2 Samuel 7 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

2 Samuel 7

The Lord’s Covenant with David

7:1 Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”

4 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges¹ of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince² over my people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.³ Your throne shall be established forever.’” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

David’s Prayer of Gratitude

18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD! 20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them⁴ great and awesome things by driving out before your people,⁵ whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God. 25 And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

Footnotes

[1] 7:7 Compare 1 Chronicles 17:6; Hebrew tribes
[2] 7:8 Or leader
[3] 7:16 Septuagint; Hebrew you
[4] 7:23 With a few Targums, Vulgate, Syriac; Hebrew you
[5] 7:23 Septuagint (compare 1 Chronicles 17:21); Hebrew awesome things for your land, before your people

Commentary

v1-2: David was now settled in his palace in Jerusalem, and the ark was also in the city. His concern was for the glory of God; contrast the attitude in Hag 1.4. The tent was mobile and temporary, and pictures life on earth; the temple would be permanent, and pictures mansions prepared in Heaven.

David's vision was secret (as in Neh 2.12), but then he shared it (as in 2 Chr 25.4-5) and tested it by speaking to Nathan the prophet. Here is humility, testing what he thought God had given him, and avoiding individuality.

v3: Nathan's initial response was to encourage David, for the Lord was with him.

v4: The intervention of the Lord God was immediate, "that night".

v5-7: Strikingly, God's message was for "my servant David".

Israel had been, and continued to be, the chosen people of God; He brought them up out of Egypt, and moved with the people. Yet, He had never instructed them to build a permanent house.

v8-9: The Lord God had blessed David, taking him from the sheep-folds, to pasture the people. The Lord God had been faithful to him, and given him victory over his enemies.

v10-11: David's heart was similar to God's heart; there was a desire to set aside a place of God. This was consistent with God's plan to appoint a place for Israel, exclusively and eternally theirs. There was also the promise of protection from the "wicked people" who had oppressed them.

v12-16: The Lord God is gracious, for He gave more promises, far beyond what David had sought. These promises concerned the establishment of his dynasty. Unlike Saul, David's son would become king, and he would rule over all Israel, and his kingdom would be established by God. These words describe Solomon, but also point us forward to Christ, born of the line of David, whose kingdom will never end.

v13: Solomon was the one to build a house for God, Heb 3.6, Christ is the Son over His own house, see Acts 2.30.

v14-15: Solomon would also have a special relationship with God. Yet he went wrong, and God chastened him with the rod of men, 1 Kings 11.26 describes Jeroboam's rebellion. Yet Solomon would never be rejected by God.

Even here there is a picture of Christ; although He did no sin, He suffered at the hands of men.

v16: A massive and wonderful promise, that the line of David would never end. Again, through Christ, His line and kingdom will never end.

v17: Nathan faithfully reported this revelation to David.

v18-19: David was overwhelmed with God's goodness to him; he was thankful, and reverent; especially that God had spoken about David, and his family. This is not the usual way of God dealing with men, but then few can be described as men after God's own heart.

v20-21: David is grateful for God's faithfulness, see also v25, 28-29; "you know your servant", and, it seems, his frailty. It is as well that the promises of God do not depend on man's faithfulness.

v22-24: The uniquenness of God is manifested in the people of God; they alone were redeemed, and rescued through mighty wonders, and Israel was established by God was His people for ever.

v25-26: As God honours His own promises, then His Name will be praised, and His people will be blessed.

v27-29: In response to Gods promises, David brought his prayer for his dynasty. David believed God, and submitted to His will, even though his initial request, to build God a house, was denied, Acts 16.6-7; 1 Chr 28.3. David asked, with confidence, for God's blessing upon his dynasty.