2 Samuel 7:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

NIV: He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

NASB: He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

CSB: He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

NLT: He is the one who will build a house — a temple — for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever.

KJV: He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

NKJV: He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

The Lord is speaking to David about the son who will take the throne of Israel after him. Part of God's promise to establish David's kingdom forever is that He will be faithful to David's son. David already had many sons at the time of this revelation from God, but we know that son to be Solomon, born to David by Bathsheba.

God's promise to David is everything a God-honoring father could hope to learn about his son. The Lord promises that David's son will do the thing that David had wanted to do: He will build a permanent house, a temple, for God's name. Even more, the Lord will establish this son's kingdom forever.

At the Lord's direction, Solomon did, in fact, build the incredible temple which became the "house of God" in Jerusalem (1 Kings 5—6; 2 Chronicles 2—7). Not only was that a massive achievement, but Solomon's reign as king was marked by great prosperity and peace during his own lifetime.

But Solomon's throne doesn't last. When he dies, God punishes his idolatry and his son's foolishness by giving most of the nation to another man (1 Kings 11—12). About 330 years later, the Jews will be taken into captivity in Babylon. Except for a short time after the Maccabean Revolt, Israel won't be an independent nation again until 1948. And, even then, David's descendant doesn't reign on the throne—at least not as of this writing (Titus 2:13)!

Later, Ethan the Ezrahite will write a Psalm, imploring God to make his promise come true (Psalm 89). Neither David nor Ethan likely understood that God's peace and rest depend on Jesus, not David's fully-human sons.

Second Samuel 7:8–17 records God's counteroffer. David wants to build God a house: a temple for the ark of the covenant to dwell permanently. God doesn't want him to (2 Samuel 7:1–7). Instead, God will build David a "house." Not a palace, but an everlasting dynasty. It will start with Solomon and continue through David's descendants who will rule the southern kingdom of Judah. But it will be fulfilled when Jesus returns and rules from Jerusalem (Luke 1:32). The Davidic Covenant is also recorded in 1 Chronicles 17:7–15.

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.