2 Samuel 7:4
in 2 Samuel 7But that night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass the same night, that the word of Jehovah came unto Nathan, saying,
KJV
And it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying,
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This verse in 2 Samuel 7
Commentary
4 notes on this verseAnd it came to pass that night,.... The same night following the day in which David and Nathan had had the above conversation, that neither of them might continue long in their error and mistake, and especially lest David, in his great zeal and warm affection, should take an hasty and improper step: that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan; the word of prophecy, as the Targum; before he was not under a prophetic influence, but spoke in his own words, and had not the word of God; but now it came to him: saying; as follows.
This site's exposition
the word of the Lord came unto 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 since bringing Israel out of Egypt; he has walked in a tent and a tabernacle through the whole span from the wilderness to Shiloh to this day. The question why build ye not me an house of cedar is not a complaint against Israel's judges; it says plainly that the ark's years under curtains were never a lack David needed to fix.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
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 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
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֖י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בַּלַּ֣יְלָה | balaylah | in the night | H3915 → | 233 times |
| הַה֑וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וַֽיְהִי֙ | vayhi | and it came | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| דְּבַר־ | devar- | [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| נָתָ֖ן | natan | Nathan | H5416 → | 41 times |
| לֵאמֹֽר׃ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
וַיְהִ֖יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
בַּלַּ֣יְלָהin the night
balaylahH3915 →233 times
הַה֑וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
וַֽיְהִי֙and it came
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
דְּבַר־[the] word of
devar-H1697 →1440 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
נָתָ֖ןNathan
natanH5416 →41 times
לֵאמֹֽר׃<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 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
Amos 3:7Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.
it leads to
- John 15:15
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have…
- Genesis 18:17
And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?
- Psalms 25:14
The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.
- Revelation 1:1
This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,
- Daniel 9:22–27
He instructed me and spoke with me, saying: “O Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding.
- John 15:15
Through
Numbers 12:6He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 3:5
One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
- Genesis 46:2
And that night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” He said. “Here I am,” replied Jacob.
- Genesis 31:10–11
When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females.
- 1 Kings 3:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies8
On this verse
On this chapter
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 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.