2 Samuelchapter 12

A.Thou art the man — the parable of the ewe lambvv. 1-14

1 Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms and was like a daughter to him. 4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, who refrained from taking 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.” 5 David burned with anger against 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 has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.” 7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, 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. 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 evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own, for you have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ 11 This is what the LORD says: ‘I will raise up adversity against you from your own house. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to another, and he will lie with them in broad daylight. 12 You have acted in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’” 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die. 14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD, the son born to you will surely die.”

B.Seven days on the earth, and a father who rises and eatsvv. 15-23

15 After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them. 18 On the seventh day the child died. But David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Look, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not listen to us. So how can we tell him the child is dead? He may even harm himself.” 19 When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he perceived that the child was dead. So he asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” “He is dead,” they replied. 20 Then David got up from the ground, washed and anointed himself, changed his clothes, and went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they set food before him, and he ate. 21 “What is this you have done?” his servants asked. “While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate.” 22 David answered, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’ 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

C.Solomon born, and named Jedidiahvv. 24-25

24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. So she gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved the child 25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah because the LORD loved him.

D.Rabbah falls, and its crown is set on David's headvv. 26-31

26 Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress. 27 Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city. 28 Now, therefore, assemble the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city, and it will be named after me.” 29 So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; and he fought against it and captured it. 30 Then he took the crown from the head of their king. It weighed a talent of gold and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city. 31 David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and he made them work at the brick kilns. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

Nathan comes with a lawsuit disguised as a story: a rich man with many flocks who took the poor man's one ewe lamb, that lay in his bosom and was unto him as a daughter.

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Nathan comes with a lawsuit disguised as a story: a rich man with many flocks who took the poor man's one ewe lamb, that lay in his bosom and was unto him as a daughter. David's anger is kindled and he passes sentence, and Nathan turns it: 'Thou art the man.' The judgment stands: the sword shall never depart from thy house. David's confession is four words, 'I have sinned against Jehovah,' and the pardon is immediate (Jehovah also hath put away thy sin) but the child dies. Psalm 51 belongs to this hour. 'I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.' Then Solomon is born, and Jehovah names him Jedidiah.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Nathan, Gad — 2 Samuel overview

A. 1–14 Thou art the man — the parable of the ewe lamb
B. 15–23 Seven days on the earth, and a father who rises and eats
C. 24–25 Solomon born, and named Jedidiah
D. 26–31 Rabbah falls, and its crown is set on David's head

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

2 Samuel 113 verses
- 2 Samuel 11:1In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.
- 2 Samuel 11:3So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
- 2 Samuel 11:25Then David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Do not let this matter upset you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him with these words.”
- Read 2 Samuel 11 →
Romans 23 verses
- Romans 2:1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
- Romans 2:4Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
- Romans 2:24As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
- Read Romans 2 →
1 Chronicles 203 verses
- 1 Chronicles 20:1In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the Ammonites. He came to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. And Joab attacked Rabbah and demolished it.
- 1 Chronicles 20:2Then David took the crown from the head of their king. It was found to weigh a talent of gold and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city.
- 1 Chronicles 20:3David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes. And he did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.
- Read 1 Chronicles 20 →
Psalms 512 verses
- Psalms 51:1Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions.
- Psalms 51:4Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge.
- Read Psalms 51 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Job 12 verses
- Job 1:3and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East.
- Job 1:20Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped,
- Read Job 1 →
2 Samuel 32 verses
- 2 Samuel 3:2And sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
- 2 Samuel 3:35Then all the people came and urged David to eat something while it was still day, but David took an oath, saying, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!”
- Read 2 Samuel 3 →
1 Samuel 262 verses
- 1 Samuel 26:10David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.
- 1 Samuel 26:16This thing you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, all of you deserve to die, since you did not protect your lord, the LORD’s anointed. Now look around. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?”
- Read 1 Samuel 26 →
1 Samuel 152 verses
- 1 Samuel 15:19So why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you rush upon the plunder and do evil in the sight of the LORD?”
- 1 Samuel 15:23For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”
- Read 1 Samuel 15 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.