2nd Samuel Chapter 7 verse 4 Holy Bible
And it came to pass the same night, that the word of Jehovah came unto Nathan, saying,
read chapter 7 in ASV
Now that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,
read chapter 7 in BBE
And it came to pass that night that the word of Jehovah came to Nathan, saying,
read chapter 7 in DARBY
And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,
read chapter 7 in KJV
And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying,
read chapter 7 in WBT
It happened the same night, that the word of Yahweh came to Nathan, saying,
read chapter 7 in WEB
And it cometh to pass in that night, that the word of Jehovah is unto Nathan, saying,
read chapter 7 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 4. - The word of Jehovah came unto Nathan. Not every word of a prophet was inspired, and only a very few of the prophets, and those only upon great and solemn occasions, spake under the direct influence of the Spirit of God. In his usual relations with the king, Nathan was simply a wise, thoughtful, and God-fearing man. In giving his approval he probably meant no more than that a permanent dwelling for Jehovah was what all pious men were hoping for. But from the days of Samuel to those of Ezra, there was never wanting one or even more holy men who were, on fit occasions, commissioned to bear a message from God to man; and as these generally belonged to the prophetic order, men too often now confound prophecy with prediction. So inveterate is this confusion that even in the Revised Version Amos is made to say, "I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son," whereas the Hebrew distinctly is, "I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son [that is, one trained in the prophetic schools], but I am a herdsman" (Amos 7:16). But though not a prophet by profession, yet Amos was discharging a prophet's higher duty in testifying against wickedness and impiety, and was acting under a special Divine call. Still, he did not belong to the prophetic order, nor wear the garment of black camel's hair, which was their professional dress. On the present occasion, Nathan, in approving, had spoken as a man, but now a Divine message comes to him. How we know not. but in ver. 17 it is called a "vision;" and it is also said that it came "that night."
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(4) That night.--The night following Nathan's conversation with David, when the prophet's mind would have been full of what he had heard, and thus prepared for the Divine communication. That communication is distinctly marked as coming from a source external to the prophet himself, by its being in direct opposition to his own view already expressed.
