Who is God really talking to in 2 Samuel 7:14 if it sounds like it's about Solomon?
In 2 Samuel 7:14, while the immediate wording addresses Solomon, the ultimate focus is the whole nation of Israel. The Davidic covenant looks down the long view of Israel's history, so God is speaking to the nation and warning that He will chasten them when they fall into unbelief.
Les explains that II Samuel 7 records the Davidic covenant, which God made with David concerning his offspring, the nation of Israel. The royal line of the house of David would lead to the coming King, the Christ, the Messiah, and it would come through Solomon on one side and Nathan on the other. Verse 14 speaks primarily of Solomon: “I will be his father, 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.” Even though it sounds like God is only addressing Solomon in particular, Les says God is looking at the long view of the whole nation of Israel. That is who He is really talking to. God would chasten the nation of Israel by their enemy nations and by various other ways He had of chastening His people. Les then points to verse 15, where the first word is “But,” marking the flip side: yes, He will chasten them and deal harshly with them when they come into unbelief and abject behavior.
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:
More Questions
Who is the "son" in II Samuel 7:14 that God says He will be a father to?
In II Samuel 7:14, "I will be his father, and he shall be my son" refers to the nation of Israel, and God's fatherly discipline of that son is like a good earthly father who disciplines his children, as the book of Hebrews makes plain.
Who does 'if he commit iniquity' refer to in 2 Samuel 7:14?
In 2 Samuel 7:14, God's statement 'if he commit iniquity' is not talking just about Solomon; it is also talking about the nation of Israel.