John Gill Commentary 2 Samuel 7:8

"Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be prince over my people, over Israel;" — 2 Samuel 7:8 (ASV)

Now therefore so shall you say to my servant David
For it was taken well at his hands, in part, that it was in his heart, and he has a desire to build an house for God, though he was wrong in determining upon it without seeking the Lord; and lest he should be discouraged by the prohibition of him from building, the following things are observed to assure him it was not from disregard to him, or displeasure at him, that he would not be employed in this service; since the Lord had given sufficient tokens of his favour to him, and with which he should be content, as having honour enough done him; it was enough that God had raised him up from a low estate to great grandeur and dignity:

thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the sheepcote, from
following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel ;
for that was his employment, to keep his father's sheep, before he was taken into Saul's court, and married his daughter, when after his death he came to have the crown, of Israel: now this is said, not to upbraid him with his former meanness, but to observe the goodness of God to him, and what reason he had for thankfulness, and to look upon himself as a favourite of God, who of a keeper of sheep was made a shepherd of men, to rule and feed them; so Cyrus is called a shepherd, (Isaiah 44:28) ; and Agamemnon, in Homer ^F23 , is called "the shepherd of the people".

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FOOTNOTES:

• F23: Iliad. 2.