2. in thine heart] The heart according to Hebrew thought is the seat of intention and purpose.
³And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, ⁴Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:
3. the same night] Genesis xx. 3; 1 Samuel iii. 2, 3; 1 Kings iii. 5; Job iv. 12, 13.
⁵for I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel, unto this day; but have gone[¹] from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.
[¹] Hebrew have been.
5. I brought up Israel] i.e. out of Egypt (so Samuel).
but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another] Samuel but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. The Hebrew text of Chronicles defies translation; that of Samuel is better.
⁶In all places wherein I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedar?
6. the judges] A better reading than the tribes (Samuel).
⁷Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote[¹], from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be prince[²] over my people Israel: ⁸and I have been with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee; and I will make thee a name, like unto the name of the great ones that are in the earth.