18 Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord , and he said , " Who am I, O Lord GOD , and what is my house , that You have brought me this far ? 19 "And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes , O Lord GOD , for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future . And this is the custom of man , O Lord GOD . 20 "Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant , O Lord GOD ! 21 " For the sake of Your word , and according to Your own heart , You have done all this greatness to let Your servant know . 22 "For this reason e You are great , O Lord GOD ; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears . 23 "And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel , whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land , before e Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt , from nations and their gods ? 24 "For You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever e , and You, O Lord , have become their God . 25 "Now therefore, O Lord God , the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house , confirm it forever e , and do as You have spoken , 26 that Your name may be magnified forever e , by saying , 'The Lord of hosts is God over Israel '; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You. 27 "For You, O Lord of hosts , the God of Israel , have made a revelation e to Your servant , saying , ' I will build you a house '; therefore e Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. 28 "Now , O Lord GOD , You are God , and Your words are truth , and You have promised this good thing to Your servant . 29 "Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant , that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord GOD , have spoken ; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Samuel 7:18-29
Commentary on 2 Samuel 7:18-29
(Read 2 Samuel 7:18-29)
David's prayer is full of the breathings of devout affection toward God. He had low thoughts of his own merits. All we have, must be looked upon as Divine gifts. He speaks very highly and honourably of the Lord's favours to him. Considering what the character and condition of man is, we may be amazed that God should deal with him as he does. The promise of Christ includes all; if the Lord God be ours, what more can we ask, or think of? Ephesians 3:20. He knows us better than we know ourselves; therefore let us be satisfied with what he has done for us. What can we say more for ourselves in our prayers, than God has said for us in his promises? David ascribes all to the free grace of God. Both the great things He had done for him, and the great things He had made known to him. All was for his word's sake, that is, for the sake of Christ the eternal Word. Many, when they go to pray, have their hearts to seek, but David's heart was found, that is, it was fixed; gathered in from its wanderings, entirely engaged to the duty, and employed in it. That prayer which is from the tongue only, will not please God; it must be found in the heart; that must be lifted up and poured out before God. He builds his faith, and hopes to speed, upon the sureness of God's promise. David prays for the performance of the promise. With God, saying and doing are not two things, as they often are with men; God will do as he hath said. The promises of God are not made to us by name, as to David, but they belong to all who believe in Jesus Christ, and plead them in his name.