2 Samuel 7:7
in 2 Samuel 7In 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?’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
In all places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel, spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people Israel, saying, Why have ye not built me a house of cedar?
KJV
In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
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This verse in 2 Samuel 7
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The tribes of Israel - The duplicate passage reads judges (see margin and compare 2Sa 7:11). But a comparison with such passages as Psa 78:67-68; 1Ki 8:16; and 1Ch 28:4, favors the reading “tribes,” and the phrase is a condensed one, the meaning of which is, that whatever tribe had in times past supplied the ruler of Israel, whether Ephraim in the days of Joshua, or Benjamin in the time of Saul, or Judah in that of David, God had never required any of these tribes to build a house in one of their cities.
This site's exposition
the word of the LORD came to Nathan
on 2 Samuel 7:4-7
That same night the word of the Lord overturns Nathan's daytime answer. God has asked for no house; he has walked in a tent and a tabernacle from the wilderness to Shiloh to this day. The ark's years under curtains were never a lack David needed to fix.
This site's exposition
have I ever asked any of the leaders
Behind leaders the Hebrew here reads tribes, and 1 Chronicles 17:6 reads judges, two words a single letter apart. Clarke takes judges as the true reading, and Barnes keeps tribes, meaning whichever tribe had given Israel its ruler. Henry holds that worship waits for God's warrant.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
That worship only is acceptable which is instituted; why should David therefore design what God never ordained? Let him wait for a warrant, and then let him do it.
In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel,....
A very humble prayer which David offered up to God in return to that gracious message, thankfully accepting God's promises to him, and earnestly praying for the performance of them,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan--The command was given to the prophet on the night immediately following; that is, before David could either take any measures or incur any expenses.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
With any of the tribes - “Spake I a word to any of the Judges” is the reading in the parallel place, 1Ch 17:6, and this is probably the true reading. Indeed, there is but one letter of difference between them, and letters which might be easily mistaken for each other: שבטי shibtey, tribes, is almost the same in appearance with שפטי ht shophetey, judges; the ב beth and the פ pe being the same letter, the apex under the upper stroke of the פ pe excepted. If this were but a little effaced in a MS., it would be mistaken for the other, and then we should have tribes instead of judges. This reading seems confirmed by 2Sa 7:11.
The words behind it
26 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בְּכֹ֥ל | bekhol | in every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶֽׁר־ | ʾasher- | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִתְהַלַּכְתִּי֮ | hithalakhti | I went about | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | among all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| הֲדָבָ֣ר | hadavar | ¿ a word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| דִּבַּ֗רְתִּי | dibarti | did I speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| אַחַד֙ | ʾachad | one of | H259 → | 971 times |
| שִׁבְטֵ֣י | shivtei | [the] tribes of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוִּ֗יתִי | tziviti | I commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| לִרְע֛וֹת | lirot | to shepherd | H7462 → | 177 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַמִּ֥י | ʾami | people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לֵאמֹ֑ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָ֛מָּה | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| בְנִיתֶ֥ם | venitem | have you built | H1129 → | 376 times |
| לִ֖י | li | for <the> me | ||
| בֵּ֥ית | beit | a house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אֲרָזִֽים׃ | ʾarazim | cedars | H730 → | 73 times |
בְּכֹ֥לin every
bekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶֽׁר־where
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הִתְהַלַּכְתִּי֮I went about
hithalakhtiH1980 →1546 times
בְּכָל־among all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֒Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
הֲדָבָ֣ר¿ a word
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
דִּבַּ֗רְתִּיdid I speak
dibartiH1696 →1141 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
אַחַד֙one of
ʾachadH259 →971 times
שִׁבְטֵ֣י[the] tribes of
shivteiH7626 →190 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
צִוִּ֗יתִיI commanded
tzivitiH6680 →494 times
לִרְע֛וֹתto shepherd
lirotH7462 →177 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עַמִּ֥יpeople my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לָ֛מָּה<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
בְנִיתֶ֥םhave you built
venitemH1129 →376 times
לִ֖יfor <the> me
li
בֵּ֥יתa house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
אֲרָזִֽים׃cedars
ʾarazimH730 →73 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
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,…
it leads to
- Matthew 2:6
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 37:24–25
My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 10:11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Micah 5:4
He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD His God. And they will dwell securely, for then His greatness will extend to…
- Ezekiel 34:23
I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
- Matthew 2:6
Through
Ezekiel 34:23I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 30:9
Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
- Isaiah 40:11
He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.
- Hosea 3:5
Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.
- Jeremiah 30:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies16
On this verse
On this chapter
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.