# 2 Samuel 7:14...I don't understand



## Chris

> 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:



If 2 Samuel 7 is a prophecy of Christ, what is meant by the phrase I have put in bold? I was reading this last night and it just sort of popped out at me.


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## gwine

The ESV translates it at '14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. *When he commits iniquity*, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.'

To me this is referring to Solomon and not to Christ, since either 'when' or 'if' could not refer to Christ. The first (when) because Christ did not sin and the second {if} because God knew he would not sin.

Perhaps the Hebrew word could be either - I don't know. But I still believe in either case it is Solomon being referred to here.


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## Chris

gwine said:


> The ESV translates it at '14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. *When he commits iniquity*, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.'
> 
> To me this is referring to Solomon and not to Christ, since either 'when' or 'if' could not refer to Christ. The first (when) because Christ did not sin and the second {if} because God knew he would not sin.
> 
> Perhaps the Hebrew word could be either - I don't know. But I still believe in either case it is Solomon being referred to here.




Thanks.

I know this question may not be particularly deep to most here, but this is pretty well the level I'm at in theology. I read my Bible, there's a handy little star beside the verse telling me the verse foretells of Christ, and I read it and think 'how?'. 


Anyway, thanks for the answer.


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## gwine

Chris said:


> Thanks.
> 
> I know this question may not be particularly deep to most here, but this is pretty well the level I'm at in theology. I read my Bible, there's a handy little star beside the verse telling me the verse foretells of Christ, and I read it and think 'how?'.
> 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for the answer.


You're welcome. Of course my answer wasn't too deep, but you're right in that many verses are fortelling Christ. Matthew Henry seems to be saying that the text refers both to Solomon and to Christ, but I get lost in understanding him sometimes. And For what it's worth, he reads the text as 'if' and notes that Solomon did plainly fall. If he is correct then that part definitely does not refer to Christ.


> 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. 12When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He shall build a house for my name, *and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever*. 14I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16*And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever*.'" 17In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.


Surely the idea of forever has to refer to Christ.


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## Robin

Chris,

The passage is a good example of the "multiple fulfillment" nature of OT prophecy.

Yes, it is referring to Solomon in the immediate future AND to Christ distantly. There is overlap because David and Solomon are "types" of Christ pointing forward to the actual Covenant Keeper expected.

Try to always read large portions of Text in context, and in order. That way, even though you'll bump into words/things unknown to you, you'll at least be getting an accurate "spin" on the story.

In this case, the point is, nothing will prevent the New Covenant from being accomplished - not even the worst sin, because God Himself will do it.

 

Robin


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## Contra_Mundum

Respectfully (to Robin), the notion of "multiple fulfillment" should be explained further, and I even dislike such language because it is so liable to misunderstanding. We are much better off sticking with "type-fulfillement" language. We do not find strict "multiple fulfillments", i.e. prophecies fulfilled once and again, and perhaps many times until Christ (or in which case, people would certainly have found many more so-called fulfillments before and since). If that were the case, it would actually destroy the nature of prophecy. With *types*, however, we see usually a single "lesser" fulfillment, an analogy, always amazingly fiting and appropriate, but typically flawed in some way that keeps men looking ahead, one that ends up pointing like a signpost/arrow to Christ, the _better_ fulfillment.

The OT types (and the whole OT is _littered_ with types and shadows) were meant to be fulfilled *preeminently* in Christ. Solomon was a type of Christ. The critical portion of the verse that applies preeminently to Christ, is "I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me," as applied, Heb. 1:5. In other words, however much a mere man might be God's son, there was some way that the Christ should be a Son like no other.

Beside that, Christ of course is sinless, so though he commits NO iniquity, yet he still is chastened (by God) with the rod and stripes for OUR (men and children of men) sin like no person could ever be chastened and endure it. And so is certainly fulfilled for Christ preeminently, "My lovingkindness shall not depart from him," and "thy kingdom ...and thy throne shall be made sure/be established forever." This last is exactly what the faithful Jews were looking for, and the NT explicitly tells us Christ received.


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