The Meaning of 2 Samuel 7:18 Explained

2 Samuel 7:18

KJV: Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

YLT: And king David cometh in and sitteth before Jehovah, and saith, 'Who am I, Lord Jehovah? and what my house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?

Darby: And king David went in and sat before Jehovah, and said, Who am I, Lord Jehovah, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

ASV: Then David the king went in, and sat before Jehovah; and he said, Who am I, O Lord Jehovah, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then went  king  David  in, and sat  before  the LORD,  and he said,  Who [am] I, O Lord  GOD?  and what [is] my house,  that thou hast brought  me hitherto? 

What does 2 Samuel 7:18 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 7:18-29 - David's Humble And Grateful Prayer
The promise made through Nathan was threefold: (1) that David's house should reign forever; (2) that his seed should build the Temple; (3) that the kingdom of Israel should be made sure. These glowing words were fulfilled in shadow in the literal story of Judah, but in substance in Him whom David foresaw, Acts 2:30. There is only One whose reign is permanent, whose kingdom is without end, and who can bring rest to the hearts of men, Zechariah 6:12.
Take time to sit before God. It is good to kneel or stand; but have moments of reverie, when you shall expose the sensitive plate of your soul to receive His imprint. It is good for us all to take up God's holy words of promise and turn them back on Himself, saying, "Do as thou hast said." Learn to put your finger on this or the other promise, turning each check into the cash of its daily use for daily thanksgiving. There is no exercise in which mortal man can engage, more strengthening, more prolific of good, more glorifying to God. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 7

1  Nathan, first approving the purpose of David to build God a house
4  After by the word of God forbids him
12  God promises him benefits and blessings in his seed
18  David's prayer and thanksgiving

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 7:18 mean?

And went in King David and sat before Yahweh and he said who [am] I Lord GOD and who [is] my household that You have brought me until now this far
וַיָּבֹא֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֔ד וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר מִ֣י אָנֹכִ֞י אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ וּמִ֣י בֵיתִ֔י כִּ֥י הֲבִיאֹתַ֖נִי עַד־ ؟ הֲלֹֽם

וַיָּבֹא֙  And  went  in 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ  King 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
דָּוִ֔ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב  and  sat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֑ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  and  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אָנֹכִ֞י  [am]  I 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אָנׄכִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
אֲדֹנָ֤י  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִה֙  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
וּמִ֣י  and  who  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
בֵיתִ֔י  my  household 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
כִּ֥י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
הֲבִיאֹתַ֖נִי  You  have  brought  me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עַד־  until  now 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
؟ הֲלֹֽם  this  far 
Parse: Adverb
Root: הֲלֹם  
Sense: here, hither.