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Poole on 2 Samuel 7:25-29: Petitions to the Covenant God

Verse 25:[1]  And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said.


[The word…raise up]  That is, fulfill thy promise, which, while it was in suspense, and was not delivered for execution, appears to sleep.  Thus we say to take up the bow, an oath, etc., that is, to act lest they be idle and vain (Sanchez).  The Hebrew is הָקֵם, that is, establish, confirm (Lapide).

 

Verse 26:[2]  And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel:  and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.


[So that thy name might be magnified…and it might be said, etc.,וְיִגְדַּ֙ל שִׁמְךָ֤ וגו״ עַד־עוֹלָם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר]  And let thy name be magnified, saying, etc. (Pagnine, Montanus, Junius and Tremellius), that is, that posterity might say:  or, and they shall say, or, for they shall say, if you translate it, thy name shall be magnified (Vatablus).  Others:  just as thou hast said (Syriac, Arabic); and it shall be said, etc. (Strigelius).  [Others otherwise:]  For thus thy name shall be magnified, etc. (Dutch), by those saying, etc. (Munster), or, that it might be said, etc. (Tigurinus, Dutch).


[The Lord of hosts, He is God over Israel]  The sense is, either, 1.  God, powerful and invincible, has undertaken the care of Israel.  Or, 2.  Who is the God of Israel, He is the God of hosts (Menochius).


The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel, that is, do thou never cease to manifest thyself to be the God and Governor of Israel.


Verse 27:[3]  For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed (Heb. opened the ear,[4] Ruth 4:4;[5] 1 Sam. 9:15[6]) to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house:  therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.


[Thou hast uncovered the ear]  Concerning which expression see what things are on Ruth 4:4 (Piscator), and on 1 Samuel 20:2[7] (Malvenda).


[Therefore thy servant has found his heart, that he might pray, etc.,עַל־כֵּ֗ן מָצָ֤א וגו״ עַבְדְּךָ֙ אֶת־לִבּ֔וֹ לְהִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל]  Therefore thy servant has found his heart (understanding, grateful, cheerful [Lapide], or ready, apt, or disposed [Vatablus, thus Mariana]) to pray, etc., or that he might pray, etc. (Montanus, Pagnine, Septuagint, Munster).  It was in the heart of thy servant, etc. (Jonathan).  He found in his heart, etc. (Tigurinus).  He thought in his heart, etc. (Syriac, similarly the Arabic).  He judged (Hebrew:  he found [Junius]) with his soul (Hebrew:  heart [Junius]) (Junius and Tremellius).  While I was pondering thy promises in my heart, I determined, with my heart bearing witness, that I would be acting rightly, if I should pray to thee for the fulfillment of those same promises (Osiander).  He found his heart, etc., he found faith (Menochius, Mariana).  Heart signifies many things, especially the toughness and daring to pursue something.  For they are said not to have the heart for something, who despair of the obtaining of it.  He that recovers hope and courage is said to have found his spirit.  Therefore, David, confirmed by God’s promise, dared to seek in prayer that concerning which he dared not, could not, to think previously (Sanchez).  I seize my own heart, etc.  Emphatically spoken.  For our heart is liable to fall and to flight; unless it be apprehended by us, and bound and fettered, as it were, it does not remain fixed.  Unless God uncovers the ear for us, we would not dare to approach Him.  You will say, if David knew that God was going to give these things, why were prayers necessary?  Response:  The promises of God often have a condition attached, namely, if we carry ourselves piously and holily.  And, although God was certainly going to give something, nevertheless He absolutely wills the interposition of those means (Martyr).


Therefore, etc.:  Because thy promise hath given me encouragement to pray, and assurance of answer.  Found in his heart, or, found his heart, that is, taken courage; as a man is said to lose his heart when he wants courage.

 

Verse 28:[8]  And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and (John 17:17) thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant…


That God:  That God who hast declared thyself to be Israel's God, and in particular my God.

 

Verse 29:[9]  Therefore now let it please thee to bless (Heb. be thou pleased and bless[10]) the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee:  for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it:  and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed (2 Sam. 22:51) for ever.


[Begin, therefore, and bless (thus the Septuagint, Jonathan, Arabic, Strigelius), ‎הוֹאֵל֙ וּבָרֵךְ֙]  Be thou willing (acquiesce [Munster]) and bless (Montanus, Pagnine, Junius, Maraiana), that is, willingly bless (Mariana).  It is pleasing to thee to bless (Junius and Tremellius, Vatablus).  It is a Hebraism (Vatablus).  Two verbs, with or without a copula, are used among the Hebrews, just as among the Latins a verb with an Infinitive.  Thus in Genesis 9:20, he began and planted,[11] that is, he began to plant.  Likewise in Deuteronomy 2:31, begin, possess,[12] in the place of, begin to possess; and in Joshua 7:7, would that we had willed and had remained,[13] in the place of, we had willed to remain (Glassius’ “Grammar” 344).


Thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it, and therefore wilt certainly do it, for thy words never fail.


[1] Hebrew:  ‎וְעַתָּה֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֔ים הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֙ר דִּבַּ֤רְתָּ עַֽל־עַבְדְּךָ֙ וְעַל־בֵּית֔וֹ הָקֵ֖ם עַד־עוֹלָ֑ם וַעֲשֵׂ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ׃

[2] Hebrew:  ‎וְיִגְדַּ֙ל שִׁמְךָ֤ עַד־עוֹלָם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת אֱלֹהִ֖ים עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּבֵית֙ עַבְדְּךָ֣ דָוִ֔ד יִהְיֶ֥ה נָכ֖וֹן לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃

[3] Hebrew: כִּֽי־אַתָּה֩ יְהוָ֙ה צְבָא֜וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל גָּלִ֜יתָה אֶת־אֹ֤זֶן עַבְדְּךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר בַּ֖יִת אֶבְנֶה־לָּ֑ךְ עַל־כֵּ֗ן מָצָ֤א עַבְדְּךָ֙ אֶת־לִבּ֔וֹ לְהִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל אֵלֶ֔יךָ אֶת־הַתְּפִלָּ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת׃

[4] Hebrew: ‎גָּלִ֜יתָה אֶת־אֹ֤זֶן .

[5] Ruth 4:4a:  “And I thought to advertise thee (‎אֶגְלֶ֧ה אָזְנְךָ֣), saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people.…”

[6] 1 Samuel 9:15:  “Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear (וַֽיהוָ֔ה גָּלָ֖ה אֶת־אֹ֣זֶן שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל) a day before Saul came, saying…”

[7] 1 Samuel 20:2:  “And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die:  behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me (‎יִגְלֶ֖ה אֶת־אָזְנִ֑י):  and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.”

[8] Hebrew:  ‎וְעַתָּ֣ה׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אַתָּה־הוּא֙ הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים וּדְבָרֶ֖יךָ יִהְי֣וּ אֱמֶ֑ת וַתְּדַבֵּר֙ אֶֽל־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־הַטּוֹבָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת׃

[9] Hebrew: וְעַתָּ֗ה הוֹאֵל֙ וּבָרֵךְ֙ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית עַבְדְּךָ֔ לִהְי֥וֹת לְעוֹלָ֖ם לְפָנֶ֑יךָ כִּֽי־אַתָּ֞ה אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ דִּבַּ֔רְתָּ וּמִבִּרְכָ֣תְךָ֔ יְבֹרַ֥ךְ בֵּֽית־עַבְדְּךָ֖ לְעוֹלָֽם׃ פ

[10] Hebrew:  ‎הוֹאֵל֙ וּבָרֵךְ֙.

[11] Genesis 9:20:  “And began Noah, an husbandman, and planted a vineyard (וַיָּ֥חֶל נֹ֖חַ אִ֣ישׁ הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה וַיִּטַּ֖ע כָּֽרֶם׃)...”

[12] Deuteronomy 2:31:  “And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee:  begin, possess (‎הָחֵ֣ל רָ֔שׁ), that thou mayest inherit his land.”

[13] Joshua 7:7:  “And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt (‎הוֹאַ֣לְנוּ וַנֵּ֔שֶׁב) on the other side Jordan!”

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Dr. Dilday
Dr. Dilday
4 days ago

Westminster Larger Catechism 183: 'For whom are we to pray?


Answer. We are to pray for the whole church of Christ upon earth; [Eph 6:18; Ps 28:9] for magistrates, [1 Tim 2:1-2] and ministers; [Col 4:3] for ourselves, [Gen 32:11] our brethren, [James 5:16] yea, our enemies; [Matt 5:44] and for all sorts of men living, [1 Tim 2:1-2] or that shall live hereafter; [John 17:20; 2 Sam 7:29] but not for the dead, [2 Sam 12:21-23] nor for those that are known to have sinned the sin unto death. [1 John 5:16]'

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Dr. Dilday
Dr. Dilday
4 days ago

Thomas Brooks' The Spirit's Help in Prayer: 'The Spirit teaches what to pray for, according to the will of God. While the promises rightly understood regulate our prayers, and they are agreeable to the grace of the covenant, we may be sure we do not err in the matter, 2 Sam 7:28-29. These are God's bills and bonds to his people, and by them he shews what he allows us to ask of him. What he is debtor to his faithfulness for, we may crave.'

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Dr. Dilday
Dr. Dilday
4 days ago

Henry Scudder's Christian's Daily Walk: 'They object violently, that this doctrine of not falling wholly from God, and of certainty of salvation, after a man is once in a state of grace, is a doctrine of licentiousness and carnal liberty, causing men to be negligent in the use of means of grace, and careless in their Christian course; for when they once know they shall not be damned, they will live as they list; say they....


The Scriptures, the nature of saving faith, and all sound judgment, do reason quite contrary; for the certainty of the end does not hinder, but excite and encourage men in the use of all good means which conduce unto that end. Christ knew certainly…

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Dr. Dilday
Dr. Dilday
4 days ago

Thomas Vincent's Shorter Catechism Explained: 'Q. 101.6. What do we pray for in the petition, "Hallowed be thy name"?


A. In the petition, "Hallowed be thy name," we prayó1. That God would hallow and glorify his own name, by magnifying himself in the world, and by disposing all things for his own glory. "Let thy name be magnified for ever." 2 Sam 7:26. "Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy name, O Lord: that men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the Most High over all the earth." Ps 83:16,18. 2. That God would enable us to hallow and glorify his name, by confessing and forsaking our sins, which rob him of his…

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Dr. Dilday
Dr. Dilday
4 days ago

William Jay's Morning Exercises: '"Therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee."—2 Sam 7:27


Where did he find his inclination and power to pray? "In his heart." The heart is every thing in religion. "Man looketh on the outward appearance; but the Lord looketh on the heart," [1 Sam 16:7] and requires it: My son, give me thy heart. Where he does not find this, he finds nothing. Where this speaks, words are needless; he knows what is the mind of the spirit. Hannah—she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: [1 Sam 1:13] yet what a prayer she prayed; and how successfully! It is a blessed…


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