1 Chronicles 17:19

KJV

O LORD, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all [these] great things.

KJV (with Strong's)

O LORD {H3068}, for thy servant's {H5650} sake, and according to thine own heart {H3820}, hast thou done {H6213} all this greatness {H1420}, in making known {H3045} all these great things {H1420}.

Complete Jewish Bible

ADONAI, it is for your servant's sake and in accordance with your own heart that you have done all this greatness and revealed all these great things.

Berean Standard Bible

O LORD. For the sake of Your servant and according to Your own heart, You have accomplished this great thing and revealed all Your greatness.

American Standard Version

O Jehovah, for thy servant’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou wrought all this greatness, to make known all these great things.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
1 Chronicles 17:19 captures King David's profound prayer of thanksgiving, acknowledging that God's magnificent promises and the revelation of His grand purposes are not based on human merit but flow entirely from God's own benevolent character and sovereign will. David marvels at the immense scope of God's actions, recognizing them as a pure expression of divine initiative and boundless grace.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is an integral part of David's extended prayer of thanksgiving found in [1 Chronicles 17:16-27](/1_chronicles/17-16 "1 Chronicles 17:16-27 - David's Prayer of Thanksgiving"). This prayer immediately follows the prophet Nathan's delivery of God's covenant message to David in [1 Chronicles 17:1-15](/1_chronicles/17-1 "1 Chronicles 17:1-15 - Nathan's Prophecy to David"). God had explicitly forbidden David from building the temple, yet He promised to build David an enduring dynasty, establish his kingdom forever, and ensure that David's son would build God's house. David's prayer is a humble and awe-filled response to this unilateral, unconditional covenant, recognizing the immense, unmerited favor bestowed upon him and his lineage. Verse 19 specifically articulates David's understanding that the source of these incredible promises is solely God's character.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** King David reigned during a pivotal time in Israel's history, consolidating the kingdom and establishing Jerusalem as its capital. The desire to build a permanent temple for the Ark of the Covenant, as expressed by David in [1 Chronicles 17:1](/1_chronicles/17-1 "1 Chronicles 17:1 - David's Desire to Build a Temple"), was a significant cultural and religious aspiration, reflecting the people's desire for God's settled presence among them. However, God's response, delivered through Nathan, redirected David's focus from building a house for God to God building a "house" (dynasty) for David. This shift underscored the covenantal nature of God's relationship with His people, where His initiative and faithfulness were paramount. The concept of "heart" in ancient Near Eastern thought often encompassed the totality of a person's inner being, including their will, intellect, and emotions, making "according to thine own heart" a powerful statement about God's intrinsic motivation.
* **Key Themes:** [1 Chronicles 17](/1_chronicles/17 "1 Chronicles 17 - The Davidic Covenant"), and particularly verse 19, powerfully highlights several core themes. Firstly, **God's Initiative and Sovereignty** are central; the phrase "according to thine own heart" emphasizes that God's actions are self-motivated, stemming from His inherent character and sovereign will, not from human merit or persuasion. This resonates with the broader biblical truth that salvation and blessing are fundamentally by grace, as articulated in [Ephesians 2:8](/ephesians/2-8 "Ephesians 2:8 - Salvation by Grace"). Secondly, the theme of **Divine Revelation** is prominent. "Hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things" underscores God's gracious desire to unveil His plans and purposes to His servants, inviting them into His grand narrative. This act of revelation is a testament to His personal engagement with humanity, mirroring the principle found in [Amos 3:7](/amos/3-7 "Amos 3:7 - God Reveals His Secret to His Servants"). Finally, David's prayer exemplifies **Humility and Gratitude** in the face of unmerited divine favor, serving as a model for how believers should respond to God's boundless grace.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Heart (Hebrew, _lēvāv_):** This term, often translated as "heart," refers not merely to the emotional center but to the totality of a person's inner being—their will, intellect, desires, and moral character. When applied to God ("thine own heart"), it signifies that His actions are perfectly aligned with His intrinsic nature, His sovereign will, and His inherent goodness. It emphasizes that God's covenant promises to David were not a reaction to David's worthiness but an outflow of God's own self-existent, benevolent character and eternal purpose.
* **Greatness (Hebrew, _g'dullâh_):** This word denotes magnitude, majesty, and extraordinary power. Its repetition in the verse ("all this greatness" and "all these great things") emphasizes the immense, unparalleled, and awe-inspiring nature of God's promises and His capacity to fulfill them. It speaks to the vastness of God's plan for David's dynasty and the future of Israel, far exceeding any human expectation or achievement.
* **Making Known (Hebrew, _hôda'_):** Derived from the root יָדַע (_yada'_), meaning "to know," the Hiphil conjugation "making known" implies an active, intentional revelation. God is not merely performing great acts but is also graciously communicating His purposes and plans to His servant David. This highlights God's relational nature and His desire for humanity to understand His will and participate in His redemptive narrative.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"O LORD, for thy servant's sake":** David begins by humbly acknowledging his position as God's servant. While the blessings are directed towards him and his lineage, David attributes the *reason* for God's actions not to his own merit, but to God's commitment to His covenant relationship with His chosen servant. It's a recognition that God acts out of His own faithfulness to His promises, even those made to an unworthy recipient.
* **"and according to thine own heart":** This is the pivotal phrase, declaring the ultimate source and motivation for God's actions. It means God has acted in perfect accordance with His own nature, His sovereign will, and His inherent goodness. The promises were not coerced or earned, but freely given as an expression of God's character and benevolent design.
* **"hast thou done all this greatness":** This clause refers to the magnificent promises of the Davidic Covenant – an enduring dynasty, a secure kingdom, and a son to build God's house. David marvels at the sheer scale and profound implications of these divine commitments, recognizing them as an unparalleled display of God's power and majesty.
* **"in making known all [these] great things":** Not only has God performed these great acts (or promised to perform them), but He has also graciously revealed them to David. This underscores God's desire for relationship and understanding, inviting David into the knowledge of His grand, redemptive plan, which extends far beyond David's immediate lifetime.

#### Literary Devices
1 Chronicles 17:19 employs several impactful literary devices. **Repetition** is prominent, particularly with the words "greatness" and "great things," which serves to emphasize the immense, unparalleled nature of God's promises and His power to fulfill them. This rhetorical device underscores the awe and wonder David experiences. **Anthropomorphism** is central to the phrase "according to thine own heart," attributing human-like qualities (a "heart" as the seat of will and desire) to God. This makes God's motivation relatable and emphasizes that His actions stem from His very being. The verse also contains elements of **Hyperbole**, as "all this greatness" and "all these great things" convey an overwhelming sense of magnitude that transcends ordinary human understanding, reflecting the divine scale of God's covenant.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly articulates the doctrine of divine initiative and grace. It teaches that God's actions are fundamentally self-motivated, flowing from His intrinsic character and sovereign will, rather than being a response to human merit or persuasion. David's humble acknowledgment that God acts "according to thine own heart" establishes a foundational truth: all true blessings, particularly those of covenant and salvation, originate solely in God's uncoerced love and purpose. This perspective cultivates deep humility and gratitude, shifting the focus from human performance to divine benevolence, and reminding believers that God's revealed plans are always for His glory and the ultimate good of His people.

* [Deuteronomy 7:7-8](/deuteronomy/7-7 "Deuteronomy 7:7-8 - God's Love for Israel")
* [Psalm 115:3](/psalms/115-3 "Psalm 115:3 - Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.")
* [Romans 9:15-16](/romans/9-15 "Romans 9:15-16 - God's Mercy and Compassion")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
1 Chronicles 17:19 invites us to reflect on the source of all blessings in our lives. Like David, we are prone to attribute success or favor to our own efforts, wisdom, or perceived worthiness. However, this verse redirects our gaze to God's "own heart" as the wellspring of all good things. It challenges us to cultivate a profound sense of humility, recognizing that every spiritual insight, every answered prayer, and every provision is a gift flowing from God's unmerited grace. This understanding should foster a spirit of continuous thanksgiving, transforming our prayers from petitions for what we *deserve* to expressions of awe for what God *desires* to give out of His boundless love. It encourages us to trust in God's revealed will, knowing that His plans are always perfect and rooted in His benevolent character, ultimately for our good and His glory.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does understanding God's actions as stemming from "His own heart" change your perspective on answered prayer or unexpected blessings?**
* **In what areas of your life might you be subtly relying on your own merit rather than God's grace?**
* **How can cultivating a deeper sense of humility, like David, transform your daily walk with God?**
* **What "great things" has God made known to you, and how have you responded to His revelation?**

### FAQ
**What is the significance of the phrase "according to thine own heart"?**

Answer: The phrase "according to thine own heart" (Hebrew: *kilevavkha*) is profoundly significant because it reveals the ultimate source and motivation for God's actions. It means that God's promises and deeds, particularly the magnificent Davidic Covenant, were not a response to David's worthiness, merit, or persuasion. Instead, they flowed entirely from God's intrinsic nature, His sovereign will, and His inherent goodness and benevolence. It emphasizes divine initiative and grace, underscoring that God acts out of His own character and eternal purposes, not because He is compelled by anything outside of Himself. This concept is foundational to understanding God's unmerited favor throughout Scripture, echoing themes found in passages like [Deuteronomy 7:7-8](/deuteronomy/7-7 "Deuteronomy 7:7-8 - God's Love for Israel") where God chose Israel not because of their greatness, but because He loved them.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
1 Chronicles 17:19, with its emphasis on God's initiative from "His own heart" in making known "great things" to David, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The "greatness" God did and "great things" He made known to David were primarily the promises of an eternal dynasty and a secure kingdom ([1 Chronicles 17:11-14](/1_chronicles/17-11 "1 Chronicles 17:11-14 - God's Covenant with David")). These promises are fully realized in Jesus, the Son of David, whose kingdom is indeed eternal and whose throne is established forever ([Luke 1:32-33](/luke/1-32 "Luke 1:32-33 - The Angel Gabriel's Prophecy to Mary")). God's "own heart" of love and grace, which prompted the covenant with David, is most clearly and fully revealed in the sending of His Son ([John 3:16](/john/3-16 "John 3:16 - God's Love for the World")). Jesus is not only the heir to David's throne but also the ultimate revelation of God's character and purposes, the One through whom all "great things" concerning salvation, redemption, and eternal life are "made known" to humanity ([Hebrews 1:1-3](/hebrews/1-1 "Hebrews 1:1-3 - God Has Spoken Through His Son")). Through Christ, we see the very heart of God laid bare, not just in promises, but in the ultimate act of self-giving love on the cross, establishing a new covenant and an everlasting kingdom for all who believe ([Colossians 1:13-14](/colossians/1-13 "Colossians 1:13-14 - Redemption Through Christ")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Isaiah 37:35

For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

Isaiah 49:3

And said unto me, Thou [art] my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Isaiah 49:5

And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb [to be] his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

Isaiah 49:6

And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Psalms 111:3

His work [is] honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.

Matthew 11:26

Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.

Psalms 111:6

¶ He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.