INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 7 This chapter expresses David's concern for building an house for the ark of God, which he communicated to Nathan the prophet, and was approved of by him, 2 Samuel 7:1; and who was that night sent by the Lord to David, to acquaint him, that as he had for many years dw... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THE KING SAT IN HIS HOUSE,.... Which Hiram's servants had built for him, having no occasion to go out to war: AND THE LORD HAD GIVEN HIM REST ROUND ABOUT FROM ALL HIS ENEMIES; both at home and abroad; though this rest and peace did not last long; for the next chapter gives... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THE KING SAID UNTO NATHAN THE PROPHET,.... This is the first time this prophet is made mention of, but often afterwards, yet who he was, and from whence he came, is not known; he appears to be a man of great piety and prudence, as well as endowed with a prophetic spirit, and was very familiar w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NATHAN SAID TO THE KING, GO, DO TILL THAT [IS] IN THINE HEART,.... He perceived it was in his heart to build an house for God; he knew an house was to be built at one time or another, by some person or another; he knew it was a good work, and fit for a king to do, and might think this was a prop... [ Continue Reading ]
AND 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:... [ Continue Reading ]
GO AND TELL MY SERVANT DAVID,.... The Lord speaks very honourably and respectfully of him, owns him to be his servant in other things, though he did not choose to employ him in this; and though he was not the person, nor this the time, to build the house of the Lord, yet, as he showed a good will to... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREAS I HAVE NOT DWELT IN [ANY] HOUSE,.... Fixed, stated, habitation: SINCE THE TIME THAT I BROUGHT UP THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL OUT OF EGYPT, EVEN TO THIS DAY; a space of five or six hundred years, though he might before: BUT HAVE WALKED IN A TENT AND IN A TABERNACLE; moving from place to place w... [ Continue Reading ]
IN ALL [THE PLACES] WHEREIN I HAVE WALKED WITH ALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... 2 Samuel 7:6 on the places mentioned there: SPAKE I A WORD WITH ANY OF THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL; or rather the sceptres of Israel; so the word is rendered, Genesis 49:10; the sceptre bearers, rulers, and governors, whose cus... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THEREFORE SO SHALT THOU SAY UNTO MY SERVANT DAVID,.... For it was taken well at his hands, in part, that it was in his heart, and he had a desire to build an house for God, though he was wrong in determining upon it without seeking the Lord; and lest he should be discouraged by the prohibition o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WAS WITH THEE WHITHERSOEVER THOU WENTEST,.... When he went against Goliath, when he went forth against the Philistines, when in Saul's court, when he fled from Saul, and was obliged to go to various places, God was with him protecting and preserving him, prospering and succeeding him every whe... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, I WILL APPOINT A PLACE FOR MY PEOPLE ISRAEL,.... The land of Canaan: this the Lord had of old appointed to them, and had introduced them into and settled them in it, but not entirely and alone; in many places the Canaanites had inhabited; but now they should be expelled, and the Israelites... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS SINCE THE TIME THAT I COMMANDED JUDGES [TO BE] OVER MY PEOPLE ISRAEL,.... Before the time the judges were raised they were greatly afflicted by one nation or another around them, and between judge and judge, but now they should be no more so; here the parenthesis should end: AND HAVE CAUSED... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THY DAYS BE FULFILLED,.... The days of his life, which were appointed by the Lord for him to live, and when he had filled up the common term of man's life, as he exactly did; for he lived just seventy years, see 2 Samuel 5:4; AND THOU SHALT SLEEP WITH THY FATHERS; die and be buried; for th... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL BUILD AN HOUSE FOR MY NAME,.... For the honour of it, for the worship and service of God, as it is well known Solomon did; and so his antitype the Messiah, Zechariah 6:12; AND I WILL STABLISH THE THRONE OF HIS KINGDOM FOR EVER; that is, for a long time. Solomon's reign was forty years, and... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL BE HIS FATHER, AND HE SHALL BE MY SON,.... That is, I will be as kind unto him, and careful of him, as a father of a son; or he shall be, and appear to be my son, by adopting grace, as no doubt Solomon was, notwithstanding all his failings. This is applied to Christ, the antitypical Solomon,... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT MY MERCY SHALL NOT DEPART AWAY FROM HIM,.... Which is not to be understood of special mercy and grace, though it is true of these with respect to Solomon, and so to all the adopted children of God, see Psalms 89:32; but then this here designs such mercy as may be taken away from another, and as... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THINE HOUSE AND THY KINGDOM SHALL BE ESTABLISHED FOR EVER BEFORE THEE,.... That is, both his family and his government should be perpetuated, or he should always have one of his family to sit upon his throne; the accomplishment of which, in the beginning of it, he saw with his eyes in his son So... [ Continue Reading ]
ACCORDING TO ALL THESE WORDS, AND ACCORDING TO ALL THIS VISION,.... All the words of this prophecy, just as they were delivered to Nathan, were exactly expressed by him; he did not vary from them in the least, but with the greatest faithfulness related them: SO DID NATHAN SPEAK UNTO DAVID; though i... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WENT KING DAVID IN,.... Into the tabernacle where the ark was, which he had prepared for it, 2 Samuel 6:17; AND SAT BEFORE THE LORD; before the ark, the symbol of his presence, and prayed, and gave thanks, as follows: from whence it appears that a sitting posture was sometimes used in prayer,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS WAS YET A SMALL THING IN THY SIGHT, O LORD GOD,.... This of raising him to the throne, and settling him on it, was but a small thing in comparison of what he promised to do for him and his: BUT THOU HAST SPOKEN ALSO OF THY SERVANT'S HOUSE FOR A GREAT WHILE TO COME; since he had not only sp... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHAT CAN DAVID SAY MORE UNTO THEE,.... In a way of self-abasement, or in thankfulness for such wonderful favours, or in prayer for more and other mercies; he wants words, as if he should say, to express his sense of his own nothingness and unworthiness, and to praise the Lord for all his benefit... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THY WORD'S SAKE,.... For the sake of the promise he had made to him by Samuel, that he should be king, and his kingdom should be established; or for the sake of the Messiah, that should spring from him; the Memra, as the Targum, the essential Word of God; and so the Septuagint version, "because... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE THOU ART GREAT, O LORD GOD,.... In his name, nature, persons, and perfections, purposes, promises, and works: FOR [THERE IS] NONE LIKE THEE; for his essence and attributes, for his greatness and goodness, for what he is in himself, for what he is to his people, and has done for them: NEI... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHAT ONE NATION IN THE EARTH [IS] LIKE THY PEOPLE, [EVEN] LIKE ISRAEL,.... For the knowledge and worship of the true God among them, for laws and or given them, and for blessings of goodness bestowed upon them: WHOM GOD WENT TO REDEEM FOR A PEOPLE TO HIMSELF; the words are plural, "whom the god... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOU HAST CONFIRMED TO THYSELF THY PEOPLE ISRAEL [TO BE] A PEOPLE UNTO THEE FOR EVER,.... So long as they were obedient to him, and observed his laws and statutes, and abode by his worship and ordinances, otherwise he would write a "loammi" on them, as he has, see Hosea 1:9; AND THOU, LORD, ART... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOW, O LORD GOD,.... From confessions of unworthiness, and of the goodness of God, and a recital of favours conferred on him and the people of Israel, David proceeds to petitions: THE WORD THAT THOU HAST SPOKEN CONCERNING THY SERVANT, AND CONCERNING HIS HOUSE, ESTABLISH [IT] FOR EVER: he prays... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LET THY NAME BE MAGNIFIED FOR EVER,.... David desired the performance of the above things not so much for his own sake, and for the sake of his family, as for the glory of God; his great concern was, that God might be magnified, and his greatness displayed, in making him and his family great; an... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOU, O LORD OF HOSTS, GOD OF ISRAEL,.... As he is called in 2 Samuel 7:26: HAST REVEALED TO THY SERVANT; which he otherwise could not have known: SAYING, I WILL BUILD THEE AN HOUSE; see 2 Samuel 7:11; THEREFORE HATH THY SERVANT FOUND IN HIS HEART TO PRAY THIS PRAYER UNTO THEE; found his hear... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOW, O LORD GOD, THOU [ART] THAT GOD,.... Who is the Lord of hosts, and the God of Israel, that has promised and is able to perform, and is faithful to his promise: AND THY WORDS BE TRUE; are truly, punctually, and faithfully performed, never fail: AND THOU HAST PROMISED THIS GOODNESS UNTO THY... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THEREFORE LET IT PLEASE THEE TO BLESS THE HOUSE OF THY SERVANT,.... Not according to the merits of him or his family, but according to the sovereign will and pleasure of God; the Targum is, begin and bless; let the promised blessings begin to descend, that there may be some appearance of the per... [ Continue Reading ]