2 Samuel 7 27

2 Samuel 7:27 kjv

For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.

2 Samuel 7:27 nkjv

For You, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house.' Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You.

2 Samuel 7:27 niv

"LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.

2 Samuel 7:27 esv

For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house.' Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.

2 Samuel 7:27 nlt

"O LORD of Heaven's Armies, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer to you because you have revealed all this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you ? a dynasty of kings!'

2 Samuel 7 verses

2 Samuel 7 27 Meaning

This verse serves as David's profound acknowledgment of the Davidic Covenant. David explains the basis of his ensuing prayer: God, in His sovereign power and intimate covenant faithfulness, has specifically revealed to David His intent to establish David's dynastic "house" or lineage forever. This revelation—God's initiative to build for David rather than accepting a physical temple from him—filled David with the necessary confidence and boldness ("found in his heart") to approach God in such a meaningful and extensive prayer of thanksgiving and reaffirmation that follows in the chapter. It highlights that true prayer is born out of understanding and trusting in God's revealed promises.

2 Samuel 7 27 Context

2 Samuel chapter 7 records a pivotal moment in the life of King David and in redemptive history. David, having settled into his palace in Jerusalem, felt a strong desire to build a magnificent, permanent temple for the Ark of the Covenant, contrasting with his own dwelling. However, God, through the prophet Nathan, rejected David's initiative to build the temple (though allowing his son to do so). Crucially, God immediately shifted the focus from what David would build for Him to what God would build for David: a lasting "house," a dynasty, and an eternal kingdom. This is the heart of the Davidic Covenant. Verse 27, therefore, captures David's astonished yet grateful response to this astounding, counter-intuitive revelation. David realizes that God's grace and purpose transcend his own good intentions, emboldening him to pray with an entirely new understanding and confidence, expressing humility yet seizing upon the divine promise. Culturally, kings would build temples to consolidate power or appease deities; here, God demonstrates His uniqueness by Himself initiating the "building" for His chosen king.

2 Samuel 7 27 Word analysis

• For thou: Directly addresses God, signifying a deeply personal and immediate acknowledgment of the source of the revelation.
• O LORD of hosts (יהוה צבאות - Yahweh Tsva'ot): This powerful divine title underscores God's omnipotent sovereignty as the commander of all heavenly armies and earthly forces. It emphasizes that the One making this grand, eternal promise is not merely a regional deity but the absolute universal Lord, whose power ensures the fulfillment of His word.
• God of Israel (אלהי ישראל - Elohei Yisrael): While "Lord of Hosts" speaks to universal dominion, "God of Israel" highlights God's unique covenant relationship with His chosen people, embodying His faithfulness to specific promises made to the descendants of Jacob. This twin designation signifies both the vastness of His power and the intimacy of His covenant.
• hast revealed (גלית - galita): From the root "to uncover" or "to disclose." This verb implies an active, divine act of unveiling truth that was previously unknown or dimly perceived. David did not discover this truth on his own; God graciously and clearly made it known to him, removing any uncertainty or ambiguity. This revelation is foundational to David's ability to pray.
• to thy servant: David's humble self-designation, acknowledging his position of subservience and receptivity to God's authoritative word. This humility underscores his worthiness of the divine favour.
• saying: Emphasizes that the revelation came through clear, verbal communication (via Nathan), leaving no room for misunderstanding.
• I will build (אבנה - ivneh) thee an house (בית - bayit): This is the crucial divine promise. The active voice and future tense highlight God's initiative. The word "house" (Hebrew: bayit) here is contextually defined by the oracle itself (2 Sam 7:11) as a "dynasty" or "lineage" that would endure, distinct from a literal physical building. This flips David's initial intention (he wanted to build a house for God) to God's greater, eternal purpose (God would build a lasting "house" for David). This divine initiative is key to David's transformed perspective.
• therefore: Establishes a direct cause-and-effect relationship. The magnitude and nature of God's revelation directly enabled David's confident prayer.
• hath thy servant found in his heart (מצא עבדך את לבו - matza avdəkha et libbō): An idiomatic expression conveying that David gained courage, confidence, or the moral capacity to pray. It was not a trivial or common prayer, but one that required boldness to approach such an awesome God given such an immense, undeserved promise. This phrase means God’s revelation empowered David’s spirit to approach Him.
• to pray this prayer unto thee: Refers specifically to the subsequent lengthy and profound prayer of thanksgiving and affirmation found in 2 Samuel 7:18-29. This is prayer born not of need, but of awe, gratitude, and confidence in God's immutable promises.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "O LORD of hosts, God of Israel": This powerful double appellation, common in biblical prayer and prophecy, asserts God's ultimate authority over all creation ("LORD of hosts") coupled with His unique covenant relationship and faithfulness to His chosen people ("God of Israel"). David grounds his prayer in a profound understanding of who God is: the Omnipotent and the Covenant-Keeper.
• "hast revealed to thy servant": This phrase emphasizes the unidirectional flow of truth and grace from God to man. God initiated the disclosure of His sovereign will to David, a humble "servant." This highlights the concept of divine revelation as foundational to faith and obedience.
• "I will build thee an house": This phrase encapsulates the core promise of the Davidic Covenant and reverses the common ancient Near Eastern expectation. Instead of a king building a temple for his deity, God Himself pledges to build an enduring dynasty for the king. This is a promise of divine establishment and security, culminating in the eternal kingdom of Christ.
• "found in his heart to pray this prayer": This idiomatic expression speaks volumes about the impact of God's revelation. The incredible nature of God's unilateral promise to David moved him from potentially being overwhelmed by unworthiness to being emboldened with confidence and an inspired readiness to respond in prayer. It means his spirit was made ready and courageous to respond to such a profound display of divine grace and power.

2 Samuel 7 27 Bonus section

• The Paradigm of Prayer: This verse presents a foundational principle for biblical prayer: authentic and powerful prayer often arises from knowing and trusting God's revealed will and promises. It is not an attempt to coerce God, but a confident appropriation of what He has already declared He will do.
• Reversal of Expectation: The chapter, and especially this verse, illustrates a significant reversal of human expectation. David, as king, sought to do a great deed for God (build Him a temple). But God's plan was far grander: to do a great, eternal deed for David (establish his kingdom forever). This underscores that God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours, and His grace surpasses all human works or merit.
• The Unworthiness and Empowerment: David's humble acknowledgment as "thy servant" contrasts with the immense promise. His prayer, therefore, isn't from his inherent merit but from God's empowering grace derived from the revelation. This is a powerful demonstration of how divine revelation enables what human inadequacy would otherwise make impossible.

2 Samuel 7 27 Commentary

2 Samuel 7:27 unlocks the theological depth of David's prayer. It reveals that his awe-filled petition stems directly from a clear, divinely imparted understanding of the Davidic Covenant. David did not conceptualize this covenant; God sovereignly revealed His unilateral purpose to build an eternal dynastic "house" for David, contrasting starkly with David's own desire to build a mere physical "house" for God. This divine initiative and unprecedented grace—where the Almighty pledges to serve David's lineage—imbued David with a boldness he otherwise would not have possessed. "Found in his heart" signifies an enablement, a divine courage to approach the Sovereign LORD with such a comprehensive and confident prayer of gratitude and intercession. Thus, true, potent prayer is rooted not in human presumption or need alone, but in an humble yet confident response to God's revealed character and immutable promises, aligning the human heart with the divine will already declared.