2 Samuel 7 12

2 Samuel 7:12 kjv

And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

2 Samuel 7:12 nkjv

"When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

2 Samuel 7:12 niv

When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.

2 Samuel 7:12 esv

When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

2 Samuel 7:12 nlt

For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong.

2 Samuel 7 verses

2 Samuel 7 12 Meaning

2 Samuel 7:12 contains God's foundational promise to King David, known as the Davidic Covenant. It signifies that upon David's death, God will sovereignly raise up one of David's biological descendants to succeed him. Crucially, God promises to establish and secure this descendant's kingdom, indicating an enduring royal lineage and a stable throne. This verse is pivotal as it lays the groundwork for the Messianic hope, initially pointing to Solomon but ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

2 Samuel 7 12 Context

2 Samuel 7:12 is a core component of the Davidic Covenant, found in 2 Samuel 7. This chapter marks a theological turning point in the narrative of Israel. Previously, in verse 1, David expresses his desire to build a "house" (temple) for the ark of the Lord, while he himself lives in a cedar palace. Through the prophet Nathan, God declines David's offer, stating that He has never resided in a permanent structure and doesn't require David to build one. Instead, God turns the tables and promises that He will build a "house" (dynasty/lineage) for David. This shifts the focus from a physical building built by human hands to an enduring, divinely established royal lineage. Verse 12 specifically narrows down this promise to a direct, physical descendant of David who will reign after David's death, emphasizing the perpetuity and stability of the kingdom God will establish for him. This promise establishes the enduring expectation of a Davidic king and lays the foundation for all subsequent Messianic prophecy.

2 Samuel 7 12 Word analysis

• "When your days are fulfilled": Hebrew: yāley (לֵאת - to fill, fulfill, accomplish) yāmeykhā (יָמֶיךָ - your days). This phrase indicates the completion of David's lifespan, signaling a future event after his natural death. It highlights a precise time marker for the commencement of the next stage of God's covenantal plan.
• "and you lie down with your fathers": Hebrew: wā shākavtā (וְשָׁכַבְתָּ - and you lie down) ʿim (עִם - with) ʾăvōteykā (אֲבֹתֶיךָ - your fathers). This is a common biblical idiom for death and burial in the ancestral resting place. It signifies the end of David's earthly reign and underscores the succession plan is for after his passing.
• "I will raise up": Hebrew: hāqîmōtî (וַהֲקִימֹתִי - and I will raise up/establish). From the root qūm (קוּם - to rise, stand up, establish). This is a crucial statement of divine initiative. It explicitly states that God, not David or any human election, is the one who will select and empower the successor. This underscores God's sovereign control over the Davidic dynasty.
• "your offspring": Hebrew: zarʿakhā (זַרְעֲךָ - your seed, offspring, descendant). This term is highly significant throughout the Old Testament, harkening back to the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 12:7; 22:17). It specifies that the promised successor will be a direct, physical descendant, ensuring the continuity of the royal line.
• "after you": Hebrew: ʾaḥăreykhā (אַחֲרֶיךָ - after you). Indicates sequential succession in time. The successor comes immediately after David.
• "who shall come from your body": Hebrew: ʾăsher yeṣeʾ (אֲשֶׁר יֵצֵא - who comes out/forth) mimēʿeykhā (מִמֵּעֶיךָ - from your bowels/innards). This powerfully emphasizes direct, biological, bodily descent. It leaves no doubt that the successor is genetically related to David, rooting the promised king in the physical reality of David's lineage.
• "and I will establish": Hebrew: wa'hăqînōtî (וַהֲכִינֹתִי - and I will establish/make firm). From the root kûn (כּוּן - to be firm, established, confirmed). This reiterates God's active role. It's not merely that a kingdom will exist, but that God Himself will make it stable, enduring, and secure, ensuring its perpetual existence.
• "his kingdom": Hebrew: malḵūtô (מַלְכוּתוֹ - his kingdom). This refers to the reign and domain of the raised-up descendant. The promise focuses on the establishment not just of a person but of the political and sovereign entity associated with him.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers": This phrase marks a clear chronological boundary – the promise commences after David's natural life concludes. It emphasizes the generational shift from David himself to his chosen descendant, underscoring that this is a promise beyond David's personal achievements.
• "I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body": This segment clearly identifies the successor: he is chosen by God ("I will raise up"), a direct descendant ("your offspring"), chronologically succeeding David ("after you"), and physically begotten by David ("from your body"). This precisely defines the origin of the promised king, removing ambiguity and highlighting God's faithfulness to a specific lineage.
• "and I will establish his kingdom": This culminates the promise, declaring the ultimate divine action and result. God pledges to make this descendant's reign stable, permanent, and sovereign. This transforms a mere succession into an enduring dynastic covenant, distinct from typical human succession which is often fragile. It sets the stage for an everlasting kingdom, far beyond what any human ruler could guarantee.

2 Samuel 7 12 Bonus section

The Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7, epitomized by verse 12, represents a shift from a primary focus on land and nation (as in the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants) to an emphasis on an everlasting throne and dynasty. While David was a man after God's own heart, even his ability to establish a lasting legacy was contingent on God's divine pledge, not his own might. This underscores God's sovereignty and His unwavering commitment to His chosen king and line, irrespective of future individual failures within the Davidic dynasty. It provides the theological basis for a lineage that, despite earthly trials and exile, would ultimately produce the Messiah King, demonstrating God's steadfast love and ultimate plan for universal salvation through a particular covenantal line.

2 Samuel 7 12 Commentary

2 Samuel 7:12 is a foundational statement in the outworking of God's redemptive plan, establishing the unconditional Davidic Covenant. This verse confirms that God, not human choice, is the architect of David's enduring "house" (dynasty). The promise moves from David's desire to build a temple for God to God's resolve to build a perpetual kingdom for David. The specificity of the successor being a direct, biological "offspring" ("seed") "from your body" first finds its immediate fulfillment in Solomon, who would build the temple (2 Sam 7:13). However, the ultimate "forever" nature of the "kingdom" promised (vv. 13, 16) extends beyond Solomon, whose kingdom eventually fractured due to sin. This perpetuity clearly points to a greater fulfillment in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who is repeatedly affirmed in the New Testament as the "son of David" destined to reign on David's throne eternally (Luke 1:32-33; Rom 1:3; Acts 2:30). The covenant thus has a dual aspect: a proximate historical fulfillment and a ultimate eschatological fulfillment, guaranteeing God's faithfulness to His promise through generations until Christ establishes His eternal reign.