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2 Samuel 12:4-14

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4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man could not bring himself to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for his guest.[a]
5 David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan: "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
6 Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb."[b]
7 Nathan replied to David, "You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: 'I anointed you king over Israel,[c] and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.
8 I gave your master's house to you and your master's wives into your arms,[d] and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more.
9 Why then have you despised the command of the Lord by doing what I consider[e] evil?[f] You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife-you murdered him with the Ammonite's sword.[g]
10 Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house[h] because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own wife.'
11 "This is what the Lord says, 'I am going to bring disaster on you[i] from your own family: I will take your wives and give them to another[j] before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them publicly.[k]
12 You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight.' "[l][m]
13 David responded to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord."[n] Then Nathan replied to David, "The Lord has taken away your sin; you will not die.[o]
14 However, because you treated[p] the Lord with such contempt in this matter,[q] the son born to you will die."
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2 Samuel 12:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 12

Nathan is sent to David to charge him with his sin, and convince him of it by a parable, 2Sa 12:1-6; which being accommodated and applied to David's case, brought him to a conviction and acknowledgment of it, and repentance for it, which was forgiven him, 2Sa 12:7-13; though he is told the child begotten in adultery should die, and it was quickly struck with sickness and died; and David's behaviour during its sickness and at its death is recorded, 2Sa 12:14-23; after which Solomon was born to him of the same woman, and had the name of Jedidiah given him by the Lord, which signifies the beloved of the Lord, and as a token of reconciliation, and a confirmation of his sin being forgiven him, 2Sa 12:24,25; and the chapter is concluded with the taking of the city of Rabbah, and the spoil in it, and the usage of the inhabitants of it, 2Sa 12:26-31.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Footnotes 17

  • [a]. Lit for the man who had come to him
  • [b]. 2 Sm 12:18; 13:28-29; 18:14-15; Ex 22:1; 1 Kg 2:24-25
  • [c]. 1 Sm 16:13
  • [d]. Lit bosom
  • [e]. Alt Hb tradition reads what He considers
  • [f]. 1 Sm 15:19
  • [g]. 2 Sm 11:14-17
  • [h]. 2 Sm 13:28; 18:14; 1 Kg 2:22-25
  • [i]. 1 Sm 16:14-16
  • [j]. Or to your neighbor
  • [k]. Lit in the eyes of this sun
  • [l]. Lit and before the sun
  • [m]. 2 Sm 16:21-22
  • [n]. 2 Sm 24:10; Ps 51:4
  • [o]. Lv 20:10; 24:17; Ps 32:1-5; Pr 28:13
  • [p]. Alt Hb tradition, one LXX ms; MT reads treated the enemies of; DSS read treated the word of
  • [q]. 1 Sm 2:17
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