2 Samuel 7:18-28

David's Prayer of Gratitude

18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, ¹"Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?

19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. ²You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD!

20 And what more can David say to you? ³For you know your servant, O Lord GOD!

21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.

22 ⁴Therefore you are great, O LORD God. ⁵For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

23 ⁶And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name ⁷and doing for them^[a] great and awesome things by driving out^[b] before your people, whom ⁸you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods?

24 ⁹And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God.

25 And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken.

26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,' and the house of your servant David will be established before you.

27 For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house.' Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.

28 And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and ¹⁰your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.

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2 Samuel 7:18-28 Meaning and Commentary

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, 2Sa 7:1-3; 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, 2Sa 7:4-17. 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, 2Sa 7:18-29.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 10

1. [Genesis 32:10]
2. ver. 12, 13; 1 Chronicles 17:17
3. See Psalms 139:1-4
4. 1 Chronicles 16:25; 2 Chronicles 2:5
5. Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 3:24; Psalms 86:8; Psalms 89:6, 8; Isaiah 45:5; Jeremiah 10:6
6. Deuteronomy 4:7, 34; Deuteronomy 33:29; Psalms 147:20
7. Deuteronomy 10:21
8. Deuteronomy 9:26; Nehemiah 1:10
9. ver. 13, 16, 26; Deuteronomy 26:18
10. John 17:17

Footnotes 2

[a]. With a few Targums, Vulgate, Syriac; Hebrew you
[b]. Septuagint (compare 1 Chronicles 17:21); Hebrew for your land

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.