2 Samuel 7:14
in 2 Samuel 7I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;
KJV
I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
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This verse in 2 Samuel 7
Commentary
9 notes on this verseI will be his father, and he shall be my son,.... That is, I will be as kind unto him, and careful of him, as a father of a son; or he shall be, and appear to be my son, by adopting grace, as no doubt Solomon was, notwithstanding all his failings.
This site's exposition
I will be his Father, and he will be My son
on 2 Samuel 7:14-15
The father-son language binds the throne to a relationship rather than a bare contract. Hebrews 1:5 quotes this verse of Christ directly, the sinless son the human throne could only foreshadow. The mercy that will not depart, unlike Saul's, is the difference the chapter is built to mark.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Again, listen concerning the title Son of God, by which we have called him. They [the Jews] say that "though God has no son, you make that crucified Jesus, the firstborn son of God." Yet he called Israel "my firstborn" when he sent to Pharaoh through Moses and said to him, "Israel is my firstborn; I have said to you, let my son go to serve me, and if you are not willing to let (him) go, lo! I will slay your son, your firstborn." And also through the prophet he testified concerning this and reproved them and said to the people, "Out of Egypt have I called my son. As I called them, so they went and worshiped Baal and offered incense to the graven images." And Isaiah said concerning them, "Children have I reared and brought up, and they have rebelled against me." And again it is written, "You are the children of the Lord your God." And about Solomon he said, "He shall be a son to me, and I will be a Father to him." So also we call the Christ "the Son of God" because through him we have gained the knowledge of God; even as he called Israel my firstborn son and as he said concerning Solomon, "He shall be a son to me."
So that you ought rather to desist from the love of strife, and repent before the great day of judgment come, wherein all those of your tribes who have pierced this Christ shall mourn as I have shown has been declared by the Scriptures.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The promise here speaks as unto sons. [1.] That his Father would correct him when there was occasion; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? Afflictions are an article of the covenant, and are not only consistent with, but flow from, God's fatherly love. " If he commit iniquity, as it proved he did ( 1 Kings xi.
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A very humble prayer which David offered up to God in return to that gracious message, thankfully accepting God's promises to him, and earnestly praying for the performance of them,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
If he commit iniquity - Depart from the holy commandment delivered to him; I will chasten him with the rod of men-he shall have affliction, but his government shall not be utterly subverted. But this has a higher meaning. See the observations at the end, 2Sa 7:25 (note).
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan--The command was given to the prophet on the night immediately following; that is, before David could either take any measures or incur any expenses.
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A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
I will be his father ... - In marginal reference the equivalent expressions are applied to David. In Heb 1:5, this text is applied to Christ. But in 1Ch 17:13; 1Ch 22:9-10; 1Ch 28:6, it is expressly appropriated to Solomon. With the rod of men ... - i. e. such a chastisement as men inflict upon their children, to correct and reclaim them, not to destroy them. The whole clause is omitted in 1Ch 17:13.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
With the rod of men. This refers to Haddad and Rozon, the son of Elyodoh. 9 Both were enemies of Shlomo, they are mentioned in Kings I,:14 and 23 respectively.
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. 4 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
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֲנִי֙ | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אֶהְיֶה־ | ʾehyeh- | I will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לּ֣וֹ | lo | of him | ||
| לְאָ֔ב | leav | <into> a father | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וְה֖וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| יִהְיֶה־ | yihyeh- | he will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לִּ֣י | li | of me | ||
| לְבֵ֑ן | leven | <into> a son | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֙ | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּהַ֣עֲוֹת֔וֹ | behaoto | when does wrong he | H5753 → | 17 times |
| וְהֹֽכַחְתִּיו֙ | vehokhachtiv | and I will reprove him | H3198 → | |
| בְּשֵׁ֣בֶט | beshevet | with a rod of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| אֲנָשִׁ֔ים | ʾanashim | men | H582 → | 566 times |
| וּבְנִגְעֵ֖י | uvenigei | and with wounds of | H5061 → | |
| בְּנֵ֥י | benei | children of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָדָֽם׃ | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
אֲנִי֙I
ʾaniH589 →874 times
אֶהְיֶה־I will become
ʾehyeh-H1961 →3559 times
לּ֣וֹof him
lo
לְאָ֔ב<into> a father
leavH1 →1212 times
וְה֖וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
יִהְיֶה־he will become
yihyeh-H1961 →3559 times
לִּ֣יof me
li
לְבֵ֑ן<into> a son
levenH1121 →4930 times
אֲשֶׁר֙who
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּהַ֣עֲוֹת֔וֹwhen does wrong he
behaotoH5753 →17 times
וְהֹֽכַחְתִּיו֙and I will reprove him
vehokhachtivH3198 →
בְּשֵׁ֣בֶטwith a rod of
beshevetH7626 →190 times
אֲנָשִׁ֔יםmen
ʾanashimH582 →566 times
וּבְנִגְעֵ֖יand with wounds of
uvenigeiH5061 →
בְּנֵ֥יchildren of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
אָדָֽם׃humankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
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
Hebrews 1:5For to which of the angels did God ever say: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father”? Or again: “I will be His Father, and He will be My Son”?
it leads to
- Psalms 2:7
I will proclaim the decree spoken to Me by the LORD: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 13:33
He has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.’
- Hebrews 5:5
So also Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest, but He was called by the One who said to Him: “You are My Son; today I have become…
- 1 Chronicles 17:13
I will be his Father, and he will be My son. And I will never remove My loving devotion from him as I removed it from your predecessor.
- 1 Chronicles 22:10
He is the one who will build a house for My Name. He will be My son, and I will be his Father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel…
- Psalms 2:7
Through
Revelation 3:19Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 11:32
But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 12:5–11
And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 3:11–12
My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke;
- 1 Corinthians 11:32
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies16
On this verse
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Aphrahat the Persian Sage, DEMONSTRATION 17.4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter CXVIII; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.