²Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: as for me, it was in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God; and I had made ready for the building. =2.= _stood up upon his feet_] Kings sometimes made orations sitting; compare Acts xii. 21. Here the king stands to mark the greatness of the occasion. _my brethren_] The king is the _brother_ of his subjects; Deuteronomy xvii. 15, 20; compare Psalms xlv. 7. _it was in mine heart_] See xvii. 1; 2 Samuel vii. 2. _an house of rest_] Compare xvii. 5; 2 Samuel vii. 6. _the footstool_] compare Isaiah lx. 13. ³But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou art a man of war, and hast shed blood. =3.= _thou art a man of war_] See note on xxii. 8. ⁴Howbeit the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be prince¹; and in the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel: ¹ Or, _leader_. =4.= _out of all the house_] See 1 Samuel xvi. 1‒13. _king ... for ever_] i.e. the kingdom is to abide with David and his descendants. That the promise, however, was not to be interpreted as independent of moral conditions, see below verse 9 _ad fin._ ⁵and of all my sons, (for the LORD hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. =5.= _many sons_] compare iii. 1‒9. _he hath chosen Solomon_] The earlier histories (_Samuel‒Kings_) do not thus speak of God choosing Solomon as David’s successor; but compare 2 Samuel xii. 24, 25; 1 Kings i. 11‒14. _the throne of the kingdom of the LORD_] Compare xxix. 23, _the throne of the LORD_. The Chronicler regards the king as the deputy of Jehovah. ⁶And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. =6.= _he shall build my house_] Compare xxii. 10. ⁷And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgements, as at this day. =7.= _And I will establish_] Compare xvii. 11. _if he be constant_] Literally _if he be strong_; compare verses 10, 20, _be strong_ (same word in Hebrew). Compare 1 Kings ix. 4, 5. ⁸Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the congregation of the LORD, and in the audience of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you for ever. =8.= _and seek out_] The same Hebrew word is used in xiii. 3, _we sought not unto it_ (i.e. the Ark) _in the days of Saul_.