2 Samuel 7:5

5 Go thou, and speak to my servant David, (and say,) The Lord saith these things, Whether thou shalt build to me an house to dwell in? (Shalt thou build a house for me to live in?)

2 Samuel 7:5 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 7:5

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. Eupolemus ^F21 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 30. p. 447.

2 Samuel 7:5 In-Context

3 And Nathan said to the king, Go thou, and do all thing that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee.

4 And it was done in that night, and lo! the word of the Lord, was made to Nathan, [saying,]

5 Go thou, and speak to my servant David, (and say,) The Lord saith these things, Whether thou shalt build to me an house to dwell in? (Shalt thou build a house for me to live in?)

6 Soothly I have not dwelled in an house from the day in which I led the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt till into this day; but I have gone in a tabernacle and in a tent,

7 by all places, to which I passed with all the sons of Israel? Whether I speaking spake to (any)one of the lineages of Israel, to whom I commanded, that he should feed my people Israel, and said, Why buildedest thou not an house of cedar to me? (to all the places, to which I went with all the people of Israel. Did I speak to anyone of the tribes of Israel, to whom I commanded, that they should feed my people Israel, and did I ever ask them, Why hast thou not built a cedar house for me?)