📖WEB · 1 Chronicles 17:3
What does 1 Chronicles 17:3 mean?
"That same night, the word of God came to Nathan, saying,"
— 1 Chronicles 17:3 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
When David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of Yahweh’s covenant is in a tent.”
Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart; for God is with you.”
That same night, the word of God came to Nathan, saying,
“Go and tell David my servant, ‘Yahweh says, “You shall not build me a house to dwell in;
for I have not lived in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tent to another.
In all places in which I have walked with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’”’
Explanation
This verse is a short but pivotal transition point in the larger narrative of 1 Chronicles 17. Just before this, King David had told the prophet Nathan of his desire to build a permanent temple for the Ark of the Covenant, since he himself lived in a palace of cedar while God's presence dwelt in a tent. Nathan initially responded with his own approval, telling David to go ahead with whatever was in his heart. But "that same night," God intervened directly, speaking his own word to Nathan rather than leaving Nathan's human opinion to stand as divine will.
The context is the reign of King David, and the writer of Chronicles (traditionally understood to be Ezra or a similar post-exilic compiler) is recounting Israel's history to a community rebuilding its identity after exile, emphasizing God's covenant faithfulness to David's line and the significance of the temple. This account parall
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