2 Samuel 7:20 kjv
And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant.
2 Samuel 7:20 nkjv
Now what more can David say to You? For You, Lord GOD, know Your servant.
2 Samuel 7:20 niv
"What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign LORD.
2 Samuel 7:20 esv
And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD!
2 Samuel 7:20 nlt
"What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign LORD.
2 Samuel 7 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 139:1-2 | O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know my sitting... | God's comprehensive and intimate knowledge |
| Ps 139:4 | Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. | God knows our thoughts before we speak |
| Heb 4:13 | No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed... | Nothing is concealed from God's full gaze |
| 1 Jn 3:20 | For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. | God's superior and all-encompassing knowledge |
| Jer 1:5 | "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..." | God's foreknowledge of individuals |
| Jn 2:24-25 | But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them... he himself knew what was in man. | Jesus' divine knowledge of human nature |
| Mt 10:30 | But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. | God's meticulous knowledge and care |
| Rom 11:34-36 | "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor... | God's thoughts are beyond human comprehension |
| Job 38:2-3 | "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?" | God challenges human wisdom and knowledge |
| Isa 55:8-9 | "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways..." | God's ways and thoughts are infinitely higher |
| Eccl 3:14 | I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. | God's perfect work needs no human input |
| Gen 32:10 | "I am unworthy of all the steadfast love and all the faithfulness..." | Jacob's expression of unworthiness |
| Isa 6:5 | And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips..." | Isaiah's humble response to God's holiness |
| Lk 1:38 | And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me..." | Mary's humble acceptance of God's will |
| 1 Pet 5:6 | Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you... | Exhortation to humility before God |
| Jam 4:6 | But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." | Divine principle: God blesses the humble |
| Ps 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant..." | Establishment of the Davidic covenant |
| Ps 89:28-29 | My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant with him shall stand firm. | God's eternal faithfulness to David's line |
| Isa 9:6-7 | For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder... of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David... | Prophecy of Messiah's eternal kingdom |
| 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. | Jesus fulfills the Davidic throne prophecy |
| Acts 2:30 | Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne... | Apostolic confirmation of Davidic covenant in Christ |
| 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, the bright morning star." | Jesus as the promised Davidic King |
2 Samuel 7 verses
2 Samuel 7 20 Meaning
2 Samuel 7:20 encapsulates David's profound humility and speechlessness in the face of God's overwhelming grace and covenant promise. After Nathan delivers the Lord's unconditional pledge to establish David's dynasty and a perpetual kingdom (the Davidic Covenant), David, utterly astounded by the magnitude of this undeserved favor, finds himself without adequate words. He recognizes that God's omniscient knowledge of him, His servant, is so complete that no additional words from David could further explain, impress, or add to God's understanding or decision. It is an expression of being utterly known by God, leading to humble submission and reverent adoration rather than a list of requests or elaborations.
2 Samuel 7 20 Context
2 Samuel 7 marks a pivotal moment in David's reign and in biblical history. Before this chapter, David desires to build a permanent dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant, a "house" for God (2 Sam 7:1-3). However, God, through the prophet Nathan, turns the tables. Instead of David building God a house, God promises to build David a "house"—an enduring dynasty, an everlasting kingdom (2 Sam 7:11-16). This prophecy is known as the Davidic Covenant. David's prayer of thanksgiving in 2 Samuel 7:18-29 is his humbled, awe-struck response to this revelation. Verse 20 comes amidst this prayer, following David's acknowledgment of God's unparalleled greatness and his own unworthiness (2 Sam 7:18-19). It sets the stage for David's continued marvel at God's amazing grace, acknowledging God's full understanding of his heart. Historically and culturally, this passage establishes the theological foundation for the Messiah coming from David's line, fundamentally re-shaping the royal ideology in Israel away from human merit to divine, sovereign election and grace. It subtly critiques the surrounding cultures' views of kings earning favor; here, David simply receives grace.
2 Samuel 7 20 Word analysis
- And what more: (Hebrew: U-mah-zod) A rhetorical question, signaling David's profound humility and awe. It means, "What else could possibly be added?" or "What further can I say?" It expresses an overwhelming feeling that human words are utterly insufficient to respond to the depth of God's grace and majesty. It reflects a state of complete contentment and acceptance, not a lack of words.
- can David say: Highlights David's position as the recipient of divine favor, not its initiator or controller. His role is to respond in worship and submission to God's revelation, not to bargain or counsel the Almighty. This underscores the theological truth that God's work of salvation and blessing originates solely from Him.
- to You?: (Hebrew: Eilecha) Directed personally to God, emphasizing the intimate dialogue between God and His servant. David speaks directly to the source of his blessing, expressing reverence and personal dedication.
- For You know: (Hebrew: Ki attah yadatta) The conjunctive ki ("for" or "because") introduces the reason for David's silence. The emphatic attah ("You," singular, stressing God's person) underscores God's active, personal involvement. Yadatta, from the verb yada' (to know), implies not merely intellectual comprehension but intimate, comprehensive, experiential knowledge. God intimately knows David's character, his heart, his weaknesses, and his unexpressed thoughts, motives, and even his destiny.
- Your servant: (Hebrew: et-avd'kha) A consistent self-description for David, emphasizing his chosen status as God's instrument and his submission to God's sovereign will. This designation carries profound theological weight, indicating a special covenant relationship characterized by faithfulness and service, even though the covenant here is one-sided in God's favor.
- O Lord God: (Hebrew: Adonai YHVH) This solemn divine address is a powerful combination of two sacred names. Adonai (my Lord, Sovereign Lord) denotes God's supreme authority and mastery. YHVH (the Tetragrammaton, often rendered as LORD in English Bibles, God's personal covenant name) emphasizes God's faithfulness, presence, and His self-revealing nature as the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. Together, they form an invocation of God's absolute sovereignty and His relational fidelity, fitting for a prayer acknowledging an eternal covenant.
2 Samuel 7 20 Bonus section
The rhetorical nature of David's question "And what more can David say to You?" implicitly contrasts his own inability to dictate or add to God's will with the common ancient Near Eastern royal practices of supplicating or attempting to influence deities through grand offerings or specific architectural feats. David's immediate response to God's unfathomable generosity is surrender, not negotiation. This highlights that Yahweh initiates and fulfills His own plans, which transcend human imagination and capacity. David's self-designation as "Your servant" here echoes his understanding of himself not as a co-regent with God, but as a privileged recipient of God's sovereign favor. The emphasis on God's prior and perfect "knowing" becomes a theological cornerstone: it's not our words that inform God, but His complete knowledge of us that invites our humble trust and restful surrender to His divine purposes. This profound sense of being fully known by God can be a source of immense comfort and security, affirming that even when we struggle to articulate our deepest feelings, God comprehends them perfectly.
2 Samuel 7 20 Commentary
2 Samuel 7:20 captures the climax of David's humble and grateful response to the Davidic Covenant. After Nathan delivers God's astounding promise of an eternal dynasty, David finds himself utterly speechless. His rhetorical question, "And what more can David say to You?" is not a sign of emptiness but of overflowing awe. He acknowledges God's profound omniscience ("For You know Your servant"), recognizing that any human attempt to articulate or add to God's perfect knowledge of him would be redundant and insufficient. This verse teaches us that true worship and effective prayer are not about eloquently presenting ourselves or our needs to God, but about acknowledging who God is (Sovereign Lord) and what He has already done and knows. It shifts the focus from human initiative to divine grace, reminding us that God understands us fully—our thoughts, intentions, and future—even before we express them. Our response to such divine knowledge should be one of profound humility, grateful silence, and trust. For instance, in our own prayers, instead of feeling the need to explain everything, we can simply say, "Lord, you know." This stance liberates us from the burden of perfect articulation and draws us into deeper reliance on God's omniscient grace.