Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 17:21

"And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem unto himself for a people, to make thee a name by great and terrible things, in driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou redeemest out of Egypt?" — 1 Chronicles 17:21 (ASV)

And what one nation in the earth. —Rather, And who is like Your people Israel, a single (isolated) race on the earth? .

Nation (gôy)—that is, race; a people considered as united by common blood, speech, and country.

People (‘âm)—that is, a political community, social union, or state, under one sovereign.

Whom God went... —Literally, which God went (marched) to redeem to Himself as a people. Samuel has “which gods went.”

To make You a name. —That is, for Yourself, God. Samuel has “for him,” in the same sense.

A name of greatness and terribleness. —Both nouns are plural and imply renown for great and terrible deeds.

By driving. —To drive; parallel with “to redeem” and “to make.”

Nations. —Samuel adds, “and his gods.” The text of this verse in Samuel is corrupt (compare to the Septuagint), and perhaps the added phrase is spurious. But, on the other hand, the chronicler may have omitted it because, like Isaiah, he regarded the heathen deities as non-entities. In earlier times, foreign gods were spoken of as real beings, subordinate to Jehovah (Compare to the Septuagint rendering of Deuteronomy 32:8).