And Nathan replied to the king, “Go and do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart; for Yahweh is with you.”
- KJV And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.
- NKJV Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
- NASB Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.”
- NLT Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Nathan initially encouraged David to follow his heart, assuring him the LORD was with him. Even prophets must wait on God's word rather than presume.
Overview
Nathan's first response was a reasonable, godly endorsement of a good intention, but it was his own judgment, not yet God's revealed word. That same night God would correct the plan, reminding us that even sincere counsel must yield to divine revelation. The episode models humility: Nathan readily delivers God's contrary word once it comes.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 1 Chr 22:7“My son,” said David to Solomon, “it was in my heart to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God,
- 1 Kgs 8:17–18Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
- 1 Chr 28:2Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and as a footstool for our God. I had made preparations to build it,
- 1 Sam 16:7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”
- 2 Kgs 4:27When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.”
- Ps 20:4May He give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
- Ps 37:4Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
- 1 Sam 10:7When these signs have come, do as the occasion demands, for God is with you.
- 1 Jn 2:27And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 7:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.