2 Samuel 7 — Dead Sea Scrolls
4 attestation entries • 1 variants • 4QSamᵃ family
Manuscript Overview
Summary
2 Samuel 7 contains the Davidic covenant — the unconditional promise to David's house — and David's prayer of response (vv. 18–29). The chapter is one of the OT's foundational royal-Messianic texts. 4QSamᵃ preserves substantial portions with one celebrated text-critical question: in v. 23, MT reads 'whom God went to redeem' (singular verb 'went' followed by plural 'gods/God'), while 4QSamᵃ and the LXX 1 Paralipomena parallel preserve a plural verb form. The question of whether 'gods' (elohim) here is a true plural divine-council reference or simply the standard plural-of-majesty for YHWH has been debated for millennia.
Notable Variants
MAJOR TEXT-CRITICAL QUESTION at v. 23. The MT reads halku elohim ('God-pl. went-pl.') — a grammatically jarring construction often regarded as a relic of an older divine-council reading. 1 Chronicles 17:21 (the parallel) reads halak ha-elohim (singular verb). 4QSamᵃ supports MT's plural. The question: is the older text 'whom gods went to redeem' (plural divine council) or 'whom God went to redeem' (singular YHWH)? The DSS evidence supports the plural form as ancient.
Manuscripts
4QSamᵃ (4Q51)
Scroll Condition
4QSamᵃ provides moderate coverage of the chapter, including parts of David's prayer.
from the time I appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. And the LORD declares to you that the LORD will build you a house.
'The LORD will make you a house' — the central Davidic-covenant promise — tracks MT. Foundational for Royal-Messianic theology and cited throughout the NT (Acts 13:23, Heb 1:5).
fragmentary
I myself will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. When he goes astray, I will discipline him with a human rod and with blows that people inflict.
'I will be his father, and he shall be my son' tracks MT. Cited at Heb 1:5 in the Christological catena, applied to the Son.
fragmentary
Your house and your kingdom will stand firm before you forever. Your throne will be established forever."
'Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever' tracks MT — the unconditional Davidic promise.
fragmentary
And who is like your people Israel -- a singular nation on earth -- for whom God went out to redeem them as His own people? You made a name for yourself and did great and fearsome things for your land, driving out nations and their gods before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt.
Masoretic (WLC)
אֲשֶׁר־הָלְכוּ אֱלֹהִים לִפְדּוֹת לוֹ לְעָם
whom God went [plural verb] to redeem for himself as a people
Dead Sea Scroll
[supports MT plural verb הלכו]
whom gods went to redeem (or: whom God went to redeem — preserving the plural verb form)
The MT plural verb halku ('they went') with elohim has long been a textual crux — possibly an ancient divine-council relic, possibly a grammatical anomaly. 4QSamᵃ supports the plural verb form against the 1 Chronicles 17:21 parallel which has the singular halak. The DSS evidence reinforces the plural as ancient and authentic to Samuel.
4QSamᵃ frag.