THE SECOND BOOK OF
SAMUEL,
2 Samuel 7 ©
David, having attained to rest, is desirous to build to the LORD an house, which the prophet Nathan commends, v. 1, etc. But God straightway forbids him by the same prophet to do it, annexing a relation of the great mercies and favors bestowed on him in time passed, and a promise of yet greater for time to come, to wit, a son, Solomon, who is to build God an house, and of the Messiah, Who would proceed of his seed, according to the flesh, 4. Whereat David, much admiring and rejoicing, makes a very hearty and solemn thanksgiving unto the LORD, 18.
AND1 ita came to pass, when the king 2sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his 3enemies;
That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an 4house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth 5within curtains.
And Nathan said to the king, Go, 6do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.
¶And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,
Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build 7me an house for me to dwell in?8
Whereas I have not dwelt in any house sinceb the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but 9have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
In 10all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, 11whom I commanded to 12feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of 13hosts, 14Ic took thee from the sheepcote,d from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:
And I was with thee whithersoevere thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
Moreover 15I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell 16in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the 17children of wickedness afflict them 18any more, 19as beforetime,
And as 20since the time that I 21commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make 22thee an house.
¶And whenf thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt 23sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy 24seed after thee, which shall proceed out of 25thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
Heg shall build an 26house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom 27for ever.
Ih will be 28his father, and he shall be my son. If 29hei commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the 30rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established 31for ever 32before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
According to all these words, and according to all this vision, 33so did Nathan speak unto David.
¶Then went king David 34in, and sat 35before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
And 36this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house 37for a great while to come. And is this the 38manner of man, O Lord GOD?
And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant.
For thy 39word’s sake, and according to thine own 40heart, hast thou 41done all these 42great things, 43to make thy servant know them.
Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: forjthere is none like thee, neither is there any God 44beside thee, 45according to all that we have heard with our ears.
kAnd what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, 46whom 47God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a 48name, and to do 49for you 50great things and terrible, for 51thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?52
For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee 53for ever: and thou, LORD, 54art become their 55God.
And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said.
And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.
For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast 56revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant found 57in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.
And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thyl words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:
Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and 58with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.