1 And it comes to pass, when the king sat in his house, and YHWH has given rest to him all around, from all his enemies, 2 that the king says to Nathan the prophet, “Now see, I am dwelling in a house of cedars, but the Ark of God is dwelling in the midst of the curtain.” 3 And Nathan says to the king, “All that [is] in your heart—go, do, for YHWH [is] with you.” 4 And it comes to pass in that night, that the word of YHWH is to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go, and you have said to My servant, to David, Thus said YHWH: Do you build for Me a house for My dwelling in? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house even from the day of My bringing up the sons of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, and am walking up and down in a tent and in a dwelling place. 7 During all [the time] that I have walked up and down among all the sons of Israel, have I spoken a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why have you not built a house of cedars for Me? 8 And now, thus you say to My servant, to David, Thus said YHWH of Hosts: I have taken you from the pasture, from after the flock, to be leader over My people, over Israel; 9 and I am with you wherever you have gone, and I cut off all your enemies from your presence, and have made a great name for you, as the name of the great ones who [are] in the earth, 10 and I have appointed a place for My people, for Israel, and have planted it, and it has dwelt in its place, and it is not troubled anymore, and the sons of perverseness do not add to afflict it anymore, as in the beginning, 11 even from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I have given rest to you from all your enemies, and YHWH has declared to you that YHWH makes a house for you. 12 When your days are full, and you have lain with your fathers, then I have raised up your seed after you which goes out from your bowels, and have established his kingdom; 13 he builds a house for My Name, and I have established the throne of his kingdom for all time. 14 I am to him for a father, and he is to Me for a son; whom in his dealing perversely I have even reproved with a rod of men, and with strokes of the sons of Adam, 15 and My kindness does not turn aside from him, as I turned it aside from Saul, whom I turned aside from before you, 16 and your house and your kingdom [are] steadfast before you for all time, your throne is established for all time.” 17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so spoke Nathan to David. 18 And King David comes in and sits before YHWH, and says, “Who [am] I, Lord YHWH? And what [is] my house, that You have brought me here? 19 And yet this [is] little in Your eyes, Lord YHWH, and You also speak concerning the house of Your servant far off; and this [is] the law of the man, Lord YHWH. 20 And what does David add more to speak to You? And You, You have known Your servant, Lord YHWH. 21 Because of Your word, and according to Your heart, You have done all this greatness, to cause Your servant to know [it]. 22 Therefore You have been great, YHWH God, for there is none like You, and there is no God except You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who [is] as Your people, as Israel—one nation in the earth, whom God has gone to redeem for a people for Himself, and to make for Himself a name—and to do for Yourself the greatness—even fearful things for Your land, at the presence of Your people, whom You have redeemed for Yourself out of Egypt—[among the] nations and their gods? 24 Indeed, You establish Your people Israel for Yourself, for a people for Yourself for all time, and You, YHWH, have been to them for God. 25 And now, YHWH God, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant, and concerning his house, establish for all time, and do as You have spoken. 26 And Your Name is great for all time, saying, YHWH of Hosts [is] God over Israel, and the house of Your servant David is established before You, 27 for You, YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel, have uncovered the ear of Your servant, saying, I build a house for you, therefore Your servant has found his heart to pray this prayer to You. 28 And now, Lord YHWH, You [are] God Himself, and Your words are truth, and You speak this goodness to Your servant, 29 and now, begin and bless the house of Your servant, to be before You for all time, for You, Lord YHWH, have spoken, and by Your blessing the house of Your servant is blessed for all time.”
2 Samuel · Literal Standard Version
2 Samuel 7 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
David
The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6
Nathan
The prophet to whom David confided his wish to build a house for the ark, who carried the LORD's promise of an enduring house to David, rebuked him with the parable of the ewe…
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 7:2; 2 Samuel 7:4; 2 Samuel 12:1
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Proverbs 16:7; Luke 1:74–75; 1 Kings 5:4; 2 Chronicles 14:6; Daniel 4:29–30
- 2 2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Chronicles 16:1; 2 Samuel 12:1; Acts 7:46; Haggai 1:4
- 3 1 Chronicles 22:7; 1 Kings 8:17–18; 1 Chronicles 28:2; 2 Kings 4:27; Psalm 37:4
- 4 1 Chronicles 17:3; Numbers 12:6; Amos 3:7
- 5 1 Kings 5:3–4; 1 Chronicles 22:7–8; 1 Chronicles 23:3–32; 1 Kings 8:16–19; 1 Chronicles 17:4
- 6 1 Kings 8:16; Joshua 18:1; Exodus 40:18–19; Exodus 40:34–38; Deuteronomy 23:14
- 7 1 Chronicles 17:6; 2 Samuel 5:2; Leviticus 26:11–12; John 21:15–17; Psalm 78:71–72
- 8 Psalm 78:70–71; 1 Samuel 16:11–12; 2 Samuel 6:21; 1 Chronicles 17:7; 2 Samuel 12:7
- 9 2 Samuel 5:10; 1 Chronicles 17:8; 2 Samuel 8:6; 1 Samuel 18:14; Psalm 18:37–42
- 10 Amos 9:15; 1 Chronicles 17:9; Jeremiah 24:6; Isaiah 60:18; Ezekiel 37:25–27
- 11 2 Samuel 7:27; 1 Samuel 12:9–11; Judges 2:14–16; 2 Samuel 7:1; Psalm 89:3–4
- 12 Acts 2:30; 1 Kings 2:1; 1 Kings 8:20; Psalm 132:11–12; Acts 13:36
- 13 Luke 1:31–33; 1 Kings 8:19; 1 Kings 5:5; 2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:4
- 14 Hebrews 1:5; Revelation 3:19; 1 Chronicles 28:6; 1 Chronicles 17:13; Deuteronomy 8:5
- 15 1 Samuel 15:23; 1 Samuel 15:28; Psalm 89:28; Isaiah 9:7; 1 Kings 11:13
- 16 Luke 1:32–33; Psalm 89:36–37; 2 Samuel 7:13; Isaiah 9:7; Daniel 2:44
- 17 1 Chronicles 17:15; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Acts 20:20; Acts 20:27
- 18 Psalm 8:4; 1 Chronicles 17:16; 1 Samuel 18:18; Genesis 32:10; Exodus 3:11
- 19 Isaiah 55:8–9; 1 Chronicles 17:17; Psalm 36:7; 2 Samuel 7:11–16; 2 Samuel 12:8
- 20 1 Samuel 16:7; John 21:17; Psalm 139:1; Revelation 2:23; Hebrews 4:13
- 21 Psalm 138:2; Psalm 115:1; Ephesians 3:11; Luke 12:32; Ephesians 1:9
- 22 Psalm 86:10; Exodus 15:11; Psalm 86:8; 1 Chronicles 16:25; Micah 7:18
- 23 Deuteronomy 9:26; Deuteronomy 10:21; Psalm 147:20; Nehemiah 1:10; Deuteronomy 15:15
- 24 Deuteronomy 26:18; 1 Peter 2:10; Psalm 48:14; Jeremiah 31:33; Isaiah 12:2
- 25 Psalm 119:49; Ezekiel 36:37; Genesis 32:12; Jeremiah 11:4–5
- 26 1 Chronicles 17:23–24; Psalm 72:18–19; Matthew 6:9; John 12:28; 1 Chronicles 29:10–13
- 27 1 Chronicles 17:25–26; Psalm 10:17; Ruth 4:4; 1 Samuel 9:15; Psalm 40:6
- 28 John 17:17; Numbers 23:19; Exodus 34:6; Titus 1:2
- 29 Numbers 6:24–26; 1 Chronicles 17:27; Psalm 115:12–15; 2 Samuel 22:51
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
And his house shall be faithful, and his kingdom even for evermore before me, and his throne shall be set up even for evermore." He who thinks this grand promise was fulfilled in Solomon greatly errs; for he attends to the saying, "He shall build me an house," but he does not attend to the saying, "His house shall be …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
For there, that is, in the Book of Samuel, he says, "And if he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of men; but my mercy will I not take away from him," meaning by stripes the strokes of correction.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Therefore David understanding this, says in the second Book of Kings, in the passage from which we digressed to this psalm, "Thou hast spoken also for Thy servant's house for a great while to come." Therefore also a little after he says, "Now begin, and bless the house of Thy servant for evermore," etc., because the son was then about …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)