1 Chronicles 17:16
in 1 Chronicles 17Then King David went in, sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then David the king went in, and sat before Jehovah; and he said, Who am I, O Jehovah God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far?
KJV
And David the king came and sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 17
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? - I am not of any regal family, and have no natural right to the throne.
This site's exposition
Who am I, O Lord God
on 1 Chronicles 17:16-17
David's prayer opens on a question, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is mine house, matching 2 Sam 7:18 almost without variation, and the Samuel exposition already carries this opening as the shape faith takes when offered a promise too large to have asked for. Verse 17 keeps the same wonder, a small thing in thine eyes, and adds that God has regarded him according to the estate of a man of high degree, Barnes reading the phrase as David set above other men though he has no natural claim to that rank.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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.
12 He shall build me a house, and I will stablish his throne for ever. 13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee: 14 But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:99%@v12-14
How highly does he advance the name of God, and admire his condescending favour? With what devout affections does he magnify the God of Israel: with what assurance build upon the promise! What an example is this of believing, fervent prayer!
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
that You have brought me thus far From the sheepcote you brought me to the kingdom.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
As though this was yet too small a thing in Your eyes that You gave me the kingdom.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹא֙ | vaiyavo' | and he went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| דָּוִ֔יד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב | vaiyeshev | and he sat | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַיֹּ֗אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מִֽי־ | mi- | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| אֲנִ֞י | ʾani | [am] I | H589 → | 874 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | O Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהִים֙ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וּמִ֣י | umi | and who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| בֵיתִ֔י | veiti | [is] house my | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הֲבִיאֹתַ֖נִי | haviotani | you have brought me | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הֲלֹֽם׃ | halom | here | H1988 → |
וַיָּבֹא֙and he went
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
דָּוִ֔ידDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
וַיֵּ֖שֶׁבand he sat
vaiyeshevH3427 →1079 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַיֹּ֗אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
מִֽי־who?
mi-H4310 →423 times
אֲנִ֞י[am] I
ʾaniH589 →874 times
יְהוָ֤הO Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהִים֙God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
וּמִ֣יand who?
umiH4310 →423 times
בֵיתִ֔י[is] house my
veitiH1004 →2046 times
כִּ֥יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
הֲבִיאֹתַ֖נִיyou have brought me
haviotaniH935 →2568 times
עַד־to
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הֲלֹֽם׃here
halomH1988 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Samuel 7:18Then King David went in, sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?
it leads to
- Psalms 8:4
what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 15:17
And Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, have you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 18:18
And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?”
- Genesis 32:10
I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, with only my staff I came across the Jordan, but now I have become two camps.
- Exodus 3:11
But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
- Psalms 8:4
Through
Ephesians 3:8Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 15:9
For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- Colossians 1:27
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
- 1 Corinthians 15:9
Through
Psalms 144:3O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?
it leads to
- Job 7:17
What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him,
- Job 7:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Chronicles
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.