2 Samuel 7:15 kjv
But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
2 Samuel 7:15 nkjv
But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
2 Samuel 7:15 niv
But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
2 Samuel 7:15 esv
but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.
2 Samuel 7:15 nlt
But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight.
2 Samuel 7 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 15:23 | "...Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king." | Saul's rejection by God. |
| 1 Sam 15:28 | "...The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you." | Kingdom taken from Saul. |
| 1 Sam 16:14 | "Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul..." | The withdrawal of God's enabling Spirit from Saul. |
| 2 Sam 7:16 | "And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before Me. Your throne shall be established forever.” | Direct context: Davidic covenant's eternality. |
| Ps 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with My chosen one; I have sworn to David My servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever...’" | Reinforcement of Davidic covenant promise. |
| Ps 89:28-29 | "My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and My covenant with him will stand firm. I will establish his offspring forever..." | Echoes "steadfast love will not depart." |
| Ps 89:30-34 | "If his sons forsake My law...then I will punish their transgression...But I will not remove My steadfast love from him..." | Directly mirrors 2 Sam 7:14-15's promise and discipline distinction. |
| Ps 89:35-37 | "Once for all, I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever..." | God's immutable oath to David's dynasty. |
| 2 Sam 23:5 | "...For He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure." | David's testament confirming the covenant. |
| 1 Kgs 11:34, 36 | "...I will take away the kingdom out of his hand...one tribe I will give to his son, that David My servant may always have a lamp before Me..." | God preserves a remnant for David's sake (Solomon, Judah) despite judgment. |
| Jer 33:17 | "For thus says the LORD: 'David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel.'" | Divine guarantee for the continuous Davidic line. |
| Ex 34:6 | "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness..." | God's character defined by "steadfast love." |
| Ps 103:8 | "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." | Reiterates God's abundance of hesed. |
| Lam 3:22-23 | "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning..." | Hesed as unending and perpetually renewed. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | "Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end...upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it..." | Prophetic vision of Messianic fulfillment. |
| Lk 1:32-33 | "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” | Gabriel's prophecy to Mary about Jesus, linking to David's throne. |
| Acts 2:30 | "...knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that He would set one of his descendants on his throne..." | Peter's sermon, applying Davidic covenant to Jesus. |
| Rom 1:3-4 | "...concerning His Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power..." | Jesus's Davidic lineage confirmed by Paul. |
| Rev 22:16 | "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David..." | Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic line. |
| Heb 12:6 | "For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.” | Explains God's discipline as a sign of love, not rejection, affirming 2 Sam 7:14-15's nuance. |
2 Samuel 7 verses
2 Samuel 7 15 Meaning
This verse assures King David that God's covenant loyalty and enduring love (His hesed) will not be removed from David's descendants, even if they sin and incur divine discipline. It stands in stark contrast to God's dealings with the previous king, Saul, from whom the divine favor and kingdom were indeed withdrawn, leading to his rejection and replacement by David. The verse guarantees the perpetual existence of David's dynasty, emphasizing the unique and unbreakable nature of God's commitment to His chosen king and his lineage, ultimately finding its fulfillment in the eternal kingdom of the Messiah.
2 Samuel 7 15 Context
2 Samuel chapter 7 records one of the most significant covenants in the Old Testament: the Davidic Covenant. David, having established Jerusalem as his capital and brought the Ark of the Covenant there, expresses a desire to build a permanent temple for God. However, God, through the prophet Nathan, denies David's request for him to build the temple, instead promising that He (God) will build David a "house"—meaning a lasting dynasty and kingdom. The promise in 2 Samuel 7:15 comes directly after God declares that if David's offspring should sin, God would still discipline them (v. 14). This verse immediately clarifies that such discipline will not result in the ultimate rejection or termination of the dynastic line, drawing a crucial distinction by contrasting it with God's complete removal of His favor from Saul, the previous king, who was disobedient and lost his throne. This sets up an enduring, divinely guaranteed lineage for David.
2 Samuel 7 15 Word analysis
"But" (וְ / ve): This conjunction serves as a strong contrasting connector. It marks a clear theological shift from the conditional possibility of punishment and chastisement for David’s offspring (v. 14) to an absolute and unconditional promise regarding the enduring nature of God’s covenant commitment. It emphatically distinguishes God’s relationship with David's house from that with Saul.
"My steadfast love" (חַסְדִּי / chasdi): This is a pivotal term. Chesed (often translated as lovingkindness, mercy, loyalty, or faithful love) describes God's active, covenantal, and enduring faithfulness to His commitments. It's more than emotion; it's steadfast, loyal action. Here, it signifies that God's unwavering commitment to David’s royal line will persist irrespective of the failures of individual kings within that line. This divine hesed is the unbreakable anchor of the Davidic covenant.
"will not depart" (לֹא־יָסוּר / lo-yasur): A forceful negation "not" (לֹא) combined with "depart" (יָסוּר), expressing an absolute assurance. It signifies that God's loyal love will not be turned aside or removed from David’s descendant. This guarantee highlights the eternal security of the Davidic dynasty as established by God.
"from him" (מִמֶּנּוּ / mimennu): Refers directly to the "son" (Solomon, initially) and, by extension, to all future kings in David’s lineage, culminating in the Messiah. The promise is made to the ongoing Davidic dynasty rather than solely to a single individual, ensuring the continuation of the royal line.
"as I took it" (כַּאֲשֶׁר הֲסִרֹתִי / ka'asher hasiroti): "Just as" or "even as." This phrase establishes a direct comparison and contrast to Saul. The Hebrew root sur is used, meaning "to turn aside," or "to remove." God asserts His sovereign hand in both the removal of Saul and the guarantee to David.
"from Saul" (מֵעִם שָׁאוּל / me'im Sha'ul): Points back to the previous king of Israel. Saul’s kingship was conditional and removed due to his disobedience (1 Sam 15:23, 28; 16:14). This contrast dramatically underscores the distinct and eternal nature of God’s promise to David: unlike Saul's fleeting rule, David's line would not be utterly cut off, even if individual kings faced discipline.
"whom I removed" (אֲשֶׁר הֲסִרֹתִי / asher hasiroti): Repeats and reinforces God's divine agency in Saul's downfall. This repetition emphasizes God's sovereign control over the rise and fall of kings and reinforces the unique stability promised to David.
"from before you" (מִפָּנֶיךָ / mipanecha): Literally "from your face" or "from your presence." This signifies that God sovereignly removed Saul’s kingdom from the position of reigning over Israel right before David's eyes, to make way for David's ascendancy. It underscores God's direct intervention in transferring kingship from Saul to David and serves as a strong validation of the new Davidic reign.
2 Samuel 7 15 Bonus section
- Covenant Nuance: The Davidic Covenant is largely unconditional regarding its perpetuity, meaning the dynasty itself will endure. However, it is conditional regarding the well-being and prosperity of individual kings within that dynasty. They could suffer divine chastisement for sin (as promised in v. 14), but this would not lead to the termination of the royal line or the revocation of the foundational promise of a lasting throne. This delicate balance distinguishes it from other covenants.
- Theological Significance of Hesed: The divine hesed is the bedrock of God's covenant relationship with His people. It ensures that God remains true to His word, even when His covenant partners fail. In the context of the Davidic covenant, it elevates this promise beyond human fallibility to rest on the unchanging character of God.
- Messianic Expectation: This promise became the foundation for the deep messianic hope within Israel. The expectation of a coming King from the line of David, whose reign would be eternal and just, derived directly from God's promise here. This verse, therefore, powerfully links the historical monarchy of Israel to the ultimate eschatological kingdom of Christ.
2 Samuel 7 15 Commentary
2 Samuel 7:15 is the heart of the Davidic Covenant's enduring promise. While previous verses acknowledge the potential for discipline (v. 14), this verse clarifies that divine punishment will never amount to the outright rejection and removal of the Davidic dynasty as happened with Saul. God's hesed—His unwavering, loyal covenant love—becomes the secure foundation. This establishes an unconditional aspect to the covenant concerning its perpetuation, contrasting with Saul’s conditional kingship which was entirely dependent on his obedience and ultimately revoked. God guarantees that David will always have a descendant on the throne. This promise has far-reaching theological implications, ultimately pointing to Jesus Christ, the ultimate "son" of David, whose perfect and eternal kingdom fulfills this promise, demonstrating God's hesed in its ultimate expression and guaranteeing an everlasting kingdom through His perfect Son.