Bible Commentaries

That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within ^a curtains.

(a) Within the tabernacle covered with skins, (Exodus 26:7).

Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, ^b Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?

(b) Meaning, he should not: yet Nathan speaking according to man's judgment and not by the spirit of prophecy permitted him.

In all [the places] wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a ^c word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?

(c) Concerning building a house: meaning without God's express word, nothing should be attempted.

And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a ^d great name, like unto the name of the great [men] that [are] in the earth.

(d) I have made you famous through all the world.

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 ^e no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,

(e) He promises them quietness, if they will walk in his fear and obedience.

I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the ^f rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

(f) That is, gently, as fathers use to chastise their children.

And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be ^g established for ever.

(g) This was begun in Solomon, as a figure, but accomplished in Christ.

And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And [is] this the manner of ^h man, O Lord GOD?

(h) Does this not come rather from your free mercy, than from any worthiness that can be in man?

And what one nation in the earth [is] like thy people, [even] like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for ⁱ you great things and terrible, for ^k thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, [from] the ^l nations and their gods?

(i) O Israel.

(k) And inheritance, which is Israel.

(l) From the Egyptians and their idols.

For thou hast ^m confirmed to thyself thy people Israel [to be] a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.

(m) He shows that God's free election is the only reason why the Israelites were chosen to be his people.

And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts [is] the God over Israel: and let the ⁿ house of thy servant David be established before thee.

(n) This prayer is most effective when we chiefly seek God's glory, and the accomplishment of his promise.

Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast ^o spoken [it]: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.

(o) Therefore I firmly believe it will come to pass.