2 Samuel 7:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?

NIV: Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: "Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

NASB: Then David the king came in and sat before the Lord, and he said, 'Who am I, Lord God, and who are the members of my household, that You have brought me this far?

CSB: Then King David went in, sat in the Lord’s presence, and said, Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me this far?

NLT: Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, 'Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

KJV: Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

NKJV: Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?

When the chapter opened, David sat in his exquisite house. This was made from the cedars of Lebanon by craftsmen sent by the king of Tyre. As he looked over the workmanship, David thought about the ark of the covenant, sitting in a tent nearby. The imbalance was obvious, so David talked to his advisor, the prophet Nathan, about building a proper temple (2 Samuel 7:1–3).

Now, David sits in that tent, praising God. God doesn't want David to build him a "house." God wants to build David a house: a son to take the throne after him, and an everlasting legacy (2 Samuel 7:4–17).

David affirms what God told him. God took him "from the pasture, from following sheep" to be the prince of Israel (2 Samuel 7:8). David was a nobody, but God chose to defeat his enemy's countless times and give him the respect of nations (2 Samuel 7:9). David is from the line of Rahab, a prostitute of Jericho, and Ruth, a woman from Israel's enemy Moab (Matthew 1:5–6). David was the youngest son of seven sons (1 Chronicles 2:13–15). If God wanted the crown to go to a descendant of Judah (Genesis 49:10), He could have chosen from thousands of men. But God chose David.

David feels compelled to respond to the Lord, to speak to Him directly. It seems likely that David may have written this humble prayer of thankfulness down, since he seemed to have marked many of the important events in his life with a special psalm, song, or poem. David's humble gratitude is the only appropriate response to God's grace and generosity. Even the smallest amount of reflection should help us to remember that we deserve none of the good gifts God has given us so far and promises to give us forever (Romans 11:33–36).

Second Samuel 7:18–22 relates David's thanks for God's promises. God chose David to be king when he was just a shepherd boy. God gave him the crown, a family, and peace. But God will bless him even more: with a great legacy and an eternal kingdom that will find its fulfillment in Jesus (2 Samuel 7:8–17). David pours out his gratefulness for God's grace. He also thanks God for choosing Israel to be His people, and asks that God will, indeed, fulfill His promises (2 Samuel 7:23–29). First Chronicles 17:16–20 mirrors this part of David's prayer.

In 2 Samuel 7, David wants to build a temple for the ark of the covenant. He's convicted that he has a big house, so the ark doesn't belong in a tent (2 Samuel 5:11–12; 6:17). God declines David's request. Rather, God will build David a "house": a dynasty. David's son will be king—and that sone will build the temple. David's throne will be established forever. David responds with a humble prayer of gratitude and praise, asking God to do all He has promised for David and for Israel. God will, through Jesus (Revelation 22:16). First Chronicles 17 records the same events.

In 2 Samuel 7, David learns he can't out-give God. God has made him king and given him a mansion and a family (2 Samuel 5:3, 11–15). He's allowed David to bring the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:1–15). Now, David wants to build the ark a proper temple. Instead, God says David's son will build the temple, and God will build David a lasting dynasty. Solomon does build the temple (1 Kings 5), and Jesus will fulfill David's dynasty (Luke 1:32).

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.