2 Samuel 7:6 (ASV)

Passage

for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.

Nearby Context

2 Samuel 7:4 And it came to pass the same night, that the word of Jehovah came unto Nathan, saying,

2 Samuel 7:5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith Jehovah, Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwell in?

2 Samuel 7:6 for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.

2 Samuel 7:7 In all places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel, spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people Israel, saying, Why have ye not built me a house of cedar?

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;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "dwelt", "house", "since", "brought", "children", "israel", "egypt", and "even". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "dwelt" and "house", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "Go and tell my servant David Thus..." into verse 7's "In all places wherein I have walked...", so "dwelt" and "house" 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 "dwelt" and "house" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.