2 Samuel 12:11-21

11 Therefore the Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall raise on thee evil (out) of thine house, and I shall take thy wives in thine eyes, and I shall give to thy neighbour, and he shall sleep with thy wives in the eyes of this sun. (And so the Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall raise up evil against thee from thy own house, and I shall take thy wives from before thee, and I shall give them to thy neighbour, or to another man, and he shall sleep with thy wives in broad daylight.)
12 For thou hast done (thy sin) privily; forsooth I shall do this word in the sight of all Israel, and in the sight of this sun. (Yea, thou hast done thy sin in secret; but I shall do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.)
13 And David said to Nathan, I have sinned to the Lord. And Nathan said to David, Also the Lord hath turned away thy sin; thou shalt not die. (And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, The Lord hath turned away thy sin; thou shalt not die.)
14 Nevertheless for thou hast made [the] enemies to blaspheme the name of the Lord, for this word the child that is born to thee shall die by death (because of this, the child who is born to thee shall die).
15 And Nathan turned again into his house. And the Lord smote the little child, whom the wife of Uriah childed to David, and he despaired. (And Nathan returned to his house. And the Lord struck the young child, whom Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became very ill.)
16 And David prayed to the Lord for the little child; and David fasted by fasting, and entered asides half, and lay on the earth (and lay on the floor all night).
17 And the elder men of his house came, and constrained him, that he should rise up from the earth; and he would not, neither he ate meat with them. (And the older men of his household came, and compelled him to get up off the floor; but he would not, nor would he eat any food with them.)
18 And it befelled in the seventh day, that the young child died; and the servants of David dreaded to tell to him, that the little child was dead; for they said, Lo! while the little child lived yet, we spake to him, and he heard not our voice; how much more (now), if we say the child is dead, he shall torment himself? (And it befell that on the seventh day, the young child died; and David's servants feared to tell him that the young child was dead; for they said, Lo! while the young child yet lived, we spoke to him, and he would not listen to us; how much more now shall he torment himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?)
19 Therefore when David had heard his servants speaking privily, either muttering, he understood that the young child was dead; and he said to his servants, Whether the child is dead? (Is the child dead?) Which answered to him, He is dead.
20 Therefore David rose up from the earth, and was washed, and anointed; and when he had changed his clothes, he entered into the house of the Lord, and worshipped, and came into his house; and he asked, that they should set bread to him, and he ate. (And so David got up off the floor, and washed, and anointed himself; and when he had changed his clothes, he went to the House of the Lord, and worshipped, and then came back to the palace; and he asked them to set food before him, and he ate it.)
21 And his servants said to him, What is the word that thou hast done? Thou hast fasted, and wept for the young child, while he lived yet; but when the child was dead, thou risedest/thou hast risen up, and atest bread? (And his servants said to him, What is this? Thou hast fasted, and wept for the young child, while yet he lived; but when the child was dead, thou hast risen up, and eaten food?)

2 Samuel 12:11-21 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.