Matthew Henry Commentary 2 Samuel 7:18-29

"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? And this was yet a small thing in thine eyes, O Lord Jehovah; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant`s house for a great while to come; and this [too] after the manner of men, O Lord Jehovah! And what can David say more unto thee? for thou knowest thy servant, O Lord Jehovah. For thy word`s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it. Wherefore thou art great, O Jehovah God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem unto himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and terrible things for thy land, before thy people, whom thou redeemest to thee out of Egypt, [from] the nations and their gods? And thou didst establish to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever; and thou, Jehovah, becamest their God. And now, O Jehovah God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm thou it for ever, and do as thou hast spoken. And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, Jehovah of hosts is God over Israel; and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee. For thou, O Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. And now, O Lord Jehovah, thou art God, and thy words are truth, and thou hast promised this good thing unto thy servant: now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee; for thou, O Lord Jehovah, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever." — 2 Samuel 7:18-29 (ASV)

David's prayer is full of the breathings of devout affection toward God. He had low thoughts of his own merits. All we have, must be looked upon as divine gifts. He speaks very highly and honorably of the Lord's favors to him. Considering what the character and condition of man is, we may be amazed that God should deal with him as He does.

The promise of Christ includes all; if the Lord God is ours, what more can we ask, or think of? (Ephesians 3:20). He knows us better than we know ourselves; therefore, let us be satisfied with what He has done for us. What more can we say for ourselves in our prayers than God has said for us in His promises? David ascribes all to the free grace of God.

He attributed to God's free grace both the great things God had done for him and the great things God had made known to him. All was for His Word's sake—that is, for the sake of Christ, the eternal Word. Many, when they go to pray, find their hearts still needing to be prepared, but David's heart was found—that is, it was fixed, gathered in from its wanderings, entirely engaged in the duty, and employed in it. A prayer that is from the tongue only will not please God; it must be found in the heart, which must be lifted up and poured out before God.

He builds his faith and his hope of success upon the sureness of God's promise. David prays for the fulfillment of the promise. With God, saying and doing are not two separate things, as they often are with people; God will do as He has said. The promises of God are not made to us by name, as they were to David, but they belong to all who believe in Jesus Christ and plead them in His name.