2 Samuel 7:5

Contemporary English Version

to go to David and give him this message: David, you are my servant, so listen to what I say. Why should you build a temple for me?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Go to my servant David and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you to build me a house to dwell in?

Hebrew Names Version
Go and tell my servant David, Thus says the LORD, Shall you build me a house for me to dwell in?

King James Version
Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the Lord , Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?

Lexham English Bible
"Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh: "Are you the one to build for me a house for my dwelling?

English Standard Version
"Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord : Would you build me a house to dwell in?

New Century Version
"Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Will you build a house for me to live in?

New English Translation
"Go, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord says: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in?

Amplified Bible
"Go and tell My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD, "Should you be the one to build Me a house in which to dwell?

New American Standard Bible
"Go and say to My servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: "Should you build Me a house for My dwelling?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Goe and tell my seruant Dauid, Thus saieth the Lord, Shalt thou buylde me an house for my dwelling?

Legacy Standard Bible
"Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh, "Are you the one who would build Me a house to inhabit?

Complete Jewish Bible
"Go and tell my servant David that this is what Adonai says: ‘You are going to build me a house to live in?

Darby Translation
Go and say to my servant, to David, Thus saith Jehovah: Wilt thou build me a house for me to dwell in?

Easy-to-Read Version
"Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build a house for me to live in.

George Lamsa Translation
Go and tell my servant David, Thus says the LORD, You shall not build me a house for me to dwell in;

Good News Translation
"Go and tell my servant David that I say to him, ‘You are not the one to build a temple for me to live in.

Literal Translation
Go, and you shall say to My servant, to David, So says Jehovah, Will you build a house for Me, for My dwelling?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Go & speake to my seruaut Dauid: Thus sayeth ye LORDE: Shalt thou buylde me an house to dwell in?

American Standard Version
Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith Jehovah, Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwell in?

Bible in Basic English
Go and say to my servant David, The Lord says, Are you to be the builder of a house, a living-place for me?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Go, and tell my seruaunt Dauid, thus sayeth the Lorde: shalt thou buylde me an house to dwell in?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Go and tell My servant David: Thus saith the LORD: Shalt thou build Me a house for Me to dwell in?

King James Version (1611)
Goe and tell my seruant Dauid, Thus sayth the Lord, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Go, and say to my servant David, Thus says the Lord, Thou shalt not build me a house for me to dwell in.

English Revised Version
Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?

Berean Standard Bible
"Go and tell My servant David that this is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build for Me a house to dwell in?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and speke to my servaunt Dauid, The Lord seith these thingis, Whether thou schalt bilde to me an hows to dwelle ynne?

Young's Literal Translation
`Go, and thou hast said unto My servant, unto David, Thus said Jehovah, Dost thou build for Me a house for My dwelling in?

Update Bible Version
Go and tell my slave David, Thus says Yahweh, Shall you build me a house for me to dwell in?

Webster's Bible Translation
Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Wilt thou build me a house for me to dwell in?

World English Bible
Go and tell my servant David, Thus says Yahweh, Shall you build me a house for me to dwell in?

New King James Version
"Go and tell My servant David, "Thus says the LORD: "Would you build a house for Me to dwell in?

New Living Translation
"Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in?

New Life Bible
"Go and tell My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says, "Are you the one who should build a house for Me to live in?

New Revised Standard
Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord : Are you the one to build me a house to live in?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Go and say unto my servant - unto David: Thus, saith Yahweh, - Shalt, thou, build me a house, for me to dwell in;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Go, and say to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord: Shalt thou build me a house to dwell in?

Revised Standard Version
"Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Go and say to My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD, "Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in?

Contextual Overview

⁴ That night, the Lord told Nathan ⁵ to go to David and give him this message: David, you are my servant, so listen to what I say. Why should you build a temple for me? ⁶ I didn't live in a temple when I brought my people out of Egypt, and I don't live in one now. A tent has always been my home wherever I have gone with them. ⁷ I chose leaders and told them to be like shepherds for my people Israel. But did I ever say anything to even one of them about building a cedar temple for me? ⁸ David, this is what I, the Lord All-Powerful, say to you. I brought you in from the fields where you took care of sheep, and I made you the leader of my people. ⁹ Wherever you went, I helped you and destroyed your enemies right in front of your eyes. I have made you one of the most famous people in the world. ¹⁰ I have given my people Israel a land of their own where they can live in peace, and they won't have to tremble with fear any more. Evil nations won't bother them, as they did ¹¹ when I let judges rule my people. And I have kept your enemies from attacking you. Now I promise that you and your descendants will be kings. ¹² I'll choose one of your sons to be king when you reach the end of your life and are buried in the tomb of your ancestors. I'll make him a strong ruler, ¹³ and no one will be able to take his kingdom away from him. He will be the one to build a temple for me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

my servant David: Heb. to my servant, to David

Shalt: 1 Kings 5:3, 1 Kings 8:16-19, 1 Chronicles 17:4, 1 Chronicles 22:7, 1 Chronicles 22:8, 1 Chronicles 23:3-32

Reciprocal: Exodus 15:2 - an habitation 1 Kings 3:6 - thy servant 1 Kings 8:15 - which spake 1 Kings 8:19 - General 1 Chronicles 28:3 - Thou shalt Isaiah 66:1 - where is the house John 10:35 - unto

Cross-References

Genesis 6:22
Noah did everything the Lord told him to do.

Exodus 39:32
So the people of Israel finished making everything the Lord had told Moses to make.

Exodus 40:16
Moses followed the Lord 's instructions.

Psalms 119:6
Thinking about your commands will keep me from doing some foolish thing.

Matthew 3:15
Jesus answered, "For now this is how it should be, because we must do all that God wants us to do." Then John agreed.

Luke 8:21
Jesus answered, "My mother and my brothers are those people who hear and obey God's message."

John 2:5
Mary then said to the servants, "Do whatever Jesus tells you to do."

John 13:17
You know these things, and God will bless you, if you do them.

Philippians 2:8
Christ was humble. He obeyed God and even died on a cross.

Hebrews 5:8
Jesus is God's own Son, but still he had to suffer before he could learn what it really means to obey God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Go and tell my servant David,.... The Lord speaks very honourably and respectfully of him, owns him to be his servant in other things, though he did not choose to employ him in this; and though he was not the person, nor this the time, to build the house of the Lord, yet, as he showed a good will towards it, so far it was acceptable to God:

thus saith the Lord, shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? no, thou shalt not, as appears from 1 Chronicles 17:4; which seems to be expressed with much spirit, and some degree of resentment, to resolve on such a work, without seeking to know his mind in it. Eupolemus u an Heathen, confirms this account, only instead of a prophet he speaks of an angel, whose name he says was Dinnathan, who, when David was desirous of building a temple for God, and very anxious to be shown the place where the altar was to be erected, this angel appeared to him; and, though he showed him the place for the altar, forbad him building it, because he was polluted with human blood, and had been engaged in wars many years, and bid him leave the building of it to his son.

u Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 30. p. 447.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 7:5. Shalt thou build me a house — That is, Thou shalt not: this is the force of the interrogative in such a case.