2 Samuel 7:13

2Sa 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

Ver. 13. He shall build an house for my name.] Solomon, a material temple; Christ, a mystical - that is, the Church, which is the house of God. {1Ti 3:15} The Jews say that the Messiah is to build a temple, but then it must be a material one: and therefore in their daily prayers they call hard for his coming, and they cry altogether to God, Templum tuum brevi, valde cito, valde cito in diebus nostris, citissime nunc aedefica templum tuum brevi, {a} &c. Build thy temple, Lord, quickly, quickly, quickly, even in our days, &c. Oh that we would be as earnest for the building up of the mystical temple, and the speedy doing of it, that the topstone were once laid! &c.

{a} Buxtorf, De Synag., cap. 13.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He shall build an house ... - For the fulfillment of this in the person of Solomon, see 1Ki 8:16-20. For its application to Christ, see Joh 1:12; Eph 1:20-22; 1Ti 3:15; Heb 3:6; etc.; and Zec 6:12-13.

I will stablish the throne of his kingdom forever - The words forever, emphatically twice repeated in 2Sa 7:16, show very distinctly that this prophecy looks beyond the succession of the kings of Judah of the house of David, and embraces the throne of Christ according to the Angel’s interpretation given in Luk 1:31-33, where the reference to this passage cannot be mistaken. This is also brought out fully in Psa 89:29, Psa 89:36-37. See also Dan 7:13-14; Isa 9:6-7; Jer 23:5-6; Jer 33:14-21; Eze 34:24; Zec 12:7-8; Hos 3:5, etc.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2Sa 7:13. He shall build a house for my name — This is meant literally of Solomon, who alone did build the material house or temple; but ultimately of Christ, who is the builder of God’s spiritual house or temple. For my name — That is, for my service and glory. For ever — This is not meant of Solomon, for his kingdom was not for ever. But it is to be understood of David’s posterity in general, and with special respect to Christ, in whose person the kingdom was to be lodged for ever.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever--This declaration referred, in its primary application, to Solomon, and to the temporal kingdom of David's family. But in a larger and sublimer sense, it was meant of David's Son of another nature (Heb 1:8). [See on Ch1 17:14.]

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 13. He shall build] That is, Solomon shall build my temple, not thou, because thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars. See 1Ch 22:8; and see also the observations at the end. 2Sa 7:25.

The throne of his kingdom for ever.] This is a reference to the government of the spiritual kingdom, the kingdom of the Messiah, agreeably to the predictions of the prophet long after, and by which this passage is illustrated: "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it, with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even FOR EVER." Isa 9:7.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. for my name] The Name of God signifies God Himself so far as He has revealed and manifested Himself to men. His promise concerning the Temple was that He would “put His name there,” that is, that He would be present and reveal Himself there in an especial manner. See 1Ki_8:29; 1Ki_9:3.

stablish] A shorter form of establish, both words being derived from Lat. stabilire. Cp. special and especial from species, state and estate from status.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He shall build an house for my name,.... For the honour of it, for the worship and service of God, as it is well known Solomon did; and so his antitype the Messiah, Zac 6:12,

and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever; that is, for a long time. Solomon's reign was forty years, and the kingdom of Judah continued in his posterity until the Babylonish captivity, and a prince that descended from him was the ruler of the people when they returned: this has its fulfilment more eminently in Christ, who was of his seed, to whom God has given "the throne of his father David", and who "shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever", Luk 1:32.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He shall build an house: this is meant literally and immediately of Solomon, who alone did build the material house or temple; but mystically and ultimately of Christ, who is the builder of God’s spiritual house or temple, Heb 3:3,6; 1Pe 2:5.

For my name, i. e. for my service, and worship, and glory.

I will stablish the throne of his kingdom: this is not meant of Solomon, for his kingdom was not for ever. And though the phrase for ever is sometimes used of the time of a man’s life, yet it cannot be so understood here, because the mercy here promised to David’s son is of another nature, and of far longer continuance, than that which was given to Saul, 2Sa 7:15, who yet enjoyed the kingdom as long as he lived. But it is to be understood of David’s posterity in general, but with special respect to Christ in whose person the kingdom was to be lodged for ever, Isa 9:7; Dan 2:44; Luk 1:32,33.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. He shall build a house — Here, again, the subject is primarily Solomon, for so Solomon himself explained it. 1Ki_5:5; but the for ever with which the verse ends points unmistakably to a greater than Solomon. The house which Solomon built continued till the time of the Babylonish exile, when it was burned by Nebuchadnezzar, (2Ki_25:8;) but it was rebuilt at the close of the exile, (Ezr_6:15,) and of it then the prophet Haggai said, (Hag_2:9 :) “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former;” for this second temple was the connecting link between the Jews of Haggai’s time and the Messiah, who said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He spake of the temple of his body, (Joh_2:19,) and by the resurrection from the dead he became, in his own sacred person, the foundation of a far more glorious building — a spiritual house, built up of living stones, for a habitation of God through the Spirit. Eph_2:22; 1Pe_2:5.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. The temple which Solomon was to build was the symbol of the new development of Israel, and naturally these words suggest a meaning not unworthy of so great an advance in the accomplishment of the nation"s mission. Had we, indeed, only this passage, we might be content to take it in a popular sense, as signifying that, whereas Saul"s throne (and subsequently that of the many usurpers in Samaria) had but a brief existence, Solomon"s descendants should hold for many centuries undisputed possession of the kingdom of Jerusalem. But in Psa_89:29 we read, "His (David"s) seed will I make to endure forever, and histhrone as the days of heaven." And again in vers. 36, 37 a continuance is assured to it as lasting as that of the sun and moon. We can scarcely, therefore, be wrong in the conviction that these promises pointed onwards to the establishment of Christ"s kingdom, and that the great importance attached to the building of the temple finds its explanation in its relation to him. This full establishment after so long a delay of the Mosaic typical ritual, the addition to it of psalmody, giving it a spiritual side, and making the worship that of the heart, the bestowal of empire, and the rapid development of the people under David and Solomon, were all steps in that wonderful series of special providences which made the Jews fit to be the progeniters of the Messiah, which surrounded him during his ministry with companions capable of understanding and recording his teaching, and provided for him, after his death, missionaries, not merely with zeal enough, but with intellectual gifts sufficient to enable them to persuade both Greece and Rome to listen to tidings so wonderful and mysterious as that God for our salvation had become man. Keil also well points out that the temple was a symbol of Christ"s incarnation; for it meant the dwelling of God on earth. "I have surely," says Solomon, "built thee a house of habitation, a place for thee to dwell in forever". (1Ki_8:13) The same thought was in St. John"s mind when he said, "The Word became flesh, and dwelt as in a tabernacle among us". (Joh_1:14) For the verb used by him, literally "tabernacled," is a comparison between Christ"s life on earth, and the dwelling of God in "the tent of meeting." But there is more than this. Christ himself calls his body "the temple". (Joh_2:19, Joh_2:21) At the Resurrection he raised up again the temple of his body which the Jews had destroyed, and at the Ascension it was removed from the earth, to be reserved in heaven until his second advent. His reign now is spiritual, and his temple is not a building made with hands, but is the heart of the renewed believer. (1Co_6:19) And this indwelling of Christ in the heart will continue unto the end of the present dispensation. For Christ"s indwelling is that also of the Holy Spirit; (1Co_3:16) and the gift of the Spirit continues unto the end of the world. "The Father shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever". (Joh_14:16)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He shall - This is meant literally of Solomon, who alone did build the material house or temple; but ultimately of Christ, who is the builder of God's spiritual house or temple. For my name - That is, for my service, and glory. For ever - This is not meant of Solomon, for his kingdom was not forever. But it is to be understood of David's posterity, in general, and with special respect to Christ, in whose person the kingdom was to be lodged forever. 14. His father - I will carry myself towards him as a father, with all affection, and I will own him as my son. This is intended both of Solomon, as a type of Christ; and of Christ himself as is evident from Heb. i, 5. If he commit - This agrees only to Solomon and some others of David's posterity; but not to Christ, who never committed iniquity, as Solomon did, who therein was no type of Christ, and therefore this branch is terminated in Solomon; whereas in those things wherein Solomon was a type of Christ, the sense passes through Solomon to Christ. Rod of men - With such rods as are gentle and moderate, and suited to man's weakness.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.