What does the Lord promise David when David speaks of a house for the ark?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Through Nathan, the Lord promises to make David a house and raise up his offspring after him. That offspring will build a house to the Lord’s name, and the Lord will establish his kingdom’s throne forever.

Chapter breakdown

The king is settled in his house, and the Lord has given him rest from all his enemies on every side. David tells Nathan the prophet that he lives in a cedar house while God’s ark is lodged within skins. Nathan tells him to do all that is in his heart because the Lord is with him. That night, however, the Lord’s word comes to Nathan. He is to ask David, the Lord’s servant, whether David will build him a house to live in. The Lord says he has not lived in a house from the day he brought Israel out of Egypt to the present, but has walked in a tabernacle and tent. He asks whether, in all his journeys with Israel, he ever asked any of its tribes, whom he commanded to feed his people, why they had not built him a cedar house.

Nathan is to tell David that the Lord of hosts took him from the pastures, following sheep, to rule Israel. The Lord says he has been with David wherever he went, killed his enemies before him and made him great like the great ones on earth. He promises to appoint a place for Israel and plant the people there, so they can live without further disturbance or affliction by the children of iniquity as before, from the time he appointed judges over Israel. He promises David rest from all his enemies and declares that the Lord will make him a house. When David’s days are fulfilled and he sleeps with his fathers, the Lord will raise up his offspring, proceeding from his own body, and establish that offspring’s kingdom.

Challoner’s separate note says this prophecy relates partly to Solomon, but much more to Christ, called the son of David in Scripture. It identifies Christ as the builder of the true temple, the church, his everlasting kingdom that will never fail.

The promised offspring will build a house to the Lord’s name, and the Lord will establish his kingdom’s throne forever. The Lord will be his father, and he will be the Lord’s son. If he commits iniquity, the Lord will correct him with the rod of men and the stripes of the children of men. Yet the Lord will not take his mercy from him as he took it from Saul, whom he removed from before his face. David’s house will be faithful, his kingdom forever before his face, and his throne firm forever. Nathan speaks to David according to all these words and all this vision.

David goes in and sits before the Lord. He asks who he is and what his house is that the Lord God has brought him so far. This has seemed little in the Lord’s sight, he says, for the Lord has also spoken of his servant’s house for a long time to come. David calls this the law of Adam. He asks what more he can say, since the Lord knows his servant. For his word’s sake and according to his own heart, the Lord has done these great things and made them known to David.

David magnifies the Lord God, saying no one is like him and there is no God besides him, according to all they have heard. He asks what nation on earth is like Israel, whom God went to redeem as his own people, make himself a name and do great and terrible things for them on earth. He recalls Israel’s redemption from Egypt, from the nations and their gods. The Lord has confirmed Israel as his everlasting people and has become their God.

David asks the Lord God to establish forever the word spoken about his servant and his house, and do as he has said. He asks that the Lord’s name be magnified forever, that the Lord of hosts be acknowledged as God over Israel and that David’s house be established before him. The Lord of hosts, God of Israel, has revealed that he will build David a house; therefore David has found it in his heart to pray this prayer. David affirms that the Lord is God and his words will be true, for he has spoken these good things to his servant. He asks the Lord to begin blessing his servant’s house so it will endure forever before him. Because the Lord has spoken, David asks that his house be blessed forever with the Lord’s blessing.

The story inside

David starts with the difference between his cedar house and the ark’s shelter of skins. Nathan’s first answer encourages him to act, but the word Nathan receives that night shifts the discussion. The Lord recalls that he has not asked for a cedar house, recounts his care for David and promises to make David a house. The next generation will build a house to the Lord’s name. After Nathan reports the whole message, David’s prayer takes up the promise. He explicitly says the revealed promise is why he has found it in his heart to pray, and asks the Lord to do what he has spoken. The movement is from David’s observation, through Nathan’s new message, to a prayer based on that message. Challoner’s separate reading of Solomon and Christ is preserved beside this sequence.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Nathan’s first answer and the message that night are distinct. The first encourages David to act; the later message asks about a house and gives promises about David’s own house. Keeping both moments explains why the chapter changes direction.
2
Correction and mercy are both in the promise. The Lord says he will correct the offspring if he commits iniquity, while not withdrawing mercy as from Saul. Removing either part would change the terms of the message.
3
David names the reason for his prayer. The Lord’s promise to build him a house gives him the basis for asking that the word be established and the blessing endure. His prayer follows what he has heard rather than adding a different promised outcome.

Test your recall

How does the promise reported by Nathan give David the reason for his closing prayer?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 32326–32353
2 Kings Chapter 7 David’s purpose to build a temple is rewarded with the promise of great blessings in his seed: his prayer and thanksgiving. 7:1. And it came to pass when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 7:2. He said to Nathan the prophet: Dost thou see that I dwell in a house of cedar, and the ark of God is lodged within skins? 7:3. And Nathan said to the king: Go, do all that is in thy heart: because the Lord is with thee. 7:4. But it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying: 7:5. Go, and say to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord: Shalt thou build me a house to dwell in? 7:6. Whereas I have not dwelt in a house from the day that I brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt even to this day: but have walked in a tabernacle, and in a tent. 7:7. In all the places that I have gone through with all the children of Israel, did ever I speak a word to any one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?
Lines 32355–32374
7:8. And now thus shalt thou speak to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I took thee out of the pastures from following the sheep to be ruler over my people Israel: 7:9. And I have been with thee wheresoever thou hast walked, and have slain all thy enemies from before thy face: and I have made thee a great man, like unto the name of the great ones that are on the earth. 7:10. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them, and they shall dwell therein, and shall be disturbed no more: neither shall the children of iniquity afflict them any more as they did before, 7:11. From the day that I appointed judges over my people Israel: and I will give thee rest from all thy enemies. And the Lord foretelleth to thee, that the Lord will make thee a house. 7:12. And when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
Lines 32376–32379
I will establish his kingdom.... This prophecy partly relateth to Solomon: but much more to Christ, who is called the son of David in scripture, and who is the builder of the true temple, which is the church, his everlasting kingdom, which shall never fail.
Lines 32381–32395
7:13. He shall build a house to my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 7:14. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son: and if he commit any iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men. 7:15. But my mercy I will not take away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before my face. 7:16. And thy house shall be faithful, and thy kingdom for ever before thy face, and thy throne shall be firm for ever. 7:17. According to all these words and according to all this vision so did Nathan speak to David.
Lines 32397–32409
7:18. And David went in, and sat before the Lord, and said: Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far? 7:19. But yet this hath seemed little in thy sight, O Lord God, unless thou didst also speak of the house of thy servant for a long time to come: for this is the law of Adam, O Lord God: 7:20. And what can David say more unto thee? for thou knowest thy servant, O Lord God: 7:21. For thy word’s sake, and according to thy own heart thou has done all these great things, so that thou wouldst make it known to thy servant.
Lines 32411–32422
7:22. Therefore thou art magnified, O Lord God, because there is none like to thee, neither is there any God besides thee, in all the things that we have heard with our ears. 7:23. And what nation is there upon earth, as thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for them great and terrible things, upon the earth, before the face of thy people, whom thou redeemedst to thyself out of Egypt, from the nations and their gods. 7:24. For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be an everlasting people: and thou, O Lord God, art become their God.
Lines 32424–32443
7:25. And now, O Lord God, raise up for ever the word that thou hast spoken, concerning thy servant and concerning his house: and do as thou hast spoken, 7:26. That thy name may be magnified for ever, and it may be said: The Lord of hosts is God over Israel. And the house of thy servant David shall be established before the Lord. 7:27. Because thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to the ear of thy servant, saying: I will build thee a house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee. 7:28. And now, O Lord God, thou art God, and thy words shall be true: for thou hast spoken to thy servant these good things. 7:29. And now begin, and bless the house of thy servant, that it may endure for ever before thee: because thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it, and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.