1 Chronicles 17 18

1 Chronicles 17:18 kjv

What can David speak more to thee for the honor of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant.

1 Chronicles 17:18 nkjv

What more can David say to You for the honor of Your servant? For You know Your servant.

1 Chronicles 17:18 niv

"What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant,

1 Chronicles 17:18 esv

And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant.

1 Chronicles 17:18 nlt

"What more can I say to you about the way you have honored me? You know what your servant is really like.

1 Chronicles 17 verses

1 Chronicles 17 18 Meaning

David is so overwhelmed by the magnitude and unexpectedness of God's covenant promises that he feels utterly incapable of adding anything further in gratitude or petition. He acknowledges God's omniscient knowledge of him, implying that God knows the depth of his heart and unworthiness without David needing to articulate it further. The verse conveys profound humility, awe, and submission in the face of divine grace.

1 Chronicles 17 18 Context

This verse forms part of David's prayer of thanksgiving and humility (1 Chron 17:16-27), delivered after the prophet Nathan relays God's astonishing covenant promise. Initially, David desired to build a permanent temple for God. However, God, through Nathan, overturns this, promising instead to build a lasting dynasty for David. God's promise includes establishing David's house, kingdom, and throne forever, granting him a great name, giving his people rest, and confirming that David's own son would build the temple. The sheer magnitude and unconditional nature of this divine pledge, far exceeding David's initial thought or human expectation, profoundly humbles him. This specific verse reflects David's complete surrender and awe, recognizing his unworthiness for such immense divine favor and the inadequacy of words to express his gratitude. Historically, this promise elevates David's lineage, setting the stage for the Messiah, a key element in God's redemptive plan.

1 Chronicles 17 18 Word analysis

• What more: (Hebrew: מָה עוֹד - mah 'od)

  • Significance: This rhetorical question expresses David's utter inability to formulate a more fitting or additional response. It signifies a profound sense of being overwhelmed, indicating that any further words would be insufficient or superfluous given the enormity of God's grace. It is a humble admission of human linguistic limitation in the face of divine magnanimity.

• can David yet say to You: (Hebrew: יֹאמֶר דָּוִיד אֵלֶיךָ - yo'mar Dawid 'eleyka)

  • Significance: David refers to himself by name, highlighting his own smallness and unworthiness in direct contrast to the mighty, covenant-making God. The phrase underscores his position as a recipient of unsolicited favor, emphasizing the divine initiative rather than any human merit. He can find no suitable words or petitions beyond simple gratitude.

• concerning honor to Your servant: (Hebrew: לְכָבוֹד לְעַבְדֶּךָ - lĕkāvôd lĕ'avdekha)

  • honor/glory: (כָבוֹד - kavod)
    • Meaning: This word often means "glory," "honor," or "weightiness." Here, it refers to the elevated status and lasting dynasty God has promised David.
    • Significance: David acknowledges that any "honor" bestowed upon him is entirely God's doing. It's not a self-generated honor but one freely granted by divine decree. He views himself simply as "Your servant," underscoring his position of submission and obedience rather than self-importance. This serves as a polemic against human-centered pride, attributing all glory back to the true Source.

• since You Yourself know Your servant: (Hebrew: וְאַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֶת־עַבְדְּךָ - ve'attah yadata 'et-'avdekha)

  • You Yourself know: (וְאַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ - ve'attah yadata)

    • Meaning: The emphasized "You Yourself" (אַתָּה - attah), coupled with "know" (יָדַעְתָּ - yadata), speaks of God's comprehensive, intimate, and perfect knowledge.
    • Significance: This is a crucial theological statement about God's omniscience. David recognizes that God already possesses full insight into his heart, thoughts, and true standing, including his humility, unworthiness, and deep gratitude. There's no need for David to explain himself further, as God already discerns his every being. This reflects trust in God's character and intimate involvement in human affairs.

  • Your servant: (אֶת־עַבְדְּךָ - et-'avdekha)

    • Significance: Repeated use of "Your servant" reinforces David's humble self-designation. It signifies complete dependence and dedication to God. This phrase emphasizes his role as God's chosen instrument, not an independent agent, contrasting with the often proud posture of ancient Near Eastern kings.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "What more can David yet say to You concerning honor to Your servant": This entire phrase reflects David's awe and inability to respond adequately to the overwhelming divine promise. It underscores the unmerited nature of God's favor and highlights that human words fall short when faced with infinite divine grace. David isn't speechless due to lack of thought but due to the overwhelming magnitude of God's unlooked-for generosity.
  • "since You Yourself know Your servant": This phrase functions as the reason or justification for David's lack of further words. It's an affirmation of God's perfect omniscience. It implies that David trusts God to understand his unexpressed gratitude, his unworthiness, and the true condition of his heart better than David himself could articulate. It signifies a profound intimacy and complete transparency before God.

1 Chronicles 17 18 Bonus section

The covenant God made with David, referenced in 1 Chronicles 17, is unilateral and unconditional, contrasting sharply with previous covenants that had conditional elements (e.g., the Mosaic Covenant). This specific nature of the Davidic Covenant magnifies David's response in verse 18; his humility isn't based on what he must do, but what God has already promised to do. This profound theological truth prefigures the New Covenant, also unconditional and founded on God's initiative rather than human works. David's response provides a pattern for responding to God's immense grace: acknowledging our place as servants and resting in God's sovereign knowledge and will.

1 Chronicles 17 18 Commentary

1 Chronicles 17:18 stands as a profound declaration of humility and submission from King David, a pivotal figure in biblical history. Following God's breathtaking and unilateral promise of an eternal dynasty, far surpassing David's initial intention to build God a house, David is left utterly speechless, or rather, beyond words. The rhetorical question, "What more can David yet say to You concerning honor to Your servant?" captures the essence of his overwhelmed spirit. He cannot invent new words of praise or supplication that would be commensurate with the divine blessing. Every honor and elevated status granted to him he correctly attributes solely to God's gracious will, recognizing himself simply as "Your servant"—a term he frequently uses to denote his dedicated submission and dependence.

The verse culminates in the crucial theological statement: "since You Yourself know Your servant." This is not an evasion, but an expression of deepest trust in God's omniscience. David understands that God fully comprehends the state of his heart, his profound gratitude, his unworthiness, and all that remains unsaid. It's a testament to the intimate, personal knowledge God has of each individual. This complete transparency before the Almighty renders further articulation redundant. The verse ultimately teaches about proper human response to divine grace: humility, acknowledgement of God's infinite wisdom and knowledge, and utter reliance on His purposes rather than human merit or verbose rhetoric.