2 Samuel 12:5

5 iratus autem indignatione David adversus hominem illum nimis dixit ad Nathan vivit Dominus quoniam filius mortis est vir qui fecit hoc

2 Samuel 12:5 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 12:5

And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man
That had done this, taking it for a real fact:

and he said to Nathan, [as] the Lord liveth, the man that hath done
this [thing] shall surely die;
which be said in the transport of his wrath and fury; otherwise a thief, according to the law of Moses, was not to be put to death, but to make restitution; and if he was not able to make it, then to be sold, but he was not to die for it; but David thought the crime was so greatly aggravated by being done by a rich man, and by the loss the poor man sustained, it being his all, and the fact, in all its circumstances, so cruel and barbarous, that the guilty person ought to die: how much more vehemently, and indeed with justice, would he have passed the sentence of death on him, or condemned him to it, had it been put in the parable, that the rich man not only took the poor man's ewe lamb, but killed the poor man himself? but this Nathan left out, that David might not take his meaning, as Abarbinel thinks, who then would have been upon his guard, and not have condemned himself; and hereby also Nathan had this advantage against him, that if this man deserved to die, who had only taken the poor man's ewe lamb, then how much more ought he to die, who had not only committed adultery with Bathsheba, but had slain Uriah?

2 Samuel 12:5 In-Context

3 pauper autem nihil habebat omnino praeter ovem unam parvulam quam emerat et nutrierat et quae creverat apud eum cum filiis eius simul de pane illius comedens et de calice eius bibens et in sinu illius dormiens eratque illi sicut filia
4 cum autem peregrinus quidam venisset ad divitem parcens ille sumere de ovibus et de bubus suis ut exhiberet convivium peregrino illi qui venerat ad se tulit ovem viri pauperis et praeparavit cibos homini qui venerat ad se
5 iratus autem indignatione David adversus hominem illum nimis dixit ad Nathan vivit Dominus quoniam filius mortis est vir qui fecit hoc
6 ovem reddet in quadruplum eo quod fecerit verbum istud et non pepercerit
7 dixit autem Nathan ad David tu es ille vir haec dicit Dominus Deus Israhel ego unxi te in regem super Israhel et ego erui te de manu Saul
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.