1 And it came to passe, when the King sate in his house, and the Lord had giuen him rest round about frō all his enemies;
2 That the king said vnto Nathan the Prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of Cedar, but the Arke of God dwelleth within curtaines.
3 And Nathan sayde to the King, Go, doe all that is in thine heart: for the Lord is with thee.
4 ¶ And it came to passe that night, that the word of the Lord came vnto Nathan, saying;
5 Goe and tell my seruant Dauid, Thus sayth the Lord, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
6 Whereas I haue not dwelt in any house, since the time that I brought vp the children of Israel out of Egypt, euen to this day, but haue walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
7 In all the places wherein I haue walked with all the children of Israel, spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whome I commanded to feede my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of Cedar?
8 Now therefore so shalt thou say vnto my seruant Dauid; Thus sayth the Lord of hostes, I tooke thee from the sheepe-cote, from following the sheepe, to be ruler ouer my people, ouer Israel.
9 And I was with thee withersoeuer thou wentest, and haue cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and haue made thee a great name, like vnto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
10 (Moreouer I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their owne, and mooue no more: neither shall the children of wickednesse afflict them any more, as beforetime,
11 And as since the time that I commanded Iudges to bee ouer my people Israel, and haue caused thee to rest from all thine enemies:) Also the Lord telleth thee, that he will make thee an house.
12 ¶ And when thy dayes be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers, I will set vp thy seede after thee, which shall proceede out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdome.
13 Hee shall build an house for my Name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdome for euer.
14 I will be his father, and he shall be my sonne: if hee commit iniquitie, I will chasten him with the rodde of men, and with the stripes of the children of men.
15 But my mercie shall not depart away from him, as I tooke it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
16 And thine house, and thy kingdome shall be stablished for euer before thee: thy throne shall be stablished for euer.
17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speake vnto Dauid.
18 ¶ Then went king Dauid in, and sate before the Lord, and hee said, Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God: but thou hast spoken also of thy seruants house for a great while to come, and is this the maner of man, O Lord God?
20 And what can Dauid say more vnto thee? for thou, Lord God, knowest thy seruant.
21 For thy words sake, and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things, to make thy seruant know them.
22 Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we haue heard with our eares.
23 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, euen like Israel, whom God went to redeeme for a people to himselfe, & to make him a name, and to doe for you great things, and terrible, for thy lande, before thy people which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations, and their gods?
24 For thou hast confirmed to thy selfe thy people Israel to be a people vnto thee for euer: and thou, Lord art become their God.
25 And now, O Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken, concerning thy seruant, and concerning his house, establish it for euer, and doe as thou hast said.
26 And let thy name bee magnified for euer, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God ouer Israel: and let the house of thy seruant Dauid bee established before thee.
27 For thou, O Lord of hostes, God of Israel, hast reuealed to thy seruant, saying, I will build thee an house: therfore hath thy seruant found in his heart to pray this prayer vnto thee.
28 And now, O Lord GOD, (thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodnesse vnto thy seruant.)
29 Therefore now let it please thee to blesse the house of thy seruant, that it may continue for euer before thee: for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it, and with thy blessing let the house of thy seruant be blessed for euer.
David's care for the ark. (1-3) God's covenant with David. (4-17) His prayer and thanksgiving. (18-29)1-3 David being at rest in his palace, considered how he might best employ his leisure and prosperity in the service of God. He formed a design to build a temple for the ark. Nathan here did not speak as a prophet, but as a godly man, encouraging David by his private judgment. We ought to do all we can to encourage and promote the good purposes and designs of others, and, as we have opportunity, to forward a good work.
4-17 Blessings are promised to the family and posterity of David. These promises relate to Solomon, David's immediate successor, and the royal line of Judah. But they also relate to Christ, who is often called David and the Son of David. To him God gave all power in heaven and earth, with authority to execute judgment. He was to build the gospel temple, a house for God's name; the spiritual temple of true believers, to be a habitation of God through the Spirit. The establishing of his house, his throne, and his kingdom for ever, can be applied to no other than to Christ and his kingdom: David's house and kingdom long since came to an end. The committing iniquity cannot be applied to the Messiah himself, but to his spiritual seed; true believers have infirmities, for which they must expect to be corrected, though they are not cast off.
18-29 David's prayer is full of the breathings of devout affection toward God. He had low thoughts of his own merits. All we have, must be looked upon as Divine gifts. He speaks very highly and honourably of the Lord's favours to him. Considering what the character and condition of man is, we may be amazed that God should deal with him as he does. The promise of Christ includes all; if the Lord God be ours, what more can we ask, or think of? #Eph 3:20|. He knows us better than we know ourselves; therefore let us be satisfied with what he has done for us. What can we say more for ourselves in our prayers, than God has said for us in his promises? David ascribes all to the free grace of God. Both the great things He had done for him, and the great things He had made known to him. All was for his word's sake, that is, for the sake of Christ the eternal Word. Many, when they go to pray, have their hearts to seek, but David's heart was found, that is, it was fixed; gathered in from its wanderings, entirely engaged to the duty, and employed in it. That prayer which is from the tongue only, will not please God; it must be found in the heart; that must be lifted up and poured out before God. He builds his faith, and hopes to speed, upon the sureness of God's promise. David prays for the performance of the promise. With God, saying and doing are not two things, as they often are with men; God will do as he hath said. The promises of God are not made to us by name, as to David, but they belong to all who believe in Jesus Christ, and plead them in his name.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.