2 Samuel 7:6

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,

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 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?)

8 And now thou shalt say these things to my servant David, The Lord of hosts saith these things, I took thee from [the] pastures following flocks, that thou shouldest be duke on my people Israel (so that thou couldest be the leader of my people Israel),