2 Samuel 7:15 (ASV)

Passage

but my lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

Nearby Context

2 Samuel 7:13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

2 Samuel 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;

2 Samuel 7:15 but my lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

2 Samuel 7:16 And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

2 Samuel 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lovingkindness", "shall", "depart", "took", "saul", "away", "before", and "thee". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lovingkindness" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "I will be his father and he..." into verse 16's "And thy house and thy kingdom shall...", so "lovingkindness" and "shall" belong inside that flow. In 2 Samuel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lovingkindness" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.