But My loving devotion will never be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
We have here a full revelation of God's favour to David and the kind intentions of that favour, the notices and assurances of which God sent him by Nathan the prophet, whom he entrusted to deliver this long message to him. The design of it is to take him off from his purpose of building the temple and it was therefore sent, 1.
Commenting on 2 Samuel 7:4-17
But my mercy shall not depart away from him,.... Which is not to be understood of special mercy and grace, though it is true of these with respect to Solomon, and so to all the adopted children of God, see Psa 89:32; but then this here designs such mercy as may be taken away from another, and as it was from Saul, as it follows...
But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul - His house shall be a lasting house, and he shall die in the throne of Israel, his children succeeding him; and the spiritual seed, Christ, possessing and ruling in that throne to the end of time. The family of Saul became totally extinct; the family of David remained till the incarnation.