2 Samuel 7:3 kjv
And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.
2 Samuel 7:3 nkjv
Then Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you."
2 Samuel 7:3 niv
Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you."
2 Samuel 7:3 esv
And Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you."
2 Samuel 7:3 nlt
Nathan replied to the king, "Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you."
2 Samuel 7 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:2 | "...'Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains...'" | David's observation prompting his desire. |
| 2 Sam 7:4 | "But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying..." | God's immediate correction of Nathan's word. |
| 1 Chr 17:2 | "Nathan replied to David, 'Do all that you have in mind, for God is with you.'" | Parallel account with similar advice. |
| Prov 16:9 | "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." | Illustrates God's sovereignty over human plans. |
| Prov 19:21 | "Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails." | God's ultimate control of outcomes. |
| Prov 21:30 | "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord." | Reinforces the futility of opposing God's will. |
| Isa 55:8-9 | "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord." | Highlights the difference between divine and human ways. |
| Jer 10:23 | "Lord, I know that human life is not controlled by humans..." | Human inability to direct their own steps. |
| Jer 23:16 | "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you...'" | Warning against prophets speaking from their own hearts. |
| Ezek 13:3 | "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!'" | Against false or self-appointed prophecies. |
| Deut 18:20-22 | "...if a prophet presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded..." | Criterion for discerning a true prophet from a false one. |
| Gen 39:2-3 | "The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered..." | Example of God's presence leading to success. |
| Exod 33:14 | "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." | God's assurance of His guiding presence. |
| Josh 1:5 | "...As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." | God's covenantal promise of presence. |
| Judg 6:12 | "When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.'" | God's presence validating one chosen for a task. |
| Matt 1:23 | "'The virgin will conceive...and they will call him Immanuel' (which means 'God with us')." | Ultimate fulfillment of God's 'with us' presence. |
| Matt 28:20 | "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." | Jesus' promise of enduring presence to His disciples. |
| Acts 7:48 | "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands." | New Testament affirmation God doesn't need temples. |
| Acts 17:24 | "The God who made the world...does not live in temples built by human hands." | God's transcendent nature, not confined by structures. |
| Isa 66:1-2 | "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me?" | God's vastness implies no physical dwelling can contain Him. |
| 1 Kgs 5:3 | "You know that David my father could not build a house for the Name of the Lord his God..." | Solomon later attributes temple-building deferral to wars. |
| 1 Chr 22:8 | "...'You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name...'" | God's reason for denying David the temple. |
2 Samuel 7 verses
2 Samuel 7 3 Meaning
In 2 Samuel 7:3, the prophet Nathan offers David his immediate approval for the king's desire to build a temple for the Lord. Nathan, moved by David's pious intention and observing the visible prosperity and divine favor upon the king, assumes that God is clearly with David and therefore supports any righteous endeavor. His response is born of human wisdom and good faith, anticipating divine endorsement.
2 Samuel 7 3 Context
King David had established his rule in Jerusalem and found relative peace and security. He noticed the stark contrast between his own comfortable "house of cedar" (2 Sam 7:2) and the humble "tent" where the Ark of the Covenant, representing God's presence, resided. Motivated by devotion and a desire to honor God, David proposed to Nathan the prophet his intention to build a permanent temple for the Lord. Verse 3 records Nathan's immediate, well-meaning, but humanly reasoned affirmation of David's plan. This verse serves as a crucial turning point, as it immediately precedes God's direct intervention to correct Nathan's counsel and deliver His own profound covenant promises to David, not concerning a physical temple, but an eternal dynasty.
2 Samuel 7 3 Word analysis
- Nathan (נָתָן - Nathan): A prominent prophet in David's court, serving as a trusted advisor to the king. His name means "He has given," reflecting his role as one who delivers messages. In this instance, his initial counsel is given from his own perception of God's favor upon David rather than a direct divine revelation.
- replied (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyōʾmer, literally "and he said"): Indicates a direct, immediate response to David's expressed desire (from 2 Sam 7:2). The Hebrew verb for "said" is common but here signifies the immediate human interaction before divine intervention.
- to the king (אֶל-הַמֶּלֶךְ - ʾel-hammeleḵ): Specifies the recipient of Nathan's advice, highlighting the significant role of prophetic counsel for Israel's leadership. The king here is David, at the height of his power and religious devotion.
- "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it," (לֵךְ עֲשֵׂה כֹּל אֲשֶׁר בִּלְבָבֶךָ - leḵ ʿăśēh kol ʾăšer bilḇāḇeḵā, literally "Go, do all that is in your heart"): Nathan's comprehensive endorsement. "Go" (לֵךְ) is an imperative for action. "Do" (עֲשֵׂה) is also an imperative, commanding the execution of the plan. "All that is in your heart" signifies Nathan's belief that David's motivation, being pure and reverent, must align with God's will. This phrase expresses full confidence and humanly reasoned affirmation, yet without a specific divine command at this point.
- "for the Lord is with you." (כִּי יְהוָה עִמָּךְ - kî Yahweh ʿimmāḵ): This is the cornerstone of Nathan's rationale. He sees the visible evidence of God's blessing and presence (יְהוָה - Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel) upon David. This phrase itself is deeply theological, appearing throughout Scripture as an assurance of divine favor and help (e.g., with Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Gideon). Nathan presumes that God's general presence and blessing mean God approves all specific intentions originating from David's pious heart. However, while God was indeed "with" David, His presence does not always mean specific endorsement of every human plan, no matter how well-intentioned. This sets up the tension for the following verses, where God's distinct will is revealed.
- "Nathan replied to the king, 'Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.'": This complete sentence reveals Nathan acting as an inspired, but also human, prophet. He correctly perceives God's favor upon David, indicated by "the Lord is with you," a common declaration in the Old Testament affirming God's blessing and presence. However, Nathan's leap to "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it" is based on his own logical deduction and good will, not on a direct prophetic word from the Lord concerning this specific matter. This highlights the boundary of human wisdom, even when applied by a divinely gifted prophet.
2 Samuel 7 3 Bonus section
This verse serves as an important lesson regarding the nature of prophecy and divine guidance. It demonstrates that even a true prophet of God can speak from his own understanding or enthusiasm rather than a direct word from the Lord. Nathan's eagerness to support David's godly impulse is commendable, but his pronouncement highlights the crucial distinction between inspired general truth (God is with David) and specific divine instruction for a particular action (build the temple). The immediacy of God's intervention through Nathan himself in 2 Samuel 7:4 underscores His precision and His active involvement in directing His people's affairs, ensuring His ultimate purposes prevail. It also teaches humility, showing that even trusted spiritual advisors must remain open to further divine revelation, as God's ways are often higher than human ways, even the most devout ones.
2 Samuel 7 3 Commentary
2 Samuel 7:3 marks a pivotal moment, showcasing both David's pious desire and Nathan's initial, humanly derived counsel. Nathan's approval of David's plan to build a temple for the Lord, stated as "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you," reflects his observation of God's abundant blessing upon David's reign. This demonstrates that even sincere prophets can sometimes offer advice based on human reasoning and good faith rather than direct divine revelation. Nathan logically deduced that since the Lord was clearly "with" David in all his endeavors (a true observation), then this noble aspiration must also be God's will. However, the subsequent divine correction in verses 4-17 reveals that God's plans are sovereign and often transcend human expectations, even pious ones. This incident establishes that while God indeed walks with His people and blesses their righteous intentions, His specific will for them may differ from their own earnest designs, highlighting the ultimate necessity of waiting for and heeding God's specific word rather than presuming His blanket approval for all good deeds.