Verse Lens · Concise explanation
2 Samuel 7:21 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 21. 21For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse advances the thought unit through its next reported action, speech, or consequence: “For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to….” Its responsible meaning belongs to the complete movement “David Responds with Wonder and Petition.”
Read It With
- 2 Samuel 7:18–29
Read 2 Samuel 7:21 with 7:18–29. The wording “For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to…” supplies one step in the thought unit through its next reported action, speech, or consequence; the surrounding verses supply the causes, responses, and outcome summarized here: David sits before the LORD, marvels at the promise, recalls Israel's redemption, and asks that the announced house be established.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within “David Responds with Wonder and Petition,” 2 Samuel 7:21 advances the thought unit through its next reported action, speech, or consequence through the wording “For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to….” Its placement is governed by this reviewed relationship: 2 Samuel 7:8–17 establishes this prior movement: The LORD recalls taking David from shepherding, promises rest and a dynasty, assigns temple building to an offspring, and joins discipline with enduring loyal love. 2 Samuel 7:18–29 responds to the pressure already established; that demonstrated relationship, rather than sequence alone, explains its placement.
What Remains True
Covenant hope and durable promise remain joined to righteous rule, correction, discipline, and accountability rather than royal immunity. In this unit, that truth is tested by the concrete movement: David sits before the LORD, marvels at the promise, recalls Israel's redemption, and asks that the announced house be established. In 2 Samuel 7:21, the concrete line “For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to…” keeps that truth accountable to the narrated evidence.
How It Can Shape Life
- The evidence to keep visible in this verse is “For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to….” Evaluate leaders by truth, restraint, justice, consent, repair, and willingness to accept correction; do not let office, promise, success, or religious language override evidence of harm. This response follows from the unit's own pattern—David sits before the LORD, marvels at the promise, recalls Israel's redemption, and asks that the announced house be established.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read 2 Samuel 7:18–29 — David Responds with Wonder and PetitionSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing KJV wording, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: 2 Samuel 7:18-29, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: 2 Samuel
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording, morphology, repeated verbs, names, syntax, and the base text behind translation and textual discussion.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/2Sam.xml, 7:18-29
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: 2 Samuel with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Unit-bounded wording, older-English clarification, textual witnesses, syntax, names, numbers, and major historical or literary notes actually printed for these verses.
Exact location: NET Bible 2 Samuel PDF, printed pp. 553–554, translation and all translator notes attached to 7:18-29
Open source ↗