2 Samuel 7:6

6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling.

2 Samuel 7:6 in Other Translations

6 Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.

6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.

6 I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling.

6 Why, I haven't lived in a 'house' from the time I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt till now. All that time I've moved about with nothing but a tent.

6 From the time I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until today I have not lived in a house; instead, I have been moving around with the tabernacle tent.

2 Samuel 7:6 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 7:6

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 Exodus 26:6 Exodus 26:11-13 ) . 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 7:6 In-Context

4 But that night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying:

5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?

6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling.

7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ’

8 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel.

Cross References

• 1. Acts 7:45
• 2. Exodus 40:18,34; Joshua 18:1
• 3. 1 Kings 8:16