2 Samuelchapter 7

A.A king in cedar, an ark in curtainsvv. 1-3

1 After the king had settled into his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.” 3 And Nathan replied to the king, “Go and do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”

B.Nathan's night word: Jehovah will build you a housevv. 4-17

4 But that night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and tell My servant David that this is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build for Me a house to dwell in? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt until this day, but I have moved about with a tent as My dwelling. 7 In all My journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever asked any of the leaders I appointed to shepherd My people Israel, ‘Why haven’t you built Me a house of cedar?’ 8 Now then, you are to tell My servant David that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be the ruler over My people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make for you a name like the greatest in the land. 10 And I will provide a place for My people Israel and will plant them so that they may dwell in a place of their own and be disturbed no more. No longer will the sons of wickedness oppress them as they did at the beginning 11 and have done since the day I appointed judges over My people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD declares to you that He Himself will establish a house for you. 12 And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My loving devotion will never be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I moved out of your way. 16 Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.” 17 So Nathan relayed to David all the words of this entire vision.

C.Who am I, O Lord Jehovah? — David sits down before Godvv. 18-29

18 Then King David went in, sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? 19 And as if this was a small thing in Your eyes, O Lord GOD, You have also spoken about the future of the house of Your servant. Is this Your custom with man, O Lord GOD? 20 What more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord GOD. 21 For the sake of Your word and according to Your own heart, You have accomplished this great thing and revealed it to Your servant. 22 How great You are, O Lord GOD! For there is none like You, and there is no God but You, according to everything we have heard with our own ears. 23 And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem as a people for Himself and to make a name for Himself? You performed great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before Your people, whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt. 24 For You have established Your people Israel as Your very own forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God. 25 And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house. Do as You have promised, 26 so that Your name will be magnified forever when it is said, ‘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 revealed this to Your servant when You said, ‘I will build a house for you.’ Therefore Your servant has found the courage to offer this prayer to You. 28 And now, O Lord GOD, You are God! Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. 29 Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with Your blessing the house of Your servant will be blessed forever.”

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

The hinge of the Old Testament.

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The hinge of the Old Testament. David, settled in his house of cedar, proposes to build Jehovah a house; Nathan approves, then is sent back that night to reverse it. Instead God will build David a house: 'I will set up thy seed after thee... and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son' (7:12-14, quoted of Christ in Hebrews 1:5). The church has always read the promise messianically, and rightly, the son of David who reigns without end is Jesus, risen and enthroned. David answers not with planning but wonder: 'Who am I, O Lord Jehovah, and what is my house?'

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Nathan, Gad — 2 Samuel overview

A. 1–3 A king in cedar, an ark in curtains
B. 4–17 Nathan's night word: Jehovah will build you a house
C. 18–29 Who am I, O Lord Jehovah? — David sits down before God

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

1 Chronicles 1710 verses
- 1 Chronicles 17:3But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying,
- 1 Chronicles 17:6In all My journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever asked any of the leaders I appointed to shepherd My people, ‘Why haven’t you built Me a house of cedar?’
- 1 Chronicles 17:8I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make for you a name like the greatest in the land.
- 1 Chronicles 17:9And I will provide a place for My people Israel and will plant them so that they may dwell in a place of their own and be disturbed no more. No longer will the sons of wickedness oppress them as they did at the beginning
- 1 Chronicles 17:15So Nathan relayed to David all the words of this entire vision.
- 1 Chronicles 17:16Then King David went in, sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?
- Read 1 Chronicles 17: 4 more there →
2 Samuel 75 verses
- 2 Samuel 7:1After the king had settled into his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,
- 2 Samuel 7:11and have done since the day I appointed judges over My people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD declares to you that He Himself will establish a house for you.
- 2 Samuel 7:13He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
- 2 Samuel 7:16Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.”
- 2 Samuel 7:27For You, O LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant when You said, ‘I will build a house for you.’ Therefore Your servant has found the courage to offer this prayer to You.
- Read 2 Samuel 7 →
1 Kings 84 verses
- 1 Kings 8:16‘Since the day I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house so that My Name would be there. But I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’
- 1 Kings 8:17Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
- 1 Kings 8:19Nevertheless, you are not the one to build it; but your son, your own offspring, will build the house for My Name.’
- 1 Kings 8:20Now the LORD has fulfilled the word that He spoke. I have succeeded my father David, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised. I have built the house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
- Read 1 Kings 8 →
Luke 13 verses
- Luke 1:31Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.
- Luke 1:32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David,
- Luke 1:74deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear,
- Read Luke 1 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

2 Samuel 53 verses
- 2 Samuel 5:2Even in times past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And to you the LORD said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’”
- 2 Samuel 5:10And David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of Hosts was with him.
- 2 Samuel 5:11Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.
- Read 2 Samuel 5 →
1 Chronicles 282 verses
- 1 Chronicles 28:2Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and as a footstool for our God. I had made preparations to build it,
- 1 Chronicles 28:6And He said to me, ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him as My son, and I will be his Father.
- Read 1 Chronicles 28 →
1 Samuel 162 verses
- 1 Samuel 16:7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”
- 1 Samuel 16:11And Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied, “but he is tending the sheep.” “Send for him,” Samuel replied. “For we will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”
- Read 1 Samuel 16 →
1 Samuel 152 verses
- 1 Samuel 15:23For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”
- 1 Samuel 15:28So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.
- Read 1 Samuel 15 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.