2 Samuel 7:2
WEB
the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but God’s ark dwells within curtains.”
BSB
he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”
KJV
That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H559
v — say
Derivation: a primitive root;
to say (used with great latitude)
KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, × expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.
vb — utter
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
1. Say
2. Say in the heart (= think)
3. Promise
4. Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
H4428
n-m — king
Derivation: from 4427;
a king
KJV: king, royal.
n.m — king
מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king
H413
prep — near, with, among, to
Derivation: (but only used in the shortened constructive form אֶל ); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e.
near, with or among; often in general, to
KJV: about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, × hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).
prep — motion to
אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).
1. of motion to or unto a person or place
2. Where the limit is actually entered, into
3. Of direction towards anything
4. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against
5. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to
6. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of
7. Of rule or standard according to (rare)
8. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion
9. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to
H5416
n-pr-m — Nathan
Derivation: from 5414; given;
Nathan, the name of five Israelites
KJV: Nathan.
n.pr.m — Nathan
נָתָן 42 n.pr.m.
1. a son of David
2. the prophet of David’s time
3. father of one of David’s heroes
4. father of officers of Solomon
5. name in Judah
6. companion of Ezra from Babylon
7. one of those who took strange wives
8. head of a family
H5030
n-m — prophet, inspired man
Derivation: from 5012;
a prophet or (generally) inspired man
KJV: prophecy, that prophesy, prophet.
n.m — spokesman
נָבִיא 306 n.m. spokesman, speaker, prophet
1. genuine prophet of י׳
2. false prophets
3. heathen prophets
H7200
v — see
Derivation: a primitive root;
to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
KJV: advise self, appear, approve, behold, × certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, × indeed, × joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, × be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), × sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, × surely, × think, view, visions.
vb — see
רָאָה 1315 vb. see
Qal 1141
1.
a. see, subj.
b. see, c. acc. rei
2. see, sq. acc. cl. or phr. of closer design
3. see, so as to learn to know
4. abs. see, have (power of) vision
5. see = perceive
6. look at, see, by direct volition
7. of mental observation
8.
a. c. ב, lit., look into, hence look at with interest
b. see, c. acc. rei
Niph.
1. appear
2. be seen
3. be visible
Pu. appar. his bones are not detected
Hithp. recipr. look at each other
Hiph.
1.
a. cause one to see something, shew
b. cause to experience something
2. cause to look intently at, to behold
Hoph.
1. be caused to see, be shewn
2. be exhibited to
H4994
inj — 'I pray', 'now', 'then'
Derivation: a primitive particle of incitement and entreaty, which may usually be rendered;
'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction
KJV: I beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.
part. of entreaty — I
נָא part. of entreaty or exhortation, I (we) pray, now (enclitic)
H595
p — I
Derivation: sometimes, אָנֹכִי; a primitive pronoun;
I
KJV: I, me, × which.
pron — I
אָֽנֹכִ֫י, אָנֹ֑כִי pron. 1s. comm. I
H3427
v — sit, dwell, remain, settle, marry
Derivation: a primitive root;
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
KJV: (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, × fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, × marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.
vb — sit
יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell
Qal
1.
a. sit
b. sit, sit down
c. sit down
d. sit = be set (as a jewel)
2.
a. remain, stay, tarry
b. with special emphasis of qualifying phr.
3. dwell, have one’s abode
4. of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited
Niph. be inhabited, of land
Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee
Hiph.
1. cause to sit
2. cause to abide
3.
a. cause to dwell
b. cause cities to be inhabited
4. marry (prop. give a dwelling to)
Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land
H1004
n-m — a house
Derivation: probably from 1129 abbreviated;
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
KJV: court, daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, × great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet, temple, web, + within(-out).
prep — between
בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between
n.m — house
בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house
1. house
2. place
3. receptacle
4. of house as containing a family
5. household, family (592 t.)
6. house, including household affairs
7. lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards
8. מִבַּיִת
a. adv. on the inside
b. prep. within
H730
n-m — cedar
Derivation: from 729;
a cedar tree (from the tenacity of its roots)
KJV: cedar (tree).
n.m — cedar
אֶ֫רֶז n.m. cedar
1. cedar-tree
2. cedar-timber, cedar-wood for building
3. cedar-wood used in purification
H727
n-m — box
Derivation: or אָרֹן; from 717 (in the sense of gathering);
a box
KJV: ark, chest, coffin.
n.m — chest
אֲרוֹן, c. art. הָאָרוֹן, הָאָרֹן 203 n.m. chest, ark
1. chest, for money-offerings
2. sarcophagus, mummy-case
3. chest, ark in tabernacle & temple
H430
n-m — gods, God, magistrates
Derivation: plural of 433;
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
KJV: angels, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × mighty.
n.m.pl — gods
אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.
1. pl. in number.
a. rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
b. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
c. angels
d. gods
2. pl. intensive
a. god or goddess
b. godlike one
c. works of God, or things belongng to him
d. God
3. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
4. אֱלֹהִים = God
H8432
n-m — bisection, centre
Derivation: from an unused root meaning to sever;
a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centre
KJV: among(-st), × between, half, × (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), × out (of), × through, × with(-in).
subst — midst
תָּ֫וֶךְ 416 subst. midst
H3407
n-f — hanging, tremulous
Derivation: from 3415;
a hanging (as tremulous)
KJV: curtain.
n.f — curtain
יְרִיעָה 54 n.f. curtain
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Verses 1–3
2 Samuel 7:1–3
Here is, I. David at rest. He sat in his house (Sa2 7:1), quiet and undisturbed, having no occasion to take the field: The Lord had given him rest round about, from all those that were enemies to his settlement in the throne, and he set himself to enjoy that rest. Though he was a man of war, he was for peace (Psa 120:7) and did not delight in war. He had not been long at rest, nor was it long before he was again engaged in war; but at present he enjoyed a calm, and he was in his element when he was sitting in his house, meditating in the law of God.
II. David's thought of building a temple for the honour of God. He had built a palace for himself and a city for his servants; and now he thinks of building a habitation for the ark. 1. Thus he would make a grateful return for the honours God put upon him. Note, When God, in his providence, has remarkably done much for us, it should put us upon contriving what we may do for him and his glory. What shall I render unto the Lord? 2. Thus he would improve the present calm, and make a good use of the rest God had given him. Now that he was not called out to serve God and Israel in the high places of the field, he would employ his thoughts, and time, and estate, in serving him another way, and not indulge himself in ease, much less in luxury. When God, in his providence, gives us rest, and finds us little to do of worldly business, we must do so much the more for God and our souls. How different were the thoughts of David when he sat in his palace from Nebuchadnezzar's when he walked in his! Dan 4:29, Dan 4:30. That proud man thought of nothing but the might of his own power, and the honour of his own majesty; this humble soul is full of contrivance how to glorify God, and give honour to him. And how God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace and glory to the humble, the event showed. David considered (Sa2 7:2) the stateliness of his own habitation (I dwell in a house of cedar), and compared with that the meanness of the habitation of the ark (the ark dwells within curtains), and thought this incongruous, that he should dwell in a palace and the ark in a tent. David had been uneasy till he found out a place for the ark (Psa 132:4, Psa 132:5), and now he is uneasy till he finds out a better place. Gracious grateful souls, (1.) Never think they can do enough for God, but, when they have done much, are still projecting to do more and devising liberal things. (2.) They cannot enjoy their own accommodations while they see the church of God in distress and under a cloud. David can take little pleasure in a house of cedar for himself, unless the ark have one. Those who stretched themselves upon beds of ivory, and were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph, though they had David's music, had not David's spirit (Amo 6:4, Amo 6:6) nor those who dwelt in their ceiled houses while God's house lay waste.
III. His communicating this thought to Nathan the prophet. He told him, as a friend and confidant, whom he used to advise with. Could not David have gone about it himself? Was it not a good work? Was not he himself a prophet? Yes, but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. David told him, that by him he might know the mind of God. It was certainly a good work, but it was uncertain whether it was the will of God that David should have the doing of it.
IV. Nathan's approbation of it: Go, do all that is in thy heart; for the Lord is with thee, Sa2 7:3. We do not find that David told him that he purposed to build a temple, only that it was a trouble to him that there was not one built, from which Nathan easily gathered what was in his heart, and bade him go on and prosper. Note, We ought to do all we can to encourage and promote the good purposes and designs of others, and put in a good word, as we have opportunity, to forward a good work. Nathan spoke this, not in God's name, but as from himself; not as a prophet, but as a wise and good man; it was agreeable to the revealed will of God, which requires that all in their places should lay out themselves for the advancement of religion and the service of God, though it seems his secret will was otherwise, that David should not do this. It was Christ's prerogative always to speak the mind of God, which he perfectly knew. Other prophets spoke it only when the spirit of prophecy was upon them; but, if in any thing they mistook (as Samuel, Sa1 16:6, and Nathan here) God soon rectified the mistake.
Cross-references: 2Sam 7:1 · Ps 120:7 · Dan 4:29 · Dan 4:30 · 2Sam 7:2 · Ps 132:4 · Ps 132:5 · Amos 6:4 · Amos 6:6 · 2Sam 7:3 · 1Sam 16:6