1 Chronicles 17:14

1Ch_17:14

But I will settle him in Mine house and in My kingdom for ever.

The everlasting establishment

I. First of all, let us offer a word or two upon the kingdom. Much is written in Scripture about kingdoms and empires.

1. That the house or the kingdom which Jehovah claims as His own is a kingdom which originated with the Lord. It rose not up in the mind of mortals first. It grew not up of Natures materials. It was not brought forth, and set up, and established, by the arm of man, or by the conquests of warriors, as many other kingdoms are. It originated in the wisdom, grace, and power of the Most High. Moreover, not only does this kingdom originate with Him, but it is so formed and constituted as to glorify the Lord. My glory, saith Jehovah, will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images. In the formation and constitution of the kingdom which God calls His own--Mine house and My kingdom--the subjects are a royal seed; of royal blood; of royal birth; kings and priests unto God. My hearer, of what kingdom art thou? If thou art not of the kingdom of Gods grace, thou art of the kingdom of darkness, a slave of Satan, and on the highroad to destruction.

2. Yet further observe, the laws are immutable.

3. Then further, I notice the privileges, the high spiritual privileges of the kingdom. Pardon, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost.

II. I come to the investiture of the king.

I will settle him in Mine house and in My kingdom. Solomon was settled for a time, and reigned long and peacefully over Israel; but he is not reigning now. A greater than Solomon is here. He is invested with sovereignty, absolute and universal: I will settle Him in My kingdom. He is invested with sovereignty, absolute and universal. I have set My King upon My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord has said unto Me, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance and uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession. Moreover, if we speak of His absolute sovereignty for a moment, you know it is written expressly, that none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?

III. This national establishment; for there is that word in my text--establish. There is a great deal said in Scripture about establishment. Immutable decrees are the basis of the establishment. Oh! I could bring out some twenty or thirty instances under my own notice in which all the schemes and powers and efforts of men have passed by; and God, in a moment and by a word, through some of His sent servants, has accomplished it all.

IV. The glorious perpetuity--I will settle Him in Mine house and in My kingdom for ever; and His throne shall be established for evermore. (Joseph Irons.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ch 17:14. I will settle him in my house — In my dwelling-place, 1st, In Jerusalem, the place where God had put his name for ever; or, 2d, In the temple, which is more properly and constantly called God’s house; and so this expression agrees but very imperfectly with Solomon or his successors; who might, indeed, be said to be settled in God’s house, because they dwelt near it, and, in some sort, were set over it; and because they were to take care that the priests and others should perform their offices, and God’s service in it; but, strictly and properly, it agrees only to Christ, to whom alone that promise also of an everlasting establishment in this kingdom belongs, as was observed on 2Sa 7:16. And this expression seems to be most emphatically added to signify that the person in whom all those promises should be fully and perfectly accomplished, namely, the Messiah, should be settled not only in the king’s throne, as others of David’s successors were, but also in God’s house or temple; and consequently that he should be a priest as well as a king; which mystery was clearly revealed to David, Psa 110:1-2; Psa 110:4, and may be intimated, though obscurely, in these words. And in my kingdom — Either, 1st, In the kingdom of Israel, which God calls his kingdom, because he was, in a special manner, the king and governor of it, having raised them up and formed them into a kingdom, and given them that protection and assistance which kings owe to their kingdoms; and because he expected and required from them what kings do from their people, that they should be wholly governed by his laws, and devoted to his service. Or, 2d, In God’s kingdom, in a more large and general sense. And this, as well as the former phrase, may seem singularly to belong to the Messiah, who was not only to be the king of Israel, but also of all nations, as was foretold even in the Old Testament, in sundry passages; and, thus understood, this may be an intimation of that great mystery, which is more fully revealed in the New Testament, namely, that Christ is the head, king, or governor of all God’s church, consisting of Jews and Gentiles, and of all nations, and indeed of all creatures, the angels not excepted; all which is God’s kingdom, and by him given to his Son, our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17:14 In the parallel at 2 Sam 7:16, God promises to establish David’s house, kingdom, and throne, whereas here it is Solomon’s. While the books of Samuel and Kings cast David as Israel’s ideal king, the Chronicler views Solomon as David’s equal. David made all the preparations for building the Temple, but God designated Solomon as the Temple builder. The promise to Israel was secured in the combined reigns of David and Solomon.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

I will settle him in my house--over My people Israel.

and in my kingdom for ever--God here asserts His right of supreme sovereignty in Israel. David and Solomon, with their successors, were only the vicegerents whom He nominated, or, in His providence, permitted.

his throne shall be established for evermore--The posterity of David inherited the throne in a long succession--but not always. In such a connection as this, the phrase "for evermore" is employed in a restricted sense (see on Lam 3:31). We naturally expect the prophet to revert to David before concluding, after having spoken (Ch1 17:12) of the building of Solomon's temple. The promise that his house should be blessed was intended as a compensation for the disappointment of his wish to build the temple, and hence this assurance is appropriately repeated at the conclusion of the prophet's address [BERTHEAU].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(14) But I will settle him (Heb., make him stand) in mine house and in my kingdom.—Samuel, “and thine house and thy kingdom shall be maintained for ever before thee; thy throne,” &c.; where, however, the LXX. and Syriac have “before me,” which agrees. better with our text. The change of persons in our verse brings out more clearly the theocratic nature of the Davidic kingdom. Solomon and his successors were to reign as vicegerents of Jehovah.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14. I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever] Sam. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee.

in mine house] Num_12:7; cp. 1Ti_3:15.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In mine house; in my dwelling-place; either,

1. In Jerusalem, the place where God had put his name for ever, 2Ki 21:4,7; 2Ch 6:5,6; compare 1Ki 11:36; 15:4. Or,

2. In the temple, which is more properly and constantly called God’s house; and so this expression agrees but very imperfectly with Solomon, or his successors, who might be said to be settled in God’s house, because they were settled near it, and in some sort set over it, because they were to take care that the priests and others should perform their offices and God’s service in it; but strictly and properly agrees only to Christ, to whom alone that promise also of an everlasting establishment in this kingdom belongs, as was noted on 2Sa 7. And this expression seems to be most emphatically added, to signify that that person in whom all those promises should be fully and perfectly accomplished, to wit, the Messias, should be settled not only in the king’s throne, as others of David’s successors were, but also in God’s house or temple; and consequently, that he should be a Priest as well as a King; which mystery was more clearly revealed to David, Psa 110:1,2,4, and may be intimated, though obscurely, (as was fit and usual in that state of the church,) in these words.

In my kingdom; either,

1. In the kingdom of Israel, which God calls his kingdom, because he was in a special manner their King and Governor, having raised them up and formed them into a kingdom, and given them that protection and assistance which kings owe to their kingdoms; and because he expected and required from them what kings do from their people, that they should be wholly governed by his laws, and devoted to his service. Or,

2. In God’s kingdom in a more large and general sense. And this, as well as the former phrase, may seem singularly to belong to the Messiah, who was not only to be the King of Israel, but also of all nations, as was foretold even in the Old Testament, as Psa 2:6-12; 22:27,28; 72:11; Isa 2:4; Hag 2:7; and so this may be an intimation of that great mystery which is more fully revealed in the New Testament, to wit, that Christ is the Head, or King, or Governor of all God’s church, consisting of Jews and Gentiles, and of all nations, and indeed of all creatures, the angels not excepted; all which is God’s kingdom, and by him given to his Son, our blessed Lord Christ. And for the signification of these great things, there is so great and remarkable an alteration of the phrase here from what it is in 2Sa 7, where, speaking to David, he constantly calls it his (i.e. David’s) kingdom, and his house, 2Sa 7:12,13, 2Sa 7:16,19,25,27, for which he here saith my house, and my kingdom, which also he distinguisheth from his throne, which is mentioned in the next clause of this verse, and in 1Sa 7:11,12. But these things I submit to the judicious reader.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Settle him - In the temple, this expression agrees but imperfectly with Solomon, or his successors, but strictly and properly with Christ, to whom alone that promise also of an everlasting establishment in this kingdom belongs. Kingdom - In God's kingdom in a large and general sense. And this, as well as the former phrase, singularly belongs to the Messiah, who was not only to be the king of Israel, but also of all nations. This is an intimation of that great mystery which is more fully revealed in the new testament, namely, that Christ, is the head, or king of all God's church, consisting of Jews and Gentiles, and of all nations, and indeed of all creatures, all which is God's kingdom, and by him given to his son our blessed Lord.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.