9 Wherefore hast thou despised H959 the commandment H1697 of the LORD, H3068 to do H6213 evil H7451 in his sight? H5869 thou hast killed H5221 Uriah H223 the Hittite H2850 with the sword, H2719 and hast taken H3947 his wife H802 to be thy wife, H802 and hast slain H2026 him with the sword H2719 of the children H1121 of Ammon. H5983
He G5100 that despised G114 Moses' G3475 law G3551 died G599 without G5565 mercy G3628 under G1909 two G1417 or G2228 three G5140 witnesses: G3144 Of how much G4214 sorer G5501 punishment, G5098 suppose ye, G1380 shall he be thought worthy, G515 who G3588 hath trodden under foot G2662 the Son G5207 of God, G2316 and G2532 hath counted G2233 the blood G129 of the covenant, G1242 wherewith G3739 G1722 he was sanctified, G37 an unholy thing, G2839 and G2532 hath done despite G1796 unto the Spirit G4151 of grace? G5485
And surely H389 your blood H1818 of your lives H5315 will I require; H1875 at the hand H3027 of every beast H2416 will I require it, H1875 and at the hand H3027 of man; H120 at the hand H3027 of every man's H376 brother H251 will I require H1875 the life H5315 of man. H120 Whoso sheddeth H8210 man's H120 blood, H1818 by man H120 shall his blood H1818 be shed: H8210 for in the image H6754 of God H430 made H6213 he man. H120
But the soul H5315 that doeth H6213 ought presumptuously, H7311 H3027 whether he be born in the land, H249 or a stranger, H4480 H1616 the same reproacheth H1442 the LORD; H3068 and that soul H5315 shall be cut off H3772 from among H7130 his people. H5971 Because he hath despised H959 the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 and hath broken H6565 his commandment, H4687 that soul H5315 shall utterly H3772 be cut off; H3772 his iniquity H5771 shall be upon him.
And it came to pass in the morning, H1242 that David H1732 wrote H3789 a letter H5612 to Joab, H3097 and sent H7971 it by the hand H3027 of Uriah. H223 And he wrote H3789 in the letter, H5612 saying, H559 Set H3051 ye Uriah H223 in the forefront H6440 H4136 of the hottest H2389 battle, H4421 and retire H7725 ye from him, H310 that he may be smitten, H5221 and die. H4191 And it came to pass, when Joab H3097 observed H8104 the city, H5892 that he assigned H5414 Uriah H223 unto a place H4725 where he knew H3045 that valiant H2428 men H582 were. And the men H582 of the city H5892 went out, H3318 and fought H3898 with Joab: H3097 and there fell H5307 some of the people H5971 of the servants H5650 of David; H1732 and Uriah H223 the Hittite H2850 died H4191 also. Then Joab H3097 sent H7971 and told H5046 David H1732 all the things H1697 concerning the war; H4421 And charged H6680 the messenger, H4397 saying, H559 When thou hast made an end H3615 of telling H1696 the matters H1697 of the war H4421 unto the king, H4428 And if so be that the king's H4428 wrath H2534 arise, H5927 and he say H559 unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh H5066 unto the city H5892 when ye did fight? H3898 knew H3045 ye not that they would shoot H3384 from the wall? H2346 Who smote H5221 Abimelech H40 the son H1121 of Jerubbesheth? H3380 did not a woman H802 cast H7993 a piece H6400 of a millstone H7393 upon him from the wall, H2346 that he died H4191 in Thebez? H8405 why went ye nigh H5066 the wall? H2346 then say H559 thou, Thy servant H5650 Uriah H223 the Hittite H2850 is dead H4191 also. So the messenger H4397 went, H3212 and came H935 and shewed H5046 David H1732 all that Joab H3097 had sent H7971 him for. And the messenger H4397 said H559 unto David, H1732 Surely the men H582 prevailed H1396 against us, and came out H3318 unto us into the field, H7704 and we were upon them even unto the entering H6607 of the gate. H8179 And the shooters H3384 shot H3384 from off the wall H2346 upon thy servants; H5650 and some of the king's H4428 servants H5650 be dead, H4191 and thy servant H5650 Uriah H223 the Hittite H2850 is dead H4191 also. Then David H1732 said H559 unto the messenger, H4397 Thus shalt thou say H559 unto Joab, H3097 Let not this thing H1697 displease H3415 H5869 thee, for the sword H2719 devoureth H398 one as well as another: H2090 make thy battle H4421 more strong H2388 against the city, H5892 and overthrow H2040 it: and encourage H2388 thou him. And when the wife H802 of Uriah H223 heard H8085 that Uriah H223 her husband H376 was dead, H4191 she mourned H5594 for her husband. H1167 And when the mourning H60 was past, H5674 David H1732 sent H7971 and fetched H622 her to his house, H1004 and she became his wife, H802 and bare H3205 him a son. H1121 But the thing H1697 that David H1732 had done H6213 displeased H3415 H5869 the LORD. H3068
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Samuel 12
Commentary on 2 Samuel 12 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 12
2Sa 12:1-6. Nathan's Parable.
1. the Lord sent Nathan unto David—The use of parables is a favorite style of speaking among Oriental people, especially in the conveyance of unwelcome truth. This exquisitely pathetic parable was founded on a common custom of pastoral people who have pet lambs, which they bring up with their children, and which they address in terms of endearment. The atrocity of the real, however, far exceeded that of the fictitious offense.
5. the man that hath done this thing shall surely die—This punishment was more severe than the case deserved, or than was warranted by the divine statute (Ex 22:1). The sympathies of the king had been deeply enlisted, his indignation aroused, but his conscience was still asleep; and at the time when he was most fatally indulgent to his own sins, he was most ready to condemn the delinquencies and errors of others.
2Sa 12:7-23. He Applies It to David, Who Confesses His Sin, and Is Pardoned.
7. Nathan said to David, Thou art the man—These awful words pierced his heart, aroused his conscience, and brought him to his knees. The sincerity and depth of his penitent sorrow are evinced by the Psalms he composed (Ps 32:1-11; 51:1-19; 103:1-22). He was pardoned, so far as related to the restoration of the divine favor. But as from his high character for piety, and his eminent rank in society, his deplorable fall was calculated to do great injury to the cause of religion, it was necessary that God should testify His abhorrence of sin by leaving even His own servant to reap the bitter temporal fruits. David was not himself doomed, according to his own view of what justice demanded (2Sa 12:5); but he had to suffer a quadruple expiation in the successive deaths of four sons, besides a lengthened train of other evils.
8. I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives—The phraseology means nothing more than that God in His providence had given David, as king of Israel, everything that was Saul's. The history furnishes conclusive evidence that he never actually married any of the wives of Saul. But the harem of the preceding king belongs, according to Oriental notions, as a part of the regalia to his successor.
11. I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, &c.—The prophet speaks of God threatening to do what He only permitted to be done. The fact is, that David's loss of character by the discovery of his crimes, tended, in the natural course of things, to diminish the respect of his family, to weaken the authority of his government, and to encourage the prevalence of many disorders throughout his kingdom.
15-23. the Lord struck the child … and it was very sick—The first visible chastisement inflicted on David appeared on the person of that child which was the evidence and monument of his guilt. His domestics were surprised at his conduct, and in explanation of its singularity, it is necessary to remark that the custom in the East is to leave the nearest relative of a deceased person to the full and undisturbed indulgence of his grief, till on the third or fourth day at farthest (Joh 11:17). Then the other relatives and friends visit him, invite him to eat, lead him to a bath, and bring him a change of dress, which is necessary from his having sat or lain on the ground. The surprise of David's servants, then, who had seen his bitter anguish while the child was sick, arose apparently from this, that when he found it was dead, he who had so deeply lamented arose of himself from the earth, without waiting for their coming to him, immediately bathed and anointed himself, instead of appearing as a mourner, and after worshiping God with solemnity, returned to his wonted repast, without any interposition of others.
2Sa 12:24, 25. Solomon Is Born.
24, 25. Bath-sheba … bare a son, and he called his name Solomon—that is, "peaceable." But Nathan gave him the name of Jedediah, by command of God, or perhaps only as an expression of God's love. This love and the noble gifts with which he was endowed, considering the criminality of the marriage from which he sprang, is a remarkable instance of divine goodness and grace.
2Sa 12:26-31. Rabbah Is Taken.
26. Joab fought against Rabbah—The time during which this siege lasted, since the intercourse with Bath-sheba, and the birth of at least one child, if not two, occurred during the progress of it, probably extended over two years.
27. the city of waters—Rabbah, like Aroer, was divided into two parts—one the lower town, insulated by the winding course of the Jabbok, which flowed almost round it, and the upper and stronger town, called the royal city. "The first was taken by Joab, but the honor of capturing so strongly a fortified place as the other was an honor reserved for the king himself."
28. encamp against the city, and take it—It has always been characteristic of Oriental despots to monopolize military honors; and as the ancient world knew nothing of the modern refinement of kings gaining victories by their generals, so Joab sent for David to command the final assault in person. A large force was levied for the purpose. David without much difficulty captured the royal city and obtained possession of its immense wealth.
lest I take the city, and it be called after my name—The circumstance of a city receiving a new name after some great person, as Alexandria, Constantinople, Hyderabad, is of frequent occurrence in the ancient and modern history of the East.
30. he took their king's crown from off his head—While the treasures of the city were given as plunder to his soldiers, David reserved to himself the crown, which was of rarest value. Its great weight makes it probable that it was like many ancient crowns, not worn, but suspended over the head, or fixed on a canopy on the top of the throne.
the precious stones—Hebrew, "stone"; was a round ball composed of pearls and other jewels, which was in the crown, and probably taken out of it to be inserted in David's own crown.
31. he brought forth the people … and put them under saws, &c.—This excessive severity and employment of tortures, which the Hebrews on no other occasion are recorded to have practised, was an act of retributive justice on a people who were infamous for their cruelties (1Sa 11:2; Am 1:13).