2 Samuel 7:8

“And now, thus you shall say to my servant, to David, ‘Thus says YHWH Tsevaot: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be leader over my people, over Israel.”
2 Samuel 7:8 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

And now,וְעַתָּהthusכֹּהyou shall sayתֹאמַרto my servant,לְעַבְדִּיto David,לְדָוִד‘ThusכֹּהsaysאָמַרYHWHיְהוָהTsevaot:צְבָאוֹתIאֲנִיtook youלְקַחְתִּיךָfromמִןthe pasture,הַנָּוֶהfrom followingמֵאַחַרthe flock,הַצֹּאןto beלִהְיוֹתleaderנָגִידoverעַלmy people,עַמִּיoverעַלIsrael.יִשְׂרָאֵל

Allusion · Luke 1:32-33

Go to Luke 1:32-33

Both texts speak of the throne of David and of a kingdom forever: in 2 Samuel 7, the promise to David through Nathan; in Luke 1, the announcement to Mary.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

כִּסֵּאkiseH3678θρόνονthrononG2362“throne, seat”
מַמְלַכְתּmamlajtH4467βασιλείαςbasileiasG932“kingdom”
דָוִדdavidH1732ΔαυὶδDauidG1138“David”

2 Samuel 7:8, word by word

you shall sayתֹאמַרtomar

say

To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.

Where else “tomar” appears

to my servantעַבְדִּavdi

servant of YHWH

YHWH's servant, like Moses or David.

Where else “avdi” appears

to Davidדָוִדdavid

David

David, youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem; the second king of Israel. The name means "beloved."

Where else “david” appears

YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

Tsevaotצְבָאוֹתtsevaot

Tsevaot

A name of God: the one who commands the armies of heaven and earth.

Where else “tsevaot” appears

took youלְקַחְתִּיlekachti

fetch

To take someone along, or go and fetch something.

Where else “lekachti” appears

the pastureנָּוֶהnave

pasture

Where the flock rests.

Where else “nave” appears

the flockצֹּאןtson

flock

A flock of sheep and goats.

Where else “tson” appears

to beהְיוֹתheot

To be: "I will be their Elohim".

Where else “heot” appears

leaderנָגִידnagid

leader

Leader: the one who goes at the head of others, in war, in government or in worship. In the books of Samuel it is used of the one whom YHWH places at the head of his people.

Where else “nagid” appears

my peopleעַמִּami

Ammi

Israel, YHWH's people: "my people".

Where else “ami” appears

Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael

Israel

Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.

Where else “yisrael” appears

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

God's promise to David

1 Chronicles 17:1-15

See them side by side

2 Samuel 7:1-17

¹And it happened, when the king lived in his house and YHWH had given him rest from all his enemies all around, ²that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See, please: I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of Elohim remains inside the curtain.” ³Nathan said to the king, “All that is in your heart, go, do it, for YHWH is with you.” ⁴And it happened that night that the word of YHWH came to Nathan, saying, ⁵“Go and say to my servant, to David, ‘Thus says YHWH: Will you build me a house for me to live in? ⁶For I have not lived in a house from the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and in a dwelling. ⁷Wherever I have moved about among all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ ⁸And now, thus you shall say to my servant, to David, ‘Thus says YHWH Tsevaot: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be leader over my people, over Israel. ⁹And I have been with you wherever you went, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones who are on the earth. ¹⁰And I will appoint a place for my people, for Israel, and I will plant them, and they will dwell in their own place and will tremble no more; and unjust men will not again afflict them as at the beginning, ¹¹even from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. And YHWH declares to you that YHWH will make a house for you. ¹²When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who will come out from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³He will build a house for my name, and I will make firm the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴I will be to him a father, and he will be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will rebuke him with the rod of men and with the blows of human beings, ¹⁵but my loyal love will not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I took away from before you. ¹⁶And your house and your kingdom will be firm forever before you; your throne will be established forever.’” ¹⁷In accordance with all these words and in accordance with all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

1 Chronicles 17:1-15

¹And it happened, when David lived in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I live in the house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of YHWH is under curtains.” ²Nathan said to David, “All that is in your heart, do it, for Elohim is with you.” ³And it happened that night that the word of Elohim came to Nathan, saying, ⁴“Go and say to David my servant, ‘Thus says YHWH: It is not you who will build me the house to live in. ⁵For I have not lived in a house from the day that I brought up Israel to this day, but I have been from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling. ⁶Wherever I have moved about among all Israel, did I speak a word with one of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedars?”’ ⁷And now, thus you shall say to my servant, to David, ‘Thus says YHWH Tsevaot: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be leader over my people Israel. ⁸And I have been with you wherever you went, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a name like the name of the great ones who are on the earth. ⁹And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them, and they will dwell in their own place and will tremble no more; and unjust men will not again consume them as at the beginning, ¹⁰and from the days that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will subdue all your enemies. And I declare to you that YHWH will build a house for you. ¹¹And it will be, when your days are fulfilled to go with your fathers, that I will raise up your offspring after you, one who will be of your sons, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹²He will build a house for me, and I will make firm his throne forever. ¹³I will be to him a father, and he will be to me a son; and my loyal love I will not take away from him, as I took it away from him who was before you. ¹⁴And I will set him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.’” ¹⁵In accordance with all these words and in accordance with all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

The context

7Wherever I have moved about among all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’

8 · This verse (above)

9And I have been with you wherever you went, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones who are on the earth.

Read all of 2 Samuel 7

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