2 Samuel 7:11
in 2 Samuel 7and 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will cause thee to rest from all thine enemies. Moreover Jehovah telleth thee that Jehovah will make thee a house.
KJV
And as since the time that I commanded 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 thee an house.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 7
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe Lord - will make thee a house - Thou hast in thy heart to make me a house; I have it in my heart to make thee a house: thy family shall be built up, and shall prosper in the throne of Israel; and thy spiritual posterity shall remain for ever. God is the author of all our holy purposes, as well as of our good works, he first excites them; and if we be workers together with him, he will crown and reward them as though they were our own, though he is their sole author.
This site's exposition
he will make thee an house
David asked to build the Lord a house; the Lord answers that he will build David one, and the whole chapter turns on that single reversal of subject and object. Abigail had already spoken this vocabulary a decade earlier, promising David the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house (1 Sam 25:28), and 2:35 promised the same sure house to the priest who would walk before the Lord's anointed. The exact phrase a sure house occurs a third time at 1 Kings 11:38, offered to Jeroboam and there forfeited; David's house, given here, is not.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
may be read), that is, "I will continue and complete that rest; the land shall rest from war, as it did under the judges." IV. Blessings are entailed upon the family and posterity of David. David had purposed to build God a house, and, in requital, God promises to build him a house,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
Whatever we do for God, or sincerely design to do though Providence prevents our doing it, we shall in no wise lose our reward. He had promised to make him a name (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And as since - Nor as they did under the Judges. But all this is to be understood with a condition, except they should notoriously forsake God. And have caused thee - That is, and as until this time in which I have given thee rest.
And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people 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,
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
A good king cannot think himself happy unless his kingdom be so. The promises that follow relate to his family and posterity; these therefore, which speak of the settlement of Israel, intend the happiness of his own reign. Two things are promised:-- 1.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And from that day that I commanded. It is connected to what preceded it, they will no longer afflict [the people] as before, i.e., before the [days of the] Judges. And as they [also] did from the days of the Judges until now.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
I will make a place. I still want to quiet [things] that my people [should have] quiet and tranquility during the days of your son['s reign].
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּלְמִן־ | ulemin- | and <to> from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַיּ֗וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | when | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוִּ֤יתִי | tziviti | I appointed | H6680 → | 494 times |
| שֹֽׁפְטִים֙ | shofetim | judges | H8199 → | 202 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עַמִּ֣י | ʾami | people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַהֲנִיחֹ֥תִי | vahanichoti | and I will give rest | H5117 → | 142 times |
| לְךָ֖ | lekha | to <the> you | ||
| מִכָּל־ | mikol | from all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ | ʾoyeveikha | enemies your | H341 → | 282 times |
| וְהִגִּ֤יד | vehigid | and he tells | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לְךָ֙ | lekha | to <the> you | ||
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בַ֖יִת | vayit | a house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יַעֲשֶׂה־ | yaaseh- | he will make | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לְּךָ֥ | lekha | for <the> you | ||
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וּלְמִן־and <to> from
ulemin-H4480 →1188 times
הַיּ֗וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhen
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
צִוִּ֤יתִיI appointed
tzivitiH6680 →494 times
שֹֽׁפְטִים֙judges
shofetimH8199 →202 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
עַמִּ֣יpeople my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַהֲנִיחֹ֥תִיand I will give rest
vahanichotiH5117 →142 times
לְךָ֖to <the> you
lekha
מִכָּל־from all
mikolH3605 →5413 times
אֹיְבֶ֑יךָenemies your
ʾoyeveikhaH341 →282 times
וְהִגִּ֤ידand he tells
vehigidH5046 →370 times
לְךָ֙to <the> you
lekha
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
כִּי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
בַ֖יִתa house
vayitH1004 →2046 times
יַעֲשֶׂה־he will make
yaaseh-H6213 →2628 times
לְּךָ֥for <the> you
lekha
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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 7:1After the king had settled into his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,
it leads to
- Proverbs 16:7
When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.
- Luke 1:74–75
deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear,
- 2 Chronicles 14:6
Because the land was at peace, Asa built fortified cities in Judah. In those days no one made war with him, because the LORD had given him rest.
- 1 Kings 5:4
But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or crisis.
- Proverbs 16:7
Through
1 Chronicles 17:10and have done since the day I appointed judges over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you.
it leads to
- Psalms 18:40–50
You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me.
- Psalms 89:23
I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.
- Judges 2:14–18
Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of those who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they…
- 1 Corinthians 15:25
For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
- Psalms 18:40–50
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. G. Blaikie, The Second Book of Samuel (Expositor's Bible).