2 Samuel 7:1
ESV
Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,
NIV
After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him,
NASB
Now it came about, when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,
CSB
When the king had settled into his palace and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,
NLT
When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies,
KJV
And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies;
NKJV
Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around,
What does 2 Samuel 7:1 mean?
David has entered a new season in his life. He is no longer running from King Saul. He is no longer waiting to become king over Israel as the Lord had promised. He is no longer in the early days of his kingdom. The Lord has fully established him as king over Israel. David is living in his permanent residence in Jerusalem, now called the city of David.This grand house is made by craftsmen from Tyre, out of cedar from Lebanon (2 Samuel 5:11). Nearby, the ark of the covenant—the symbol of the presence of God with His people—is sitting in a tent (2 Samuel 6:17). David feels convicted realizes this isn't right. A servant, even if a king, shouldn't be blessed more than the God of the universe.
David's concern is one of many ways he proves he's a man after God's own heart. He's the only person mentioned in the Bible who wants to build God a temple. Joash repairs the temple (2 Kings 12), and Ezra, Zerubbabel, and Haggai worked to replace it after Nebuchadnezzar's army destroyed it. Most of Israel's kings, starting with Solomon, were more focused on building worship places for pagan gods. In modern times, we sometimes focus on David's failures. It's worth stepping back and remembering he really did love and worship God.
Because of this, God responds. David isn't the right choice to build the temple. His life is defined by war and violence. Those were not evil (Psalm 144:1), but it's not the context God wants associated with the building of His house (1 Chronicles 22:8). But God will build David a lasting dynasty that will culminate in Jesus' reign on earth.
