Who said this?
Rashi: This is what Hashem said to David.
After saying "I did not choose a city", He should have said 'I chose Yerushalayim'! Why did He say "I chose David"?
Radak: I did not make known that I chose Yerushalayim 1 until I chose David to be over My nation Yisrael, and I showed to him the chosen place when I answered his prayer in Aravna's granary with fire from Shamayim.
Malbim: The unity of Yisrael depends on two matters. (a) The nation is like one body via "Yerushalayim ha'Benuyah k'Ir she'Chubrah Lah Yachdav; she'Sham Alu Shevatim" (Tehilim 122:3-4). Since they all ascend for the festival and all turn to one place, all the limbs are part of one body. Yerushalayim is like the heart, which sends life to the entire body via pumping the blood to the body, and it returns to the heart. (b) Through Malchus Beis David, which fixed one permanent leadership encompassing everyone - "Ki Shamah Yashvu Kis'os k'Mishpat Kis'os l'Veis David" (Tehilim 122:5). His kingship is like the brain, which conducts all of the limbs. Afterwards, through the Beis ha'Mikdash, the Shechinah dwelled among Yisrael regularly. This is like the Divine Neshamah called Chayah and Yechidah, which is the Divine connection with people. Yisrael were commanded to appoint a king before building the Beis ha'Mikdash (Sanhedrin 20b), for the Divine Neshamah cannot dwell in man without first having Ru'ach Chayim and the intellectual Neshamah, which depends on the body and its unity. Until now the body of Yisrael were scattered and not united, not its Ru'ach Chayim via one city - "for I did not choose a city" - and not its intellectual Neshamah via one kingship - "I did not choose a man to lead My nation Yisrael" Divrei ha'Yamim II, 6:5. Here the Navi is concise, and omitted "I did not choose a man"; it is understood. Also, it says here only "I chose David", and it is understood that I chose a city, for Ru'ach Chayim must precede the intellectual Neshamah.
