Pſal. 95.6. O come, let us worſhip and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker: 1. Kings 8.54. It was ſo, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and ſupplication unto the Lord, he aroſe from the altar of the Lord▪ from kneeling on his knees, with his hands ſpread up to heaven.
Verſ. 19. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God?] That is, this is not the manner of man. And ſome Expoſitours underſtand this thus, that the ſettling of ſuch bleſſings, as God had promiſed, upon his poſterity, was not according to the law of nature, that children ſhould inherit the eſtates and honours of their parents, but of Gods mere grace and good will to them. But there is more I conceive then this intended in theſe words: David having acknowledged the great goodneſſe of God, in promiſing the kingdome to his ſeed after him, and eſpecially in aſſuring him that his ſeed ſhould be the Sonne of God, and ſhould rule over his people for ever, he breaks forth at length into an admiration of this wonderfull goodneſſe and mercy of God, And is this the manner of man, O Lord God? thereby implying either that it was not the manner of man to afford ſuch favour of mere grace, above all deſert, or to deal ſo freely and familiarly with thoſe that are beneath them, as God had dealt with him; or elſe that this goodneſſe and mercy of God, eſpecially in giving his own Sonne to be made man▪ that he might redeem them to himſelf, that were before the enemies of God▪ and the ſlaves of Sathan, and ſo rule over them as his own peculiar people, was far above the mercy that could be expected from the moſt gracious and mercifull man; or elſe▪ that poore baſe man could not be in any degree worthy of ſuch mercies as thoſe were, nor indeed capable of them, according to the ordinary condition of man; and ſo is this place parallel with that Pſal. 8.4. What is man that thou art mindfull of him? or the ſon of man that thou viſiteſt him? which the Apoſtle applies particularly to Gods mercy, in the incarnation of his onelyonly begotten ſonne; and the advantages and honour that redound to man by this, and by the work of our redemption performed by him▪ Heb. 2.6 &c.
Verſ. 20. And what can David ſay more unto thee? for thou Lord God knowest thy ſervant.] The firſt clauſe here, And what can David ſay more unto thee? may be underſtood two ſeverall wayes, either that David knew not how to ask more then God of his own free grace had promiſed him, and was ready to conferre upon him, and indeed as this paſſage of Davids prayer is expreſſed, 1. Chron▪ 17.18. it ſeems beſt to bear this ſenſe, And what can David ſpeak more to thee, for the honour of thy ſervant? But then the meaning of the next clauſe is this, For thou knoweſt thy ſervant, that is, thou knoweſt what is good for me, thou knoweſt my wants and deſires better then I can diſcover them to thee, according to that of our Saviours, Matth. 6.8. Your father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask them: or elſe, that he was not able to expreſſe how highly he eſteemed of that goodneſſe and mercy he had ſhewne to him; and then the next words, for thou Lord knoweſt thy ſervant, are added to imply, that God knew well enough the motions and deſires of his heart to praiſe his name, though with his tongue he was not able to expreſſe them.
Verſ. 21. According to thine own heart, hast thou done all theſe great things to make thy ſervant know them.] That is, of thine own free grace haſt thou made all theſe glorious promiſes to me and mine, that thy ſervant might know what thou meaneſt to do, for him and his, in time to come.
Verſ. 23. And to do for you great things and terrible, &c.] By a certain figure called Apoſtrophe, David being now ſpeaking to God, turneth his ſpeech as it were abruptly, to the people of God, And to do for you (that is, for you O Iſrael) great things, and then in the next words directs his ſpeech again to God, for thy land, before thy people which thou redeemedſt to thee from Egypt, from the nations, and their gods, delivering them from all the nations that fought their ruine, and from the falſe gods on whom their enemies relyed for help: ſo that here David joyns together the deliverance of the Iſraelites both from the Egyptians, and from the Canaanites, and other nations that ſought to oppreſſe them; as it is alſo expreſſed, 1. Chron. 17.21. What one nation in the earth is like thy people Iſrael, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatneſſe and terribleneſſe, by driving out the nations from before thy people whom thou haſt redeemed out of Egypt? See the note upon, Exod. 12.12.