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2 Samuel
Chapter Seven
New King James Version (NKJV)
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 dwelt in a tent
and had never given directions to the tribes of
Israel
and the rulers of them
to build him an house
so neither should David
build him one; but his son that would succeed him in the throne should; and
also observes to him the many great things he had done for him
and promises
him more
and particularly the establishment of his throne and kingdom for ever
in which he has respect to the Messiah
that should spring from him
2 Samuel 7:4. Then
follows a prayer of David
in which he expresses the sense he had of the
greatness and goodness of God
and of his own unworthiness to receive such
favours from him he had
returns him thanks for the promises he had made
and
prays for the performance of them
2 Samuel 7:18.
2 Samuel 7:1 Now
it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house
and the Lord had given him
rest from all his enemies all around
YLT
1And it cometh to pass
when
the king sat in his house
and Jehovah hath given rest to him round about
from
all his enemies
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 an account of each of the people he was engaged in war with
2 Samuel 8:1.
2 Samuel 7:2 2 that the king said to
Nathan the prophet
“See now
I dwell in a house of cedar
but the ark of God
dwells inside tent curtains.”
YLT
2that the king saith unto
Nathan the prophet
`See
I pray thee
I am dwelling in a house of cedars
and
the ark of God is dwelling in the midst of the curtain.'
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 with David
and perhaps dwelt in his palace; being a man on all
accounts fit for conversation with princes
to whom David imparted what he had
been meditating upon in his heart. The Jews have a traditionF20Hieron.
Trad. Heb. in 2 Reg. fol. 79. M. & in lib. Paralipom. fol. 89. B. F. that
he was the same with Jonathan the son of Shimea
the brother of David
2 Samuel 21:21;
which is not very likely:
see now
I dwell in an house of cedar; made of the
cedars of Lebanon; see what a spacious palace it is:
but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains; in a
tabernacle within curtains
as the Targum; not the tabernacle of Moses
for
that was at Gibeon
1 Chronicles 21:29;
but that which David had made for it
which consisted of curtains that were
drawn around it
2 Samuel 6:17. It
gave him a concern that he should dwell in so magnificent a palace
and the ark
of God should have so mean an habitation; wherefore it was upon his mind to
build a grand edifice for it
and this he suggested hereby to Nathan
and so he
understood him
as appears by what follows; and the rather he was led to such a
thought
being now at rest and in peace; for then it was an house was to be
built for God
in which he would cause his name to dwell
as David might easily
learn from Deuteronomy 12:9;
and who so proper to set forward such a work as a king
and he when at rest
from his enemies?
2 Samuel 7:3 3 Then Nathan said to the
king
“Go
do all that is in your heart
for the Lord is with
you.”
YLT
3And Nathan saith unto the
king
`All that [is] in thine heart -- go
do
for Jehovah [is] with thee.'
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 proper time any
he being at leisure
and therefore encouraged him
to it: but inasmuch as the time when and the person by whom this was to be
built were not pointed out particularly in the word of God
David and he should
have consulted the Lord about it; in this they erred
and for which they were
tacitly reproved; for
as the event shows
this was not the time when
nor
David the person by whom
it was to be built. Nathan said this as a pious and
good man
in a private capacity
not as a prophet
or under a spirit of
prophecy; for prophets did not always speak under such an influence
but
as
private men
said some things ignorantly and through mistake; see 1 Samuel 16:6
for the Lord is with thee; prospering and
succeeding him in all he undertook
giving him rest from all his enemies; and
he might think that this motion he now made of building an house was from the
Lord; the Targum is
"the Word of the Lord shall be for thine help
'
or
thine helper
and shall assist thee in this work. David being thus encouraged
by the prophet
his thoughts were more employed about it
and he was resolute
and eager to perform it; and now it was he penned the hundred thirty second
psalm
in which he expresses his oath and vow to find a place to build on
Psalm 132:1.
2 Samuel 7:4 4 But it happened that night
that the word of the Lord
came to Nathan
saying
YLT
4And it cometh to pass in
that night
that the word of Jehovah is unto Nathan
saying
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:
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.
2 Samuel 7:5 5 “Go and tell My servant
David
‘Thus says the Lord:
“Would you build a house for Me to dwell in?
YLT
5`Go
and thou hast said
unto My servant
unto David
Thus said Jehovah
Dost thou build for Me a house
for My dwelling in?
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 towards it
so far it was acceptable to God:
thus saith the Lord
shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell
in? no
thou shalt not
as appears from 1 Chronicles 17:4;
which seems to be expressed with much spirit
and some degree of resentment
to
resolve on such a work
without seeking to know his mind in it. EupolemusF21Apud
Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 30. p. 447. an Heathen
confirms this
account
only instead of a prophet he speaks of an angel
whose name he says
was Dinnathan
who
when David was desirous of building a temple for God
and
very anxious to be shown the place where the altar was to be erected
this
angel appeared to him; and
though he showed him the place for the altar
forbad him building it
because he was polluted with human blood
and had been
engaged in wars many years
and bid him leave the building of it to his son.
2 Samuel 7:6 6 For I have not dwelt in a
house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt
even
to this day
but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle.
YLT
6for I have not dwelt in a
house even from the day of My bringing up the sons of Israel out of Egypt
even
unto this day
and am walking up and down in a tent and in a tabernacle.
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 while in the wilderness
and since in the land of Canaan
first
at Gilgal
then at Shiloh
afterwards at Nob
and now at Gibeon.
"Tent" and "tabernacle" are distinguished
though they were
but one building and habitation; the tent was the curtains of goats' hair
and
the tabernacle the linen curtains
see Exodus 26:1. In 1 Chronicles 17:5
it is "from tent to tent
and from one tabernacle to another";
which does not intend variety of tabernacles
but change of place.
2 Samuel 7:7 7 Wherever I have moved
about with all the children of Israel
have I ever spoken a word to anyone from
the tribes of Israel
whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel
saying
‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’
YLT
7During all [the time] that
I have walked up and down among all the sons of Israel
a word have I spoken
with one of the tribes of Israel which I commanded to feed my people Israel
saying
`Why have ye not built to Me a house of cedars?
In all the places wherein I have walked with all the
children of Israel
.... See Gill on 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 custom was to carry a sceptre in
their hands
as Ben Melech observes; and so in a parallel text
1 Chronicles 17:6
it is
"to any of the judges of Israel"; any of those from the times
of Moses and Joshua to the times of Saul and David
and this is confirmed by
what follows:
whom I commanded to feed my people Israel; that is
to
rule and govern them
protect and defend them
which cannot be said of the
tribes
but of the rulers of them; and the Lord asks this question
whether
ever he had said a word to any of those
in all that space of time
expressing
anything of this kind:
saying
why build ye not me an house of cedar? they never
were bid to do it
or expostulated with why they did not
or ever reproved for
not doing it; therefore why should David think of doing it?
2 Samuel 7:8 8 Now therefore
thus shall
you say to My servant David
‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I
took you from the sheepfold
from following the sheep
to be ruler over My
people
over Israel.
YLT
8and now
thus dost thou say
to My servant
to David: `Thus said Jehovah of Hosts
I have taken thee from
the comely place
from after the flock
to be leader over My people
over
Israel;
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
of him from building
the following things are observed to assure him it was
not from disregard unto him
or displeasure at him
that he would not be
employed in this service; since the Lord had given sufficient tokens of his
favour to him
and with which he should be content
as having honour enough
done him; it was enough that God had raised him up from a low estate to great
grandeur and dignity:
thus saith the Lord of hosts
I took thee from the sheepcote
from
following the sheep
to be ruler over my people
over Israel; for that was
his employment
to keep his father's sheep
before he was taken into Saul's
court
and married his daughter
when after his death he came to have the
crown
of Israel: now this is said
not to upbraid him with his former
meanness
but to observe the goodness of God unto him
and what reason he had
for thankfulness
and to look upon himself as a favourite of God
who of a
keeper of sheep was made a shepherd of men
to rule and feed them; so Cyrus is
called a shepherd
Isaiah 44:28; and
Agamemnon
in HomerF23Iliad. 2.
is called "the shepherd of
the people".
2 Samuel 7:9 9 And I have been with you
wherever you have gone
and have cut off all your enemies from before you
and
have made you a great name
like the name of the great men who are on
the earth.
YLT
9and I am with thee
whithersoever thou hast gone
and I cut off all thine enemies from thy
presence
and have made for thee a great name
as the name of the great ones
who [are] in the earth
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 where
and in everything:
and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight: as Saul
and
others in the land of Israel
and the Philistines
and other enemies round
about him
so that he had rest from them all:
and have made thee a great name
like unto the name of the great men
that are in the earth; a name for a mighty king
warrior
and
conqueror
such as some mighty kings and great men of the earth had obtained
and such fame
being made king over all Israel; and his success against the
Jebusites had got him a name
as well as former victories he had been favoured
with; on account of all which his name and fame had been spread abroad in the
world
and he was reckoned as one of the greatest princes in it.
2 Samuel 7:10 10 Moreover I will appoint a
place for My people Israel
and will plant them
that they may dwell in a place
of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them
anymore
as previously
YLT
10and I have appointed a
place for My people
for Israel
and have planted it
and it hath tabernacled
in its place
and it is not troubled any more
and the sons of perverseness do
not add to afflict it any more
as in the beginning
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
should have the place to themselves:
and will plant them; so that they shall take
root and flourish
and continue:
that they may dwell in a place of their own; and not as
they dwelt in Egypt
in a land that was not theirs; or "under
themselves"F24תחתיו
"sub
se"
Montanus. ; under their own rulers and governors:
and move no more; as they did in the times of the judges
when
sinning against God
they were often delivered into their enemies' hands
and carried captives:
neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more
as
beforetime; when in Egypt
and in the times of the judges; all which is
supposed
provided they did not depart from the Lord
but abode by his word
worship
and ordinances
and obeyed his will; for it was by their obedience
they held their tenure of the land of Canaan
see Isaiah 1:19; or all
this may respect future times
when they shall be converted to the Messiah
and
return to their own land
and ever continue in it
and never more be harassed
and distressed
Jeremiah 32:41.
2 Samuel 7:11 11 since the time that I
commanded judges to be over My people Israel
and have caused you to
rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord tells you that He will
make you a house.[a]
YLT
11even from the day that I
appointed judges over My people Israel; and I have given rest to thee from all
thine enemies
and Jehovah hath declared to thee that Jehovah doth make for
thee a house.
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 thee to rest from all thine enemies; this belongs
to David personally
and intends the same as in 2 Samuel 7:1
also the Lord telleth thee
that he will make thee an house; not only
build up his family
and make that numerous
but establish the house of his
kingdom
as the Targum; that whereas he was desirous of building an house for
God
God would build up an house for him; which would be a clear proof
that
though he did not think fit to make use of him in the building of his house
yet he was not cast out of his favour
nor was it to be so interpreted by
himself or others.
2 Samuel 7:12 12 “When your days are
fulfilled and you rest with your fathers
I will set up your seed after you
who will come from your body
and I will establish his kingdom.
YLT
12`When thy days are full
and thou hast lain with thy fathers
then I have raised up thy seed after thee
which goeth out from thy bowels
and have established his kingdom;
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 this is a phrase expressive of death
and the grave the common
portion of men:
I will set up thy seed after thee; sons to succeed in the
kingdom
as they did for the space of five hundred years; though here it
respects one particular seed or son
even Solomon
as appears by what follows:
which shall proceed out of thy bowels; be begotten
by him
and born unto him
and has regard to a future son of his not yet born;
not Absalom nor Adonijah
nor any of the rest born in Hebron were to succeed
him in the kingdom
but one as yet unborn:
and I will establish his kingdom; so that he shall have a
long and happy reign
as Solomon had.
2 Samuel 7:13 13 He shall build a house for
My name
and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
YLT
13He doth build a house for
My Name
and I have established the throne of his kingdom unto the age.
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 the kingdom of Judah
continued in his posterity until the Babylonish captivity
and a prince that
descended from him was the ruler of the people when they returned: this has its
fulfilment more eminently in Christ
who was of his seed
to whom God has given
"the throne of his father David"
and who "shall reign over the
house of Jacob for ever"
Luke 1:32.
2 Samuel 7:14 14 I will be his Father
and
he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity
I will chasten him with the rod of
men and with the blows of the sons of men.
YLT
14I am to him for a father
and he is to Me for a son; whom in his dealings perversely I have even reproved
with a rod of men
and with strokes of the sons of Adam
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
who was
in an higher sense
the Son of God
even by natural and
eternal generation; see Hebrews 1:5
if he commit iniquity; which cannot be supposed
of Christ; for though he was made sin by imputation
he neither knew nor did
any
but may be supposed of his spiritual offspring
whom he represented as an
head and surety
as of Solomon
who committed many sins and transgressions:
I will chasten him with the rod of men
and with the stripes of
the children of men; either with men themselves
as Hadad the Edomite
Rezon the son
of Eliadah
and Jeroboam the son of Nebat
by all whom he was afflicted and
distressed
after he felt into idolatry
1 Kings 11:14; or
with such rods and stripes as men correct their children with
not to destroy
them
but to chastise them for their good; and so the phrases denote humane
kind
gentle
moderate corrections given in love
and which answer some good
purposes.
2 Samuel 7:15 15 But My mercy shall not
depart from him
as I took it from Saul
whom I removed from before you.
YLT
15and My kindness doth not
turn aside from him
as I turned it aside from Saul
whom I turned aside from
before thee
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 Psalm 89:32; but
then this here designs such mercy as may be taken away from another
and as it
was from Saul
as it follows:
as I took it from Saul
whom I put away before thee; and therefore
must be understood of his mercy and kindness
in giving him a kingdom
and
setting him on the throne; this should not be taken away from him
as it was
from Saul
whom God rejected from being king; not him personally
but his
posterity; but so the Lord would not do
nor did he
to Solomon
in whose
posterity the kingdom of Judah continued to the Babylonish captivity.
2 Samuel 7:16 16 And your house and your
kingdom shall be established forever before you.[b] Your
throne shall be established forever.”’”
YLT
16and stedfast [is] thy house
and thy kingdom unto the age before thee
thy throne is established unto the
age.'
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 Solomon
and with an eye of faith in his greater Son the Messiah
in
whom only these words will have their complete fulfilment; and so Abarbinel
says this vision or prophecy is explained by some of the days of the Messiah;
and this house and kingdom
in 1 Chronicles 17:14;
are called by the Lord "my" house
and "my" kingdom:
thy throne shall be established for ever; which is a
repetition of the same in other words for the confirmation of it.
2 Samuel 7:17 17 According to all these
words and according to all this vision
so Nathan spoke to David.
YLT
17According to all these
words
and according to all this vision
so spake Nathan unto David.
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 in the part which
related to the history of the house of God
it was contrary to the advice which
he had given; but he was not ashamed to retract his sense
when he was made
acquainted with the mind of God.
2 Samuel 7:18 18 Then King David went in
and sat before the Lord;
and he said: “Who am I
O Lord God? And what is my house
that You have brought
me this far?
YLT
18And king David cometh in
and sitteth before Jehovah
and saith
`Who [am] I
Lord Jehovah? and what my
house
that Thou hast brought me hitherto?
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
of which we have
other instances
Exodus 17:11. It is
saidF25Vid. D. Herbert. de Cherbury de Relig. Gent. c. 7. p. 65.
that Pythagoras
and also Numa
ordered that worshippers should sit. So that
this act of devotion is not to be limited to any particular posture
though it
seems most agreeable either to stand or kneel; and the Jews look upon this to
be a peculiar case
and infer from hence that none were allowed to sit in the
court but the kings of the house of JudahF26T. Bab. Yoma
fol. 69.
2. Maimon & Bartenor. in Misn. Yoma
c. 7. sect. 1. ; and some of themF1Midrash
in Abarbinel in loc. will not allow that to them
since the seraphim above are
even said to stand
Isaiah 6:2; and
suppose the meaning of this to be only that David supported himself in the
court; and some render the words
"he remained before the Lord"F2וישב "et mansit"
Vatablus. ; he continued in
meditation
prayer
and thanksgiving
and such like acts of devotion
for a
considerable time; so the Targum
in 1 Chronicles 17:16."King
David came and continued in prayer before the Lord:"
and he said
who am I
O Lord God? a creature
a
sinful creature
a mean and unworthy one
undeserving of a place in the house
of God
and of access unto him
and to receive any favour from him
less than
the least of all saints
less than the least of all mercies:
and what is my house: or family of which he
was
the family of Jesse; for though it sprung from a prince in Israel
yet was
but low and mean
in comparison of some others
and especially unworthy of the
regard of the great God:
that thou hast brought me hitherto? to such grandeur and
dignity
as to be king over all Israel and Judah
to have all his enemies
subdued under him
and to be at peace and rest from them
and established in
his kingdom; and which he signifies the Lord alone had brought him to
through
many difficulties and tribulations
and which he could never have attained unto
by his own wisdom and power
nor by the assistance of his friends; it was all
the Lord's doing
and wondrous in his eyes.
2 Samuel 7:19 19 And yet this was a small
thing in Your sight
O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s
house for a great while to come. Is this the manner of man
O Lord God?
YLT
19And yet this [is] little in
Thine eyes
Lord Jehovah
and Thou dost speak also concerning the house of Thy
servant afar off; and this [is] the law of the Man
Lord Jehovah.
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 spoken of a son that should succeed him in
the kingdom
but that he would make him an house
and establish his kingdom;
yea
that the throne of his kingdom should be established for ever
that a race
of kings should spring from him
and especially the King Messiah
of whose
kingdom there would be no end; and so the Targum
"thou hast spoken of the
house of thy servant unto the world to come
'a phrase often used by the Jews
for the times of the Messiah; see Hebrews 2:5; and so
Abarbinel thinks this clause has respect to Messiah the son of David:
and is this the manner of man
O Lord God? to bestow
their favours on their inferiors
persons of no worth and merit
and is a
profuse manner? it is not; and yet to one so much below thee
and so
undeserving
hast thou most largely and liberally given such great and
unmerited mercies: or is it the manner
or customary to deal thus with men mean
and abject
though it may with great personages that make a great figure in the
world? it is not: and yet I am regarded by thee as if I was one of the greatest
monarchs on earth: this sense agrees with the parallel text in 1 Chronicles 17:17;
"and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high
degree"; or
"this is the law"
or "doctrine of the man who
is the Lord God"F3So Luther and Osiander; or "this is
the delineation of the man who is the Lord"
&c. So Hiller. Onomastic.
Sacr. p. 447. . This doctrine contained in the promise now made respects the
seed of the woman
the promised Shiloh
the illustrious man
Jehovah's fellow
the incarnate God
the Messiah
who is Jehovah our righteousness
the true God
and eternal life.
2 Samuel 7:20 20 Now what more can David
say to You? For You
Lord God
know Your servant.
YLT
20And what doth David add
more to speak unto Thee? and Thou
Thou hast known Thy servant
Lord Jehovah.
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 benefits; and so large are the grants and promises made
that there is no
room for him to ask for more:
for thou
Lord God
knowest thy servant; what a sense
he has of his own meanness and vileness
what gratitude his heart is filled
with
and what his wants and necessities are
which God only can supply
and
does abundantly
even more than he is able to ask or think. The Targum
is
"and thou hast performed the petition of thy servant
O Lord God.'
2 Samuel 7:21 21 For Your word’s sake
and
according to Your own heart
You have done all these great things
to make Your
servant know them.
YLT
21Because of Thy word
and
according to Thy heart
Thou hast done all this greatness
to cause Thy servant
to know [it].
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 of thy servant"
with which agrees the parallel
text in 1 Chronicles 17:19
and according to thine own heart; of his own sovereign
good will and pleasure
of his own grace
as the Arabic version
and not
according to the merits and deserts of David:
hast thou done all these great things; in making him
king of Israel
and settling the kingdom in his posterity to the times of the
Messiah
who should spring from him:
to make thy servant know them; as he now did
by Nathan the prophet
what he and his should enjoy for time to come; so that
it is not only a blessing to have favours designed
purposed
and promised
but
to have the knowledge of them
to know the things that are freely given of God.
2 Samuel 7:22 22 Therefore You are great
O
Lord God.[c] For there
is none like You
nor is there any God besides You
according to all
that we have heard with our ears.
YLT
22Therefore Thou hast been
great
Jehovah God
for there is none like Thee
and there is no God save Thee
according to all that we have heard with our ears.
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:
neither is there any God beside thee; there is but
one God
the living and true God
the former and maker of all things; all
others are but fictitious and factitious gods
see 1 Samuel 2:2;
according to all that we have heard with our ears; concerning
what he did in the land of Egypt upon the Egyptians
and in the wilderness
in
favour of the Israelites
and in the land of Canaan
by driving out the
inhabitants before the people of Israel
and in the times of the judges
in
raising them up to deliver his people.
2 Samuel 7:23 23 And who is like
Your people
like Israel
the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem
for Himself as a people
to make for Himself a name—and to do for Yourself
great and awesome deeds for Your land—before Your people whom You redeemed for
Yourself from Egypt
the nations
and their gods?
YLT
23`And who [is] as Thy
people
as Israel -- one nation in the earth
whom God hath gone to redeem to
Him for a people
and to make for Him a name -- and to do for you the greatness
-- even fearful things for Thy land
at the presence of Thy people
whom Thou
hast redeemed to Thee out of Egypt -- [among the] nations and their gods?
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 gods went to redeem"; the Targum is
"they that
were sent from the Lord
'meaning Moses and Aaron
of whom Jarchi interprets
them
of the first of which it is said
"I have made thee a god unto
Pharaoh"
Exodus 7:1; but
Kimchi and R. Isaiah understand it of the true God
only suppose
as the former
that the plural expression is used for the sake of honour and glory; whereas
no doubt
respect is had to the three divine Persons in the Trinity
who were
all concerned in the redemption of Israel
see Isaiah 63:9
where
mention is made of the Lord
and of the Angel of his presence
and of his holy
Spirit
as engaged therein:
and to make him a name; either to get himself a
name
and honour and glory in the world
to show forth his power and might
as
well as his mercy and goodness
or to make his people famous
great
and
glorious in the earth:
and to do for you great things and terrible; as he did in
the land of Ham
at the Red sea
and in the wilderness
and in the land of
Canaan
great things for his people
and terrible ones to their enemies:
for thy land; which is either spoken to God
whose was
the land of Israel
and which he had chosen to dwell in
and had given to his
people; or else to Israel
to whom the grant of this land was made
and who
were put into the possession of it:
before thy people which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt: that is
the
great and terrible things were done in their sight
when they were redeemed
from the bondage of Egypt
see Psalm 78:12
from the nations
and their gods? meaning
that they were redeemed not only from Egypt
but the
nations of the Canaanites were driven out before them; nor could their idols
save them
but destruction came upon them as upon the gods of the Egyptians:
some leave out the supplement "from"
and interpret this of the
persons redeemed
even of the nations and tribes of Israel
and their great
men
their rulers and civil magistrates
sometimes called gods.
2 Samuel 7:24 24 For You have made Your
people Israel Your very own people forever; and You
Lord
have become
their God.
YLT
24Yea
Thou dost establish to
Thee Thy people Israel
to Thee for a people unto the age
and Thou
Jehovah
hast been to them for God.
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 become their God; their
covenant God
they having avouched him to be their God
and he having avouched
them to be his people
Deuteronomy 26:17.
2 Samuel 7:25 25 “Now
O Lord God
the word
which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house
establish it forever and do as You have said.
YLT
25`And now
Jehovah God
the
word which Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant
and concerning his house
establish unto the age
and do as Thou hast spoken;
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 for
the sure performance of the promise of God respecting himself and his family
and the stability and perpetual continuance of the kingdom in it
and has
no
doubt
a special regard to the Messiah
the promised seed that should spring
from him:
and do as thou hast said: for though God had
purposed and promised to do those several things
and would do them
yet it was
expected by him
and it was right in David to pray for the performance of them;
see Ezekiel 36:37.
2 Samuel 7:26 26 So let Your name be
magnified forever
saying
‘The Lord of hosts is the
God over Israel.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before
You.
YLT
26And Thy Name is great unto
the age
saying
Jehovah of Hosts [is] God over Israel
and the house of Thy
servant David is established before Thee
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; and particularly that he might be magnified and glorified in that
famous Son of his
the Messiah
as he has been
John 13:31; and by
all his people in succeeding ages:
saying
the Lord of hosts is the God over Israel; the Lord of
armies above and below
is God over all
and in a special and peculiar manner
God over Israel
literal and spiritual
that takes care of them
supplies
protects
and defends them:
and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee; as he had
promised
2 Samuel 7:16.
2 Samuel 7:27 27 For You
O Lord of hosts
God
of Israel
have revealed this to Your servant
saying
‘I will build you
a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer
to You.
YLT
27For Thou
Jehovah of Hosts
God of Israel
Thou hast uncovered the ear of Thy servant
saying
A house I
build for thee
therefore hath Thy servant found his heart to pray unto Thee
this prayer;
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 heart disposed to this service
or found freedom and
boldness in him to put up this prayer to God; what encouraged and emboldened
him to do it was the gracious promise of God
that he would build up his family
and establish his kingdom; or otherwise he could not have taken such liberty
and used such boldness with God in prayer
as to have requested it of him.
2 Samuel 7:28 28 “And now
O Lord God
You are God
and Your words are true
and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.
YLT
28And now
Lord Jehovah
Thou
[art] God Himself
and Thy words are truth
and Thou speakest unto Thy servant
this goodness
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 servant; concerning
building and establishing his house. David repeats this promise as being
greatly affected with it
and fully assured of the performance of it.
2 Samuel 7:29 29 Now therefore
let it
please You to bless the house of Your servant
that it may continue before You
forever; for You
O Lord God
have spoken it
and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be
blessed forever.”
YLT
29And now
begin and bless
the house of Thy servant
to be unto the age before Thee
for Thou
Lord
Jehovah
hast spoken
and by Thy blessing is the house of Thy servant blessed
-- to the age.'
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
performance of the promise
which may give encouragement that the whole will be
fulfilled:
that it may continue for ever before thee; under his
care and protection:
for thou
O Lord God
hast spoken it; whose words
never fall to the ground
but have a sure accomplishment:
and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for
ever; even both with temporal and spiritual blessedness.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)