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1 Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord remaineth under curtains.

2 Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee.

3 And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

4 Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:

5 For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.

6 Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?

7 Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:

8 And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.

9 Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning,

10 And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the Lord will build thee an house.

11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

12 He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.

13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:

14 But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.

15 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

16 And David the king came and sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

17 And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O Lord God.

18 What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant.

19 O Lord, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.

20 O Lord, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

21 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?

22 For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, Lord, becamest their God.

23 Therefore now, Lord, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.

24 Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.

25 For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee.

26 And now, Lord, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

27 Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O Lord, and it shall be blessed for ever.

<html><b>Now it came to pass when David sat</b> In Samuel (II 7:1) it is written: “…and the Lord had given him rest from around him, etc.” [The next verse says] “but the Ark of God dwells within the curtains,” as is written above (ibid. 6:17): “…inside the tent that David had pitched for it.” David said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, has fulfilled through me, (Deut. 12:10): ‘and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about,’ and I too am obligated to do what is written in close proximity (ibid. verse 11): ‘…then the place that the Lord your God will choose to let his name rest there,’ i.e., I shall build him a tabernacle,”</html>

<html><b>And it came to pass on that same night, etc.</b> It is explained in the Midrash (<i>Midrash Sam.</i> 26: 1): “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Nathan: This man to whom I am sending you is a vower. Go forth and tell him before he swears to build it: You shall not build Me the house for My dwelling.” Another explanation: The man to whom I am sending you is zealous. Go, tell him before he hires workers.</html>

<html><b>but I have [gone] from tent to tent and from tabernacle</b> i.e., and I have walked from tent to tent and from tabernacle to tabernacle: from Gilgal to Shiloh, and from Shiloh to Nob, and from Nob to Gibeon, and although I was wandering from tent to tent and from tabernacle to tabernacle…</html>

<html><b>Wherever I walked among all Israel, I spoke a word, etc.</b> I did not do this, and neither did they spontaneously think of building a house for Me, as it has entered your mind.</html>

<html><b>So said the Lord of Hosts</b> For that which entered your mind I shall repay you. <b>from the sheepcote</b> the dwelling of the shepherds and the sheepfolds.</html>

<html><b>and I have made you a name like the name of the great ones</b> like the name of the great kings, for above it is written (14:17): “… and David’s fame went forth throughout all the lands.”</html>

<html><b>And I shall appoint a place for My people Israel, and they will dwell in their own place, etc.</b> not as it was in the days of Saul, when Saul was slain and Israel fled, and the Philistines settled in their place. <b>and the wicked people will no longer afflict them</b> - Heb. לְבַלְּתוֹ like לְעַנּוֹתוֹ (II Sam. 7:10).</html>

<html><b>And even from the days that I commanded judges over My people Israel</b> they did not have rest like you, for I vanquished all your enemies before you. <b>Moreover I tell you</b> what your reward will be, because you wished to build Me a house. <b>that the Lord will build you a house</b> You thought to build Me a house in My name; your reward will be with the same measure; the Holy One, blessed be He, brings you the tidings that the Lord will give you a son who will reign after you and who will sit on the throne of Israel in your stead, and everything that endures for a person after him is called a house, as it says (v. 11): “… and I shall raise up your seed after you.”</html>

<html><b>And it will come to pass when your days are finished to go with your forefathers</b> That is to say, do not fear that I will hasten the matter, but when your days are finished, then it will come about, and I shall raise up your seed after you. <b>and I shall establish his kingdom</b> And so he says of Solomon, (I Kings 2:12): “… and his kingdom was firmly established.”</html>

<html><b>I shall be to him as a father, and he will be to Me as a son</b> And in Samuel (II 7:14), it is written: “… so that when he goes astray, I will chasten him with the rod of men.” The meaning is that if he sins against Me, I will chasten him immediately, as a man who chastens his son with a rod of men, insofar that He raised up against him as adversaries Rezon and Hadad, and on that verse, it is appropriate to say, “… and I shall not remove My loving kindness from him as I removed it from [Saul] who was before you,” and when he sinned before Me, I removed the kingdom from him and from his seed. In Samuel (ibid. 15) it is written: “from Saul.” The reason it is not written here: “so that when he goes astray, etc.” is because of David’s honor, for he does not wish to speak of this in this Book, because it is denigrating to the house of David.</html>

<html><b>that You have brought me thus far</b> From the sheepcote you brought me to the kingdom.</html>

<html><b>As though this was yet too small a thing in Your eyes</b> that You gave me the kingdom. <b>from afar</b> that You have established my kingdom until future times, for You said, “And I shall station him in My house and in My kingdom forever.” <b>and You have regarded me in the manner of a man of high degree</b> that You have equated me and placed me in the rows of the great; i.e., I was small, but You placed me in the row of the princes of Your people, for You said to me, “… and I have made for you a [great] name like the name of the great ones.” <b>in the manner</b> - Heb. כְּתוֹר. The meaning is a row, and an example is in Kilaim (2:7): “the point of a row (ראשּׁ תּוֹר) of vegetables.”</html>

<html><b>What more need David [seek] You</b> The meaning is: What need is there more for David to seek you? <b>to have glory as Your servant</b> in order to do me honor, that I am Your servant, and You know by Yourself. In Samuel (II 7:20) it is written: “And what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord.”</html>

<html><b>O Lord, for the sake of Your servant</b> This is connected to the preceding verse, as follows: And You did so much to let me know of all this greatness that You let me know, and all was from the desire of Your heart. Therefore…</html>

<html><b>O Lord, there is none like You</b> Perhaps you will say that there is none as great as He, but there is one slightly smaller than He. Therefore. it says: “… and there is no god besides You.” <b>there is none like You, and there is no god besides You</b> even among the nations. <b>according to all that we have heard with our ears</b> all our days.</html>

<html><b>And who is like Your people Israel, one nation</b> And how are they singled out from all the nations? In this manner… <b>whom God went</b> by Himself. <b>to redeem for Himself a people</b> as a people, as it is written (Exod. 11:4): “I shall step forth in the midst of Egypt.” In this, we were singled out, that He did not do this to any nation in the world. <b>to drive nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt</b> And since You are One in Your world, and Your people are singled out from all nations; therefore, it is fitting for You to give them a proper and great king.</html>

<html><b>And may Your name be confirmed and magnified forever, saying</b> that they should say, “The Lord of Hosts, etc.,” and also His word endures. <b>and the house of David Your servant shall be established before You</b> that You spoke, (v. 14): “… and his throne shall be established forever.”</html>

<html><b>For You, my God, have revealed</b> It is surely fitting for You to cause Your words to be realized, for You Yourself revealed to [my] ear to build me a house, as it is written: (v. 10): “and I told you and the Lord will build you a house.” <b>therefore, Your servant has found [occasion] to pray before You</b> i.e., If You Yourself had not promised me to bring upon my seed these favors, it would not enter my mind to make supplication, for who am I that You have brought even this far, but since You said for Your sake to bring me all these favors, I therefore pray that You cause Your words to be realized.</html>

<html><b>for You, O Lord, have blessed</b> You have blessed me. <b>and [he shall be] blessed forever</b> That is to say, Your servant shall be blessed forever.</html>