THE SECOND BOOK OF
SAMUEL,

2 Samuel 7

1Nathan, first approving David's purpose to build God an house, 4afterward by the word of the Lord forbiddeth it, but with assurance of favour, 12and a promise of especial blessings in his seed. 18David's prayer and thanksgiving.


1AND1 ita came to pass, when the king 2sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his 3enemies;

1 Compare this entire chapter with 1 Chronicles 17.

a 1 Chronicles 17.

2 Dwelling quietly and being at rest, as follows.

3 Who, were so afraid of David that they durst not make any more war against him. Although David, afterwards of his own motion, made several wars to put Israel in possession of the right and freedom that was promised them by God. See Gen. 15:18; 2 Sam. 8:11, 12, 13, 14; 1 Chron. 18:3.

2That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an 4house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth 5within curtains.

4 See 2 Sam. 5:11.

5 According to God's command, Exod. 26:1, etc., intimating, that it was not fitting for him to have a better dwelling than the ark had, and that therefore he purposed to build God an house of cedar. See verse 7.

3And Nathan said to the king, Go, 6do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.

6 Nathan speaks this in haste of his own accord, thinking no otherwise, but that David’s purpose pleased God, without expecting revelation from Him in this weighty matter. See the like concerning Samuel, 1 Sam. 16:6.

4¶And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,

5Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build 7me an house for me to dwell in?8

7 God speaks thus, because He manifested Himself in this house, and above the ark, by His gracious presence.

8 Understand thereupon: thou shalt not do it.

6Whereas 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.

b 1 Kings 8:16.

9 Hebr. I have been walking.

7In 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?

10 The meaning is, that the LORD never complained that the rulers of Israel built Him no house of cedar.

11 Out of which I now and then took, or raised a judge or ruler.

12 See 2 Sam. 5 on verse 2.

8Now 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:

13 As 2 Sam. 6 on verse 2.

14 The following account of God’s special favors manifested unto David, and to be manifested in time to come, served to prevent the scruple and doubt, which David might have drawn thence, that God would have no house for Himself built by him: whereby he might have fallen into this surmise as if he were not accepted of God, or that he esteemed him not worthy to do it.

c 1 Sam. 16:11, 12; Psalm 78:70.

d pasturage, sheep pens

9And 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.

e 2 Sam. 8:6, 14.

10Moreover 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,

15 Other, I have appointed, etc.

16 That is, in his own peculiar land.

17 See 2 Sam. 3 on verse 34.

18 Hebr. shall not add, or go on to oppress him (Israel). Understand all this, on condition of obedience, see Deuteronomy 28.

19 This may be understood of the oppression in Egypt.

11And 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.

20 Since that, Israel, being brought into and planted in the land of promise by Joshua, was served and protected by several judges, and also oppressed and plagued by divers enemies, unto this time that I have given you rest, etc. See of this word judges, Judges 2 on verse 16.

21 That is, by My command, counsel and word raised and appointed. See 2 Sam. 6 on verse 21.

22 Instead that thou purposest to build the LORD an house, He giveth thee to understand that He will build thee an house; that is, establish and continue thy kingdom in thy posterity, and (that which is far more) raise up out of thy seed (according to the flesh) the Messiah, Who shall be an everlasting King over His people. This prophecy is so to be understood that it partly looks at Solomon, as a type of the Lord Christ, partly at Christ Himself, Whose type he was, and that some things suit or agree to Solomon only, some only and properly to Christ, some to them both.

12¶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.

f 1 Kings 8:20.

23 See Deut. 31 on verse 16; Acts 13:36.

24 That is, thy son, or one of thy sons, meaning Solomon, and the Messiah our Lord Jesus Christ, Whose type and figure Solomon was. See 1 Chron. 28:6; Acts 13:22, 23; Rom. 1:3, etc.; Heb. 1:5.

25 Or, out of thy body. Hebr. out of thy bowels.

13Heg shall build an 26house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom 27for ever.

g 1 Kings 5:5; 6:12; 1 Chron. 22:10.

26 Solomon the temple; the Lord Jesus Christ, the spiritual house, that is, the church of God.

27 The kingdom of Solomon and David’s descendants continued indeed a long time, but this is properly to be understood of the spiritual Kingdom of Jesus Christ, forasmuch as the same above is properly everlasting; so verse 16. See Luke 1:32, 33.

14 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:

h Psalm 89:26; Heb. 1:5.

28 That is, Solomon, by grace, namely, through adoption in Christ; but to the Lord Christ Himself by nature, He being Mine own, eternal, only begotten Son. See John 1:18; Acts 13:33; Rom. 8:32; Heb. 1:3, 5; 1 John 4:9, etc.

29 Namely, Solomon, for the Lord Christ was altogether without sin. See Isa. 53:9; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 1 Peter 1:19, although He hath taken our sins upon Himself, and paid for them as our Surety.

i Psalm 89:30, etc.

30 That is, fatherly and moderately, as a man uses to chasten his child, but will not cast him off, as in the following verse is set forth.

15But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

16And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established 31for ever 32before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

31 See on verse 13, and compare Luke 1:32, 33.

32 That is, thou shalt live to see the beginning of the accomplishment of these promises in thy son Solomon, from which thou shalt be confident of the rest, as thou now beholdest the accomplishment with thine own eyes. See 1 Kings 1:48; 2:4.

17According to all these words, and according to all this vision, 33so did Nathan speak unto David.

33 That is, Nathan delivered faithfully unto David, all that was revealed to him from the LORD, without diminishing from, or adding anything thereunto.

18¶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?

34 Into the tent which he had caused to be made for the ark of the covenant, 2 Sam. 6:17.

35 See 2 Sam. 6 on verse 14.

19And 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?

36 What Thou hast hitherto done for me.

37 That is, of things which shall not happen till after a long time.

38 That is, as men are wont to dispose their house, goods, and posterity. Other, according to an instruction of men, that is, very freely, familiarly, and friendly, as men are wont to speak with men, and to teach and instruct them. Other, Is this a manner of men? that is, thus to deal with men? The meaning will be thus: Are men worthy that Thou wouldest speak to them in such a friendly and familiar way of such great and weighty things to come, which are determined in Thy counsel? It is too much, and too great!

20And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant.

21For thy 39word’s sake, and according to thine own 40heart, hast thou 41done all these 42great things, 43to make thy servant know them.

39 That is, for Thy promise sake. Or, understand by the WORD the eternal Son of God, Who is the consubstantial Word of the Father, in Whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen. See 1 Chron. 17 on verse 19; Hag. 2 on verse 6.

40 That is, gracious good pleasure, counsel, or favorable affection toward me.

41 David speaks by faith, and according to the manner of the prophets of things to come, as if they were already fulfilled, by reason of the certainty of God’s promises.

42 Hebr. all this greatness.

43 Or, making them known to thy servant.

22Wherefore 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.

j Deut. 3:24; 4:35; 32:39; 1 Sam. 2:2; Psalm 86:8; Isa. 45:5, 18, 22; Mark 12:29, 32.

44 Or, except, or, besides thee.

45 That is, according to the demonstration of all, etc.

23kAnd 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

k Deut. 4:7; 33:29; Psalm 147:20.

46 Or, that, because.

47 Hebr. ELOHIM went forth. See of this phrase Gen. 20 on verse 13.

48 That is, to the honor of His holy Name.

49 Namely, O Israel.

50 Hebr. these greatnesses and terriblenesses, or, fearfulnesses.

51 O God.

52 Other thus: before the face of thy people, which thou redeemedst to thyself, from Egypt, from the nations, and their gods. Or, ... , driving out nations and their gods. driving out may here be inserted from 1 Chron. 17:21.

24For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee 53for ever: and thou, LORD, 54art become their 55God.

53 Understand Israel according to the flesh, till the coming of Christ, but the spiritual Israel (that is the church of God, consisting of believing Jews and Gentiles) to all eternity.

54 Or, hast been.

55 See Gen. 17 on verse 7; Lev. 18 on verse 2.

25And 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.

26And 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.

27For 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.

56 That is, Thou hast caused me to hear, revealed to me, made known what was formerly hidden from me. See the like phrase, Ruth 4:4, and 1 Sam. 9:15, see there.

57 Hebr. hath found his heart, or, found with, or, by his heart, that is, he found himself so moved in his heart about this, that he purposed to utter this prayer before Thee as an evidence of his faith and thankfulness.

28And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thyl words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

l John 17:17.

29Therefore 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.

58 By these words David testifies his faith whereby he received these promises of God, being strongly confident that they shall be fulfilled.