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2 Samuel
Chapter Twelve
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 12
Nathan
is sent to David to charge him with his sin
and convince him of it by a
parable
2 Samuel 12:1;
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
2 Samuel 12:7;
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
2 Samuel 12:14;
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
2 Samuel 12:24; 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
2 Samuel 12:26.
2 Samuel 12:1 Then
the Lord
sent Nathan to David. And he came to him
and said to him: “There were two men
in one city
one rich and the other poor.
YLT
1And Jehovah sendeth Nathan
unto David
and he cometh unto him
and saith to him: `Two men have been in one
city; One rich and one poor;
And the Lord sent Nathan unto David
.... Quickly after the
child was born begotten on Bathsheba
and when it was known and became the
public talk of people
and the enemies of religion were full of it
and
blasphemed on account of it
2 Samuel 12:14; so
that David was nine months or more without any true sense of his sin
his heart
hardened
his graces dormant
the joys of salvation taken from him
and he
without any communion with God
and having little concern about it; though
perhaps he might have some pangs at times
which quickly went off; though some
think he exercised repentance in a private way before; acknowledged his sin to
the Lord
and had a sense of pardon
and before this time penned the thirty
second and the hundred thirtieth psalms on this occasion
Psalm 32:1; but
Nathan is sent to awaken and arouse him
to express a sense of his sin
and
repentance for it in public
which he did by penning and publishing the fifty
first psalm after Nathan had been with him
Psalm 51:1; for
though the Lord may leave his people to fall into sin
and suffer them to
continue therein some time
yet not always; they shall rise again through the
assistance of his Spirit and grace
in the acts of repentance and faith
both
in private and public:
and he came unto him
and said unto him: he came as if
he had a case to lay before him
and to have justice done
and he told the
story as if it was a real fact
and so David understood it:
there were two men in one city: pointing at David and
Uriah
who both lived in Jerusalem:
the one rich and the other poor; David the rich man
king
over all Israel; Uriah a subject
an officer in his army
comparatively poor.
2 Samuel 12:2 2 The rich man had
exceedingly many flocks and herds.
YLT
2The rich hath flocks and
herds very many;
The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds. In which the
wealth of men lay in those times and countries; these in the parable signify
David's wives and concubines
which were many; he had six wives in Hebron
and
he took more wives and concubines out of Jerusalem
when he was come from
Hebron
2 Samuel 3:2; and
besides his master's
or Saul's wives
given to him
2 Samuel 12:8.
2 Samuel 12:3 3 But the poor man
had nothing
except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and
it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and
drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him.
YLT
3And the poor one hath
nothing
Except one little ewe-lamb
Which he hath bought
and keepeth alive
And it groweth up with him
And with his sons together; Of his morsel it
eateth
And from his cup it drinketh
And in his bosom it lieth
And it is to
him as a daughter;
But the poor man had nothing
save one little ewe lamb
.... Uriah had
but one wife
who was much younger than he
called a lamb
an ewe lamb
a
little one. Abarbinel thinks Uriah had been a widower; and had children by
another wife
supposed in the parable
and was much older than Bathsheba:
which he had bought; for men in those times
and countries did not receive portions with their wives
but gave dowries to
them
and for them:
and nourished up; as his own flesh
as husbands should their
wives
Ephesians 5:29
and it grew up together with him
and with his children; which Kimchi
also supposes Uriah had by a former wife:
it did eat of his own meat
and drink of his own cup
and lay in
his bosom
and was unto him as a daughter; all which are expressive
of the care
kindness
love
and tenderness of a loving husband
whose
affections are endeared to his wife
making her partaker of all he has
and to
share in whatever he eats and drinks
and in his dearest embraces; and as there
were instances of creatures
lambs and others
particularly tame or pet lambs
used in this way in a literal sense
to which the reference in the parable is
David had no suspicion of its being a parable. BochartF17Hierozoic.
par. 1. l. 2. c. 46. col. 521
522. has given many instances of creatures
nourished and brought up in such a familiar manner.
2 Samuel 12:4 4 And a traveler came to the
rich man
who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to
prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor
man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
YLT
4And there cometh a
traveller to the rich man
And he spareth to take Of his own flock
and of his
own herd
To prepare for the traveller Who hath come to him
And he taketh the
ewe-lamb of the poor man
And prepareth it for the man Who hath come unto him.'
And there came a traveller unto the rich man
.... By which
some understand Satan
who came to David
and stirred up his lust by the
temptations that offered; who is a walker
as the word used signifies
that
goes about seeking whom he may devour
and is with good men only as a wayfaring
man
who does not abide with them; and whose temptations
when they succeed
with such
are as meat and drink to him
very entertaining but the Jews
generally understand it of the evil imagination or concupiscence in man
the
lustful appetite in David
that wandered after another man's wife
and wanted
to be satiated with her:
and he spared to take of his own flock
and of his own herd
to
dress for the wayfaring man that came unto him; when his heart was
inflamed with lust at the sight of Bathsheba
he did not go as he might
and
take one of his wives and concubines
whereby he might have satisfied and
repressed his lust:
but took the poor man's lamb
and dressed it for the man that came
to him; sent for Bathsheba and lay with her
for the gratification of
his lust
she being a young beautiful woman
and more agreeable to his lustful
appetite. The Jews
in their TalmudF18T. Bab. Succah
fol. 52. 2.
Jarchi
Kimchi
& Abarbinel in loc.
observe a gradation in these words
that the evil imagination is represented first as a traveller that passes by a
man
and lodges not with him; then as a wayfaring man or host
that passes in
and lodges with him; and at last as a man
as the master of the house that
rules over him
and therefore called the man that came to him.
2 Samuel 12:5 5 So David’s anger was
greatly aroused against the man
and he said to Nathan
“As the Lord lives
the man
who has done this shall surely die!
YLT
5And the anger of David
burneth against the man exceedingly
and he saith unto Nathan
`Jehovah liveth
surely a son of death [is] the man who is doing this
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 12:6 6 And he shall restore
fourfold for the lamb
because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”
YLT
6and the ewe-lamb he doth
repay fourfold
because that he hath done this thing
and because that he had
no pity.'
And he shall restore the lamb fourfold
.... Which was
according to the law in Exodus 22:1; but
Kimchi thinks
because the word is of the dual number
it signifies double the
number
and that the sentence was to restore eight lambs
because he being a
rich man stole from the poor man; so Mr. WeemseF19Of the Moral Law
l. 2. ch. 10. p. 252. Vid. Gusset. Ebr. Comment. p. 776. renders it
twice
four
twice as much as was commanded in the law; for the Hebrews
he observes
double in the dual number till they come to seven:
because he did this thing; committed this theft:
and because he had no pity; on the poor man
but
took his all. The Jews observe
that accordingly David was punished with the
loss of four of his children
that which was born of Bathsheba
Ammon
Tamar
and Absalom; so most of the commentators
but Ben Gersom
instead of Tamar
has
Adonijah.
2 Samuel 12:7 7 Then Nathan said to David
“You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I
anointed you king over Israel
and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.
YLT
7And Nathan saith unto
David
`Thou [art] the man! Thus said Jehovah
God of Israel
I anointed thee
for king over Israel
and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
And Nathan said to David
thou art the man
.... The rich
man
or who is designed by him in the parable
and answers to himF20"-----
mutato nomine
de te Fabula narratur -----". Horat. Sermon. l. 1. Satyr.
1. ver. 69
70. :
thus saith the Lord God of Israel
I anointed thee king over
Israel; that is
ordered Samuel to anoint him
who did
1 Samuel 16:1; to
which this chiefly refers; and after that he was anointed first by the tribe of
Judah
and then by all the tribes of Israel
by the appointment and providence
of God; and this was great dignity he designed for him
and raised him to:
and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; when he
persecuted him
and sought to take away his life.
2 Samuel 12:8 8 I gave you your master’s
house and your master’s wives into your keeping
and gave you the house of
Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little
I also would have
given you much more!
YLT
8and I give to thee the
house of thy lord
and the wives of thy lord
into thy bosom
and I give to
thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if little
then I add to thee such
and such [things].
And I gave thee thy master's house
.... Not his palace at
Gibeah
but rather his family
his wives
servants
wealth
and riches
all
being confiscated through the rebellion of Ishbosheth; or rather his kingdom he
succeeded him in:
and thy master's wives into thy bosom; though we
read of no more than one that belonged to Saul
if he is meant by his master
excepting Rizpah his concubine
nor ever of David taking them into his bosom
and bed; wherefore this can be understood only of his having them at his
disposal
to give them to whom he pleased; the word may be rendered his
"women"
as well as his "wives"
and may design his
daughters
Merab and Michal
who were both given to David
though taken again
and given to others: the Jews say
that Eglah
David's sixth wife
was the wife
of Saul; see Gill on 2 Samuel 3:5
and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; the kingdom
of both; gave him to be king over all the tribes of Israel:
and if that had been too little; either his
wives too few
as the Jews interpret it
or his kingdom too small:
I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things; more and
greater favours; and indeed such he had promised him
as a firm or stable house
or kingdom
and that the Messiah should spring from him.
2 Samuel 12:9 9 Why have you despised the
commandment of the Lord
to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you
have taken his wife to be your wife
and have killed him with the sword
of the people of Ammon.
YLT
9`Wherefore hast thou
despised the word of Jehovah
to do the evil thing in His eyes? Uriah the
Hittite thou hast smitten by the sword
and his wife thou hast taken to thee
for a wife
and him thou hast slain by the sword of the Bene-Ammon.
Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord
to do
evil in his sight?.... The commandment referred to is the law of God
particularly
the sixth and seventh precepts of it
Exodus 20:13; which
David had shown no regard unto
and by his breaking them had slighted and
despised them:
thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; and so had
despised and broken the sixth command
Exodus 20:13; for
though he had not taken away his life with his own hand
he had plotted and
contrived it
and had given orders to put him in such a position as would issue
in it:
and hast taken his wife to be thy wife; after he had
defiled her
being another man's wife
and had taken such unlawful methods to
make her his wife
whereby he had despised and broken both the sixth and the
seventh commands
Exodus 20:13
and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon; though he had
not put him to death with his own sword
he had done that which was as bad or
worse in some respects
he had exposed him to the sword of the Ammonites
by which
it was taken away; and not his only
but that of some of the Israelites also
which gave that uncircumcised people reason to triumph over the children of
Israel
and even to blaspheme the God of Israel.
2 Samuel 12:10 10 Now therefore
the sword shall
never depart from your house
because you have despised Me
and have taken the
wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’
YLT
10`And now
the sword doth
not turn aside from thy house unto the age
because thou hast despised Me
and
dost take the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be to thee for a wife;
Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house
.... During
his life
and as appeared in the slaughter of his sons Ammon and Absalom before
his death
and of Adonijah quickly after
and in his posterity through their
wars with the children of Israel
and other nations:
because thou hast despised me; his commandments
and
that in effect was despising him the lawgiver:
and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife; which being
repeated shows that it was very displeasing to God
and a very heinous crime in
his sight.
2 Samuel 12:11 11 Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold
I
will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your
wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor
and he shall lie
with your wives in the sight of this sun.
YLT
11thus said Jehovah
Lo
I am
raising up against thee evil
out of thy house
and have taken thy wives before
thine eyes
and given to thy neighbour
and he hath lain with thy wives before
the eyes of this sun;
Thus saith the Lord
.... For what he said was
not of himself
but under a spirit of prophecy:
behold
I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house: that is
evil
persons
who should be guilty of evil things
and that as a chastisement of him
for the sins he had committed
and those out of his own family
as Amnon and
Absalom:
and I will take thy wives before thine eyes; which is so
expressed
because it was done in his lifetime
and he knowing it
but not able
to hinder it
though he did not
strictly speaking
see it with his eyes:
and give them unto thy neighbour; or friend
meaning his son Absalom
as they were:
and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun; pointing to
the sun in the firmament
and which might be then shining in the room where
they were: and which is represented by HomerF21Odyss. 11. ver. 119.
& 12. ver. 380. as seeing all things
"and eyes" are ascribed to
it here in the original; the meaning is
that this fact should be done in the
daytime
openly and publicly
and was fulfilled
when by the advice of
Ahithophel a tent was spread on the top of the house
and Absalom went in to
his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel
2 Samuel 16:22.
2 Samuel 12:12 12 For you did it
secretly
but I will do this thing before all Israel
before the sun.’”
YLT
12for thou hast done [it] in
secret
and I do this thing before all Israel
and before the sun.'
For thou didst it secretly
.... Committed adultery
with Bathsheba privately
and endeavoured to conceal it
by getting her husband
killed in battle
and then marrying her as soon as he could to hide the shame
of it:
but one will do this thing before all Israel
and before the sun; as the above
fact was; that is
he would suffer it to he done
and so order it in his
providence
that everything should concur to the doing of it; as David's
leaving his wives behind him
Ahithophel's wicked counsel he was suffered to
give
and the lustful inclination Absalom was left unto
and not any of the
people of Israel having religion
spirit
and courage enough to remonstrate
against it.
2 Samuel 12:13 13 So David said to Nathan
“I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to
David
“The Lord
also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
YLT
13And David saith unto
Nathan
`I have sinned against Jehovah.' And Nathan saith unto David
`Also --
Jehovah hath caused thy sin to pass away; thou dost not die;
And David said unto Nathan
I have sinned against the Lord
.... Which
confession
though short
was a full one
arising from a thorough conviction of
the evil of the sin he had been guilty of
accompanied with real brokenness of
heart
sincere humiliation
and a sorrow after a godly sort
as the fifty first
psalm
that penitential psalm composed upon this occasion shows
Psalm 51:1
and Nathan said unto David; being fully satisfied
with the sincerity and genuineness of his repentance
of which he gave proof by
words and deeds
and being under the direction and impulse of the Spirit of
God:
the Lord hath put away thy sin; would not charge it upon
him
impute it to him
or punish him for it
but freely and fully forgive it
cast it behind his back
and into the depth of the sea; cause it to pass from
him and never more bring it against him
and which is the Lord's act
and his
only
against whom sin is committed:
thou shall not die; though he should die a corporeal death
yet
not by the immediate hand of God
or by the sword of justice as a malefactor
a
murderer
and adulterer
as he
according to the law
deserved to die; nor
should he die a spiritual death
though his grace had been so low
and his
corruptions had risen so high; nor an eternal death
the second death
the lost
wages of sin.
2 Samuel 12:14 14 However
because by this
deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme
the child also who is born to you shall surely die.”
YLT
14only
because thou hast
caused the enemies of Jehovah greatly to despise by this thing
also the son
who is born to thee doth surely die.'
Howbeit
because by this deed
.... This complicated
wickedness
adultery with Bathsheba
and the murder of her husband
and
occasioning the death of others:
thou hast given great reason to the enemies of the Lord to
blaspheme; to insult over Israel
and the God of Israel
and to magnify
their own idols on account of the advantage they got when Uriah and other
Israelites were slain; and to speak ill of God as a respecter of persons
who
had cast off Saul and his family from the kingdom
and yet established David in
it
guilty of crimes the other was not; and of the word
ways
and worship of
God
and of the true religion
as all hypocrisy and deceit
when men that made
such pretensions to it were guilty of such atrocious crimes; wherefore to let
such see and know that the Lord did not approve of and countenance such
actions
but abhorred and resented them:
the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die; which would
be a visible testimony of God's displeasure at his sin
to all men that should
hear of it
and know it; and being taken away in such a manner would be a great
affliction to him
and the more as his affections were much towards the child
as appears by what follows; or otherwise the removal of it might have been
considered as a mercy
since its life would have kept up the remembrance of the
sin
and have been a standing reproach to him.
2 Samuel 12:15 15 Then Nathan departed to
his house. And the Lord
struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David
and it became ill.
YLT
15And Nathan goeth unto his
house
and Jehovah smiteth the lad
whom the wife of Uriah hath born to David
and it is incurable;
And Nathan departed unto his house
.... His own house
which
probably was in the city of Jerusalem
having delivered his message
and
brought David to a sense of his sin
and declared to him from the Lord the
forgiveness of it; yet for the honour of religion
and the stopping of the
mouths of blasphemers
the death of the child is threatened and foretold
and
then Nathan took his leave of him
having nothing more from the Lord to say to
him:
and the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David; for so she
was
and not David's wife
when this child was begotten of her; and
as a mark
of God's displeasure at the sin of adultery
the child was struck with a sore
disease by the immediate hand of God:
and it was very sick; even unto death
as the
event showed.
2 Samuel 12:16 16 David therefore pleaded
with God for the child
and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the
ground.
YLT
16and David seeketh God for
the youth
and David keepeth a fast
and hath gone in and lodged
and lain on
the earth.
David therefore besought God for the child
.... Perhaps
went into the tabernacle he had built for the ark
and prayed to the Lord to
restore the child
and spare its life; for though the Lord had said it should
die
he might hope that that was a conditional threatening
and that the Lord
might be gracious and reverse it
2 Samuel 12:22
and David fasted: all that day:
and went in; to his own house from the house of God:
and lay all night upon the earth; would neither go into
nor lie upon a bed
but lay on the floor all night
weeping and praying for the
child's life
and especially for its eternal welfare: he having through sin
been the means of its coming into a sinful and afflicted state.
2 Samuel 12:17 17 So the elders of his house
arose and went to him
to raise him up from the ground. But he would
not
nor did he eat food with them.
YLT
17And the elders of his house
rise against him
to raise him up from the earth
and he hath not been willing
nor hath he eaten with them bread;
And the elders of his house arose
and went to him
to
raise him up from the earth
.... To persuade him to rise up
and sit
upon a seat
and go to bed
after having taken some food; these were some of
the chief officers at court
and had the management of the affairs of his
household:
but he would not; they could not persuade him to it:
neither did he eat bread with them; that evening
as he had
used to do; they being the princes of his court
who were wont to sit at table
with him.
2 Samuel 12:18 18 Then on the seventh day it
came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell
him that the child was dead. For they said
“Indeed
while the child was alive
we spoke to him
and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the
child is dead? He may do some harm!”
YLT
18and it cometh to pass on
the seventh day
that the lad dieth
and the servants of David fear to declare
to him that the lad is dead
for they said
`Lo
in the lad being alive we
spake unto him
and he did not hearken to our voice; and how do we say unto
him
The lad is dead? -- then he hath done evil.'
And it came to pass on the seventh day
that the child died
.... Not the
seventh day from its being taken ill
but from its birth; for it cannot be
thought that David should fast seven days:
and the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was
dead; lest he should be overwhelmed with too much sorrow:
for they said
behold
while the child was yet alive
we spake
unto him; to rise from the ground
and eat food:
and he would not hearken unto our voice; we could not
prevail upon him to do the one nor the other:
how will he then vex himself if we tell him that the child is dead? or should we
acquaint him with it
"he will do mischief"F23ועשה רעה και
ποιησει κακα
Sept. "faciat malum"
Pagninus
Montanus;
"malum sibi inferet"
Syr. Ar. to himself
to his body; he
will tear his flesh to pieces
and cut and kill himself; this they were afraid
of
observing the distress and agony he was in while it was living
and
therefore they concluded these would increase upon hearing of its death.
2 Samuel 12:19 19 When David saw that his
servants were whispering
David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore
David said to his servants
“Is the child dead?” And they said
“He is dead.”
YLT
19And David seeth that his
servants are whispering
and David understandeth that the lad is dead
and
David saith unto his servants
`Is the lad dead?' and they say
`Dead.'
And when David saw that his servants whispered
.... For they
said the above to one another with a low voice
that he might not hear them
though in the same room with them:
David perceived the child was dead; he guessed it was
and
that this was the thing they were whispering about among themselves:
therefore David said unto his servants
is the child dead? and
they said
he is dead; for putting the question to them so closely
they could not
avoid giving the answer they did
and which he was prepared to receive
by what
he had observed in them.
2 Samuel 12:20 20 So David arose from the
ground
washed and anointed himself
and changed his clothes; and he went into
the house of the Lord
and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested
they set
food before him
and he ate.
YLT
20And David riseth from the
earth
and doth bathe and anoint [himself]
and changeth his raiment
and
cometh in to the house of Jehovah
and boweth himself
and cometh unto his
house
and asketh and they place for him bread
and he eateth.
Then David arose from the earth
.... From the floor on
which he lay:
and washed
and anointed himself
and changed his apparel; neither of
which he had done during his time of fasting:
and came into the house of the Lord
and worshipped; went into the
tabernacle he had built for the ark of God
and then in prayer submitted
himself to the will of God
and acknowledged his justice in what he had done;
gave thanks to God that he had brought him to a sense of his sin
and
repentance for it
and had applied his pardoning grace to him
and given him
satisfaction as to the eternal welfare and happiness of the child
as appears
from 2 Samuel 12:23
then he
came to his own house; from the house of God
having finished his devotion there:
and when he required; ordered food to be
brought in:
they set bread before him
and he did eat: whereas
before
while the child was living
he refused to eat.
2 Samuel 12:21 21 Then his servants said to
him
“What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child
while he was alive
but when the child died
you arose and ate food.”
YLT
21And his servants say unto
him
`What [is] this thing thou hast done? because of the living lad thou hast
fasted and dost weep
and when the lad is dead thou hast risen and dost eat
bread.'
Then said his servants unto him
what thing is this that
thou hast done?.... Or what is the reason of such conduct and behaviour? they
knew what was done
but they did not know the meaning of it
which is what they
inquired after:
thou didst fast and weep for the child
while it was alive; prayed with
fasting and weeping for it
that it might live and not die:
but when the child was dead thou didst rise and eat bread; and appeared
cheerful; this seemed strange to them
when they expected his sorrow would be
increased.
2 Samuel 12:22 22 And he said
“While the
child was alive
I fasted and wept; for I said
‘Who can tell whether
the Lord[a]
will be gracious to me
that the child may live?’
YLT
22And he saith
`While the
lad is alive I have fasted
and weep
for I said
Who knoweth? -- Jehovah doth
pity me
and the lad hath lived;
And he said
while the child was yet alive
.... And so
there was hope it might be continued:
I fasted and wept; or sought the Lord by prayer
and fasting
and weeping
that the threatening might not take place
that the child's life
might be spared:
for I said; within himself
thus he reasoned in his own mind:
who can tell whether God will be gracious to me
that the
child may live? and in hope of this he kept praying
fasting
and weeping; he
could not tell but God might repent of the evil he had threatened
as in some
cases he has done; see Joel 2:13.
Abarbinel thinks that David fasted and wept to hide this matter from his wife
and his servants
and did not let them know that this was in his punishment
that the child should die.
2 Samuel 12:23 23 But now he is dead; why
should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him
but he shall not
return to me.”
YLT
23and now
he hath died
why
[is] this -- I fast? am I able to bring him back again? I am going unto him
and he doth not turn back unto me.'
But now he is dead
wherefore should I fast?.... And pray;
it is to no purpose
no end can be thought to be answered by it:
can I bring him back again? from the state of the
dead
bring him to life by fasting
and praying
and weeping; that is not to e
expected:
I shall go to him; to the state of the dead
to the grave
where his body was
or would be; to heaven and eternal happiness
where his
soul was
as he comfortably hoped and believed: from whence it appears
that
the Old Testament saints did not suppose an annihilation at death; but believed
the immortality of the soul
a future state after death of eternal life and
bliss:
but he shall not return to me; in the present mortal
state
though at the resurrection they should meet again.
2 Samuel 12:24 24 Then David comforted
Bathsheba his wife
and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son
and
he[b] called his
name Solomon. Now the Lord
loved him
YLT
24And David comforteth
Bath-Sheba his wife
and goeth in unto her
and lieth with her
and she beareth
a son
and he calleth his name Solomon; and Jehovah hath loved him
And David comforted Bathsheba his wife
.... Which is
the first time she is so called
Uriah being dead
and David having married
her; which though at first displeasing to the Lord
because the circumstances
attending it
was afterwards confirmed by him. Bathsheba no doubt was very much
distressed
and greatly disconsolate
on account of the sin she had committed
and because of the wrath and displeasure of God
and because of the death of
the child
which was a token of it; and she might have some scruples in her
mind whether it was lawful to continue cohabiting with David. Now David
comforted her
by telling her that God had pardoned that iniquity they had been
guilty of
and that he would give them another son
who should succeed him in
the throne
and build an house for his name:
and went in unto her
and lay with her
as his wife:
and she bare a son; at the proper time:
and he called his name Solomon; either the Lord called
him so
or David by his direction; for this name was given before his birth
1 Chronicles 22:9;
the Keri or marginal reading is
"and she called his name"
&c.
that is
Bathsheba
who had been informed by David that this was the name the
Lord would have him called by
which signifies "peaceable"; and the
birth of this son was a confirmation of the peace and reconciliation between
God and them
and which his name carried in it; as well as pointed to the
peaceable times that should be during his reign
and in which be was a type of
Christ
the Prince; of peace; who is the author of peace between God and men by
the blood of his cross
and from whom spiritual peace flows
and by whom
eternal peace and happiness is:
and the Lord loved him; and was to him a father
and he to him a son
as was promised
2 Samuel 7:14. This
love and affection of the Lord to Solomon was signified to David by Nathan
as
follows.
2 Samuel 12:25 25 and He sent word by
the hand of Nathan the prophet: So he[c] called his
name Jedidiah
[d] because of
the Lord.
YLT
25and sendeth by the hand of
Nathan the prophet
and calleth his name Jedidiah
because of Jehovah.
And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet
.... Either
David did; he sent by him to Bathsheba
to acquaint her with the name of the
child
that it was to be Solomon; which is not so likely: or "he
David
delivered it into the hand of Nathan the prophet"; to educate it
instruct
it
and bring it up in the nurture of the Lord; or rather the Lord sent a
message by Nathan the prophet to David
that he loved Solomon:
and he called his name Jedidiah
because of the Lord: that is
David also called him by this name
because of the love of the Lord unto him;
for Jedidiah signifies "the beloved of the Lord"; a name and
character which well agrees with the Messiah
Solomon's antitype
Matthew 3:17.
2 Samuel 12:26 26 Now Joab fought against
Rabbah of the people of Ammon
and took the royal city.
YLT
26And Joab fighteth against
Rabbah of the Bene-Ammon
and captureth the royal city
And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon
.... Of his
being sent against it
and of his besieging it
we read in 2 Samuel 11:1; but
it can hardly be thought that he had been so long besieging it
as that David
had two children by Bathsheba; but the account of the finishing of it is placed
here
that the story concerning Bathsheba might lie together without any
interruption:
and took the royal city; or that part of it in
which the king's palace was
and which
as Abarbinel observes
was without the
city
as the palaces of kings now usually are.
2 Samuel 12:27 27 And Joab sent messengers
to David
and said
“I have fought against Rabbah
and I have taken the city’s
water supply.
YLT
27and Joab sendeth messengers
unto David
and saith
`I have fought against Rabbah -- also I have captured
the city of waters;
And Joab sent messengers to David
.... To acquaint him how
he had proceeded
and what success he had had:
and said
I have fought against Rabbah; laid siege to
it
and skirmished with parties that sallied out upon them:
and have taken the city of waters; the same with the royal
city
and so the Targum here renders it; so called because situated by the waterside;
Adrichomius saysF24Theatrum T. S. p. 34. the river Jabbok flowed
round about it: or it abounded with fountains of water
from whence the other
part of the city
or what was properly the city Rabbah
was supplied with
water; and which communication being cut off
it could not hold out long
which
Joab being sensible of
therefore sent for David. Junius and Tremellius render
the words
"I have intercepted the water from the city"; with which
the account of JosephusF25Antiqu. l. 7. c. 7. sect. 5. agrees
who
says
that he cut off the water from them
and precluded other supplies
so
that they were in great distress for want of food and drink; and in like manner
it was taken by Antiochus some hundreds of years later; for that; historian
saysF26Polyb. Hist. l. 5. p. 414. the siege by him lasted long
and
they could not prevail
because of the multitude of men it
until one of the
prisoners showed them a subterraneous passage
through which they came and
fetched water; which they stopped up with stones and such like things
and then
through want of water yielded.
2 Samuel 12:28 28 Now therefore
gather the
rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it
lest I
take the city and it be called after my name.”
YLT
28and now
gather the rest of
the people
and encamp against the city
and capture it
lest I capture the
city
and my name hath been called upon it.'
Now therefore gather the rest of the people together
.... The rest
of the soldiers in the land of Israel
and come to Rabbah:
and encamp against the city; invest it in form:
and take it; upon a surrender or by storm; for it could not hold out long:
lest I take the city
and it be called after my name; so great a
regard had Joab
though an ambitious man
to the fame and credit of David his
king: so CraterusF1Curt. Hist. l. 6. c. 6. at the siege of
Artacacna
being prepared to take it
waited the coming of Alexander
that he
might have the honour of it.
2 Samuel 12:29 29 So David gathered all the
people together and went to Rabbah
fought against it
and took it.
YLT
29And David gathereth all the
people
and goeth to Rabbah
and fighteth against it
and captureth it;
And David gathered all the people together
.... The
soldiers that were with him
or near him; which was done partly to recruit
Joab's troops
who
by the continuance of the siege
and the sallies of the
enemy on them
might be greatly diminished; and partly to make conquests of
other cities of the Ammonites
and to carry off the spoil of them:
and went to Rabbah; which must be after the death of Uriah
and
very probably during the time of Bathsheba's mourning for him:
and fought against it
and took it; by assault.
2 Samuel 12:30 30 Then he took their king’s
crown from his head. Its weight was a talent of gold
with precious
stones. And it was set on David’s head. Also he brought out the spoil of
the city in great abundance.
YLT
30and he taketh the crown of
their king from off his head
and its weight [is] a talent of gold
and
precious stones
and it is on the head of David; and the spoil of the city he
hath brought out
very much;
And he took their king's crown from off his head
.... The crown
of Hanun the king of the Ammonites
who now fell into his hands
and whom he
stripped of his ensigns of royalty
who had so shamefully abused his
ambassadors
2 Samuel 10:4
(the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious
stones): or
"and a precious stone"; there might be more
as
our version suggests
but there was one in it remarkably large and valuable;
JosephusF2Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 7. sect. 5.) says it had in it
a very precious stone
a sardonyx; and this
according to the TalmudF3T.
Bab. Avodah Zarah
fol. 44. 1. was of the value of a talent of gold. A talent
was equal to three thousand shekels
as appears from Exodus 38:25; and
was in value
according to BrerewoodF4De Ponder. & Pret. Vet.
Num. c. 4. of our money
4500 pounds; but according to Bishop CumberlandF5Of
Scripture Weights and Measures
c. 4. p. 121. 5067 pounds
three shillings and
ten pence. This crown was of the same value with the golden candlestick in the
tabernacle
Exodus 25:39; and
some think that value here is meant
and not the weight
a talent of gold being
very heavy; according to Bishop CumberlandF6Ib. p. 119.
ninety
three and three quarter pounds; some say an hundred thirteen pounds ten ounces
and more; too great a weight to be borne on the head by Hanun or David; but
what with the gold and precious stones about it
it might be equal in value to
a talent of gold; but weight is expressly mentioned
and the crowns of the
eastern princes were of great bulk and weight
as well as value: AthenaeusF7Apud
Paschalium de Coronis
l. 9. c
8. p. 587. makes mention of one made of ten
thousand pieces of gold
placed on the throne of King Ptolemy
and of some of
two cubits
of six
yea
of sixteen cubits. SomeF8Vid. Hieron. Trad.
Heb. in 2 Reg. fol. 78. H. & in Paralipom. fol. 83. M. Weemse of Jewish
Weights
p. 141. are of opinion that this crown was not the crown of the king
of Ammon
but of Milcom or Molech
their idol
and that the proper name should
be retained in the version
and that David had a crown made of it he could
bear; but if
as othersF9Pfeiffer. Difficil. Script. Loc. cent. 2.
loc. 87.
the Syriac talent is meant
which was but the fourth part of an
Hebrew one
the difficulty is greatly lessened; for it seems to be the same
crown David afterwards wore
as follows:
and it was set on David's head; to show that
the kingdom was translated to him
or was become subject to him; as Alexander
on the conquest of Darius
put the Persian diadem on his own headF11Diodor.
Sic. l. 17. p. 549.
in token of that monarchy being translated to him:
though
after all
the phrase
"from off"
may be rendered "from
above" or "over"F12מעל
"desuper"
Montanus
"supra caput David"
Munster. his
head
and so it was set "above" or "over" the head of
David
being supported by some means or other
that its weight did not bear
thereon however
Paschalius
who wrote a learned work
"De Coronis"
must be mistaken when be saysF13Ut supra
(Apud Paschalium de
Coronis) l. 10. c. 10. p. 695. this seems to be the first use of a crown in the
kingdom of Judah
there being no mention of a crown before
either of Saul or David
only of anointing; since express mention is made of Saul's crown
2 Samuel 1:10;
though his observation may be just
that this crown
allowed to be worn by
David
was a pledge of the renewal of his royal dignity
and of his acceptance
with God upon his repentance for his above sins:
and he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance; which
or at
least part of it
was dedicated to the building of the sanctuary
2 Samuel 8:11.
2 Samuel 12:31 31 And he brought out the
people who were in it
and put them to work with saws and iron
picks and iron axes
and made them cross over to the brick works. So he did to
all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned
to Jerusalem.
YLT
31and the people who [are] in
it he hath brought out
and setteth to the saw
and to cutting instruments of
iron
and to axes of iron
and hath caused them to pass over into the
brick-kiln; and so he doth to all the cities of the Bene-Ammon; and David
turneth back
and all the people
to Jerusalem.
And he brought forth the people that were therein
.... Not all
the inhabitants of the place
but the princes of the children of Ammon
the
counsellors of Hattun
who advised him to use David's ambassadors in so
shameful a manner
and others that expressed their pleasure and satisfaction in
it:
and put them under saws
and under harrows of iron
and
under axes of iron; whereby they were cut asunder
as some were by the Romans and
othersF14Suetonius in Vita Caii
c. 27. Vid. Herodot. l. 2. c. 139.
or their flesh torn to pieces
and they put to extreme pain and agony
and so
died most miserably; see 1 Chronicles 20:3
and made them pass through the brickkiln; where they
burnt their bricks
by which they were not only scorched and blistered
but
burnt to death; so the word in the "Keri"
or margin
signifies
which we follow; but in the text it is
they caused them to pass through
Malcem
the same with Milcom or Molech
the abomination of the children of Ammon
1 Kings 11:5; unto
which they made their children pass through the fire
and burnt them; and now
in the same place they themselves are made to pass through
and be burnt
as a
righteous punishment of them for their barbarous and wicked idolatry. The word
used in the Greek version
according to SuidasF15In voce πλινθιον.
signifies an army
or a battalion of men drawn up in a
quadrangular form
like a brick; and in the same sense JosephusF16Antiqu.
l. 13. c. 4. sect. 4. uses it; hence a learned manF17Menochius de
Repub. Heb. l. 8. c. 3. col 752. conjectures that David's army was drawn up in
the like form
through which the Ammonites were obliged to pass
and as they
passed were assailed with darts
and killed; a like punishment to which is what
the Italians call "passing through the pikes":
and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon; to the
inhabitants of them; that is
the chief
who bad expressed their joy at the ill
usage of his ambassadors: this he did to strike terror into other nations
that
they might fear to use his ambassadors in such like manner. This action of
David's showing so much severity
is thought by most to be done when under the
power of his lust with Bathsheba
in an hardened and impenitent state
when he
had no sense of mercy himself
and so showed none; which is too injurious to
his character; for this was a righteous retaliation of this cruel people
1 Samuel 11:2.
Which may be observed in other instances
Judges 8:6; but the
charge of cruelty in David will be easily removed by following the translation
of a learnedF18Danzii Commentat. de miligat. David in Ammon. crudel.
Jenae 1710
apud Michael. in 1 Chron. xx. 3. Vid. Stockium
p. 392. man
and
which I think the words will bear
"and he obliged the people that were in
it to go out
and put them to the saw"
to cut stones; "and to the
iron mines"
to dig there; "and to the axes of iron"
to cut
wood
with; "after he had made them to pass with their king" out of
the city.
So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem; in triumph
and with great spoil.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)