2 Samuel 7:8

So, listen carefully to me. At first you just looked after sheep. Then I picked you to look after my mob, the Israel nation. I picked you to be the big boss for them.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:

In Context

7I picked bosses for the Israel mob, to look after them. I didn’t say to any of those bosses, ‘Build me a nice house.’ I never said that.

9I was always close to you whenever you did all kinds of important things. I helped you to hunt away the cheeky people that came here from other places. And now I will make you really important. Everybody in every place will hear about you and remember your name, and they will say you are great.

Read all of 2 Samuel 7

Cross References

1 Samuel 10:1Samuel got some olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head. And then he kissed him on both his cheeks to show that he was his friend, and he said, “I pour this oil to show that God picked you to be the big boss for his people.”

2 Samuel 5:2While Saul was the big boss of all of us in Israel, you were boss of all the soldiers. At that time, God told you, ‘One day, you will be the big boss, and you will look after my people, the Israel mob, like a shepherd looks after his sheep.’”

2 Samuel 12:7Nathan said to David, “You are that rich man. This is a picture story from God, and it is about you. You took Uriah’s wife, just like that rich man took the poor man’s little sheep. You know that God picked you to be the big boss for the Israel mob. When Saul tried to kill you, God looked after you and saved you.

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 7:5-18

God's Covenant with David. ( b. c. 1042.) 4 And it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying, 5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the Lord , Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwell in? 6 Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of… Read the whole commentary →

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