שמואל ב, פרק ז׳, פסוק ג׳

When King David expresses a deep desire to construct a permanent house for God, Nathan the prophet responds with immediate and full support. However, this encouragement is given strictly as the prophet's personal opinion rather than a direct prophecy from God. Nathan simply advises the king that if building a sanctuary is his true desire, he should go forward and fulfill it [מצודת דוד]. The primary approach among commentators is that Nathan answers based entirely on his own logic, as God has not yet spoken to him to prevent the construction [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם].

Nathan's reasoning is rooted in the guidelines set by the Torah, which dictate that the Temple should be built only after the nation achieves peace from its enemies. Since David has finally reached this era of rest and feels a spontaneous urge to build, Nathan naturally assumes this inspiration comes directly from heaven [אברבנאל]. He encourages David to trust his instincts. While ordinary people might need to question their inner motives, truly righteous individuals can rely completely on the decisions of their hearts, because their desires naturally lean only toward doing good [מלבי״ם].

The prophet further justifies his approval by recognizing that God is constantly with David. Knowing that the Holy Spirit rests upon the king, Nathan interprets David's ambition as a prophetic awakening driven by that divine presence [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. By telling David to follow his heart, Nathan essentially hints that he himself has not received a specific prophecy regarding the Temple, and therefore David should act on his own divine inspiration. Ultimately, however, Nathan makes a mistake in his assessment. He speaks based on what seems right in the moment, incorrectly believing that David's inner drive is a direct command from the Holy Spirit, entirely unaware that the project is actually contrary to God's will [אברבנאל].