2Sa 12:1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
the Lord sent Nathan unto David - Nathan came to David as if to ask his judicial decision on the case about to be submitted to him. The circumstances of the story are exquisitely contrived to heighten the pity of David for the oppressed, and his indignation against the oppressor. This parable’s bent is evident; and it was construed to make David, unwittingly, pass sentence on himself. When the ordinary means did not awaken David to repentance, God takes an extraordinary course. Hebrews 12:5-6 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons, "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He receives."
the Lord sent Nathan unto David - With the time, shortly after the child was born, David was nine months or more without any true sense of his sin, his heart hardened. 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 Psalm 51 after Nathan had been with him, Psa_51:1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving-kindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. 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:
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.
2Sa 12:2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds - 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, 2Sa_3:2; and besides his master's, or Saul's wives, given to him, 2Sa_12:8.
2Sa 12:3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
And lay in his bosom - This can only mean that this lamb was what we call a pet or favorite in the family.
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.
which he had bought - for men in those times and countries did not receive portions with their wives, but gave dowries for them.
and nourished up - as his own flesh, as husbands should their wives, Eph_5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord loves the church.
it did eat of his own meat etc - 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.
2Sa 12:4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
he spared to take of his own flock - 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 - sent for Bathsheba and lay with her, for the gratification of his lust. He took what did not belong to him.
2Sa 12:5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
The man shall surely die - Literally “he is a son of death,” a very bad man, and one who deserves to die. This punishment was more severe than the case deserved, or than was warranted by the divine statute. The law did not sentence a sheep-stealer to death. If a man steal an ox or a sheep, he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep, Exo_22:1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it or sell it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. The sympathies of the king had been deeply enlisted, his indignation aroused, but his conscience was still asleep; and at the time when he was most fatally indulgent to his own sins, he was most ready to condemn the delinquencies and errors of others.
2Sa 12:6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
he shall restore the lamb fourfold - The exact number prescribed by the Law, and acted upon by Zaccheus. Luke 19:8 And Zaccheus stood and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor. And in anything I accused anyone falsely, I restore it fourfold. David appears to have been called to pay this fourfold debt. He lost four sons by untimely deaths: this son of Bath-sheba, on whom David had set his heart, was slain by the Lord; Amnon, murdered by his brother Absalom; Absalom, slain in the oak by Joab; and Adonijah, slain by the order of his brother Solomon, even at the altar of the Lord. The sword and calamity did not depart from his house, from the murder of wretched Amnon by his brother to the slaughter of the sons of Zedekiah, before their father’s eyes, by the king of Babylon. His daughter was dishonored by her own brother, and his wives contaminated publicly by his own son. How serious is sin to God, when one sin of Adam and Eve results in the world today and the sin of David set his house to strife.
2Sa 12:7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
Thou art the man - by it David appears to have been transfixed, and brought into the dust before the messenger of God.
thus saith the Lord God of Israel – Nathan now speaks, not as a petitioner for a poor man, but as an ambassador from the great God. Prophets say this when their words are from the Lord.
2Sa 12:8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
And thy master’s wives - According to custom, the royal harem was a part of the royal inheritance. The possession of the wives was a sure proof that he had got all regal rights.
I gave thee thy master's house - Not his palace at Gibeah, but rather his family, his wives, servants, wealth, and riches.
gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah - gave him to be king over all the tribes of Israel:
2Sa 12:9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord - The commandment referred to is the law of God, particularly the sixth and seventh commandments, Exo_20:13-14 You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. David had shown no regard to them, and by his breaking them had slighted and despised them:
thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite - 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:
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.
2Sa 12:10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
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:
hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife - being repeated shows that it was very displeasing to God, and a very heinous crime in His sight.
2Sa 12:11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
I will raise up evil against thee - The prophet speaks of God threatening to do what He only permitted to be done. In both the points of David’s crime the retribution was according to his sin. His adultery was punished by Absalom’s outrage, his murder by the bloodshed of domestic fights, which cost the lives of at least three of his favorite sons, Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah. David’s loss of character by the discovery of his crimes, tended, in the natural course of things, to diminish the respect of his family, to weaken the authority of his government, and to encourage the prevalence of many disorders throughout his kingdom.
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.
give them unto thy neighbor - meaning his son Absalom.
David's twofold sin was to be followed by a twofold punishment. For his murder he would have to witness the commission of murder in his own family, and for his adultery the violation of his wives, and both of them in an intensified form. As his sin began with adultery, and was consummated in murder, so the law of just retribution was also carried out in the punishment, in the fact that the judgments which fell upon his house commenced with Amnon's incest, whilst Absalom's rebellion culminated in the open violation of his father's concubines, and even Adonijah lost his life, simply because he asked for Abishag the Shunammite, who had lain in David's bosom to warm and cherish him in his old age (1Ki_2:23-24).
2Sa 12:12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
For thou didst it secretly - Committed adultery with Bathsheba privately, and endeavored 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:
will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun – public punishment for his sins.
2Sa 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
Thou shalt not die - Lev_20:10 And a man who commits adultery with a man's wife, who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. Deu_22:22 If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of them die, the man that lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall put away evil from Israel. Many have supposed that David’s sin was now actually pardoned, but this is perfectly erroneous; David, as an adulterer, was condemned to death by the law of God; and he had according to that law passed sentence of death upon himself. God alone, whose law that was could revoke that sentence, or dispense with its execution; therefore Nathan, who had charged the guilt home upon his conscience, is authorized to give him the assurance that he should not die a temporal death for it: The Lord hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. This is all that is contained in the assurance given by Nathan: Thou shalt not die that temporal death; thou shalt be preserved alive. God in fact transferred the legal punishment of this sin to the child; He shall die, Thou shalt not die; and this is the very point on which the prophet gives him the most direct information:
Thou shalt not die - The Lord remitted the punishment of death, not so much because of his heartfelt repentance, as from His own fatherly grace and compassion, and because of the promise that He had given to David (2Sa_7:11-12), - a promise which rested upon the assumption that David would not altogether fall away from a state of grace, or commit a mortal sin, but that even in the worst cases he would turn to the Lord again and seek forgiveness. The Lord therefore punished him for this sin with the judgments announced in 2Sa_12:10-12, as about to break upon him and his house.
I have sinned - How serious this confession was, we may see, Psa. 51:1-19. There is no excuse, no cloaking, no palliation of the sin. There is no searching for a loophole, ... no pretext put forward, no human weakness pleaded. He acknowledges his guilt openly, candidly, and without prevarication.
2Sa 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
the child also that is born shall surely die - which would be a visible testimony of God's displeasure at his sin. But as his sin had given occasion to the enemies of the Lord - i.e., not only to the heathen, but also to the unbelieving among the Israelites themselves - to blaspheme or ridicule his religion and that of all other believers also, the child that was begotten in adultery and had just been born should die; in order, on the one hand, that the father should atone for his adultery in the death of the son, and, on the other hand, that the visible occasion for any further blasphemy should be taken away: so that David was not only to feel the pain of punishment in the death of his son, but was also to discern in it a distinct token of the grace of God.
2Sa 12:15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bare - for so she was, and not David's wife, when this child was conceived; 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:
2Sa 12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
lay upon the earth - He went into his most private chamber, his closet Mat_6:6, and “lay upon the earth” 2Sa_13:31, rather “the ground,” meaning the floor of his chamber as opposed to his couch.
2Sa 12:17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
the elders of his house arose - 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:
He would not - This excessive mourning did not proceed simply from the fear of the loss of the child; but from a deep sense of his sin, and the divine displeasure manifested herein.
2Sa 12:18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
the servants of David feared to tell him - lest he should be overwhelmed with too much sorrow:
how will he then vex himself – they feared he might do something drastic such as tear his flesh to pieces, and cut and kill himself; this they were afraid of after observing the distress and agony he was in while it was living, and therefore they concluded these would increase upon hearing of its death.
2Sa 12:19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
2Sa 12:20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped - went into the tabernacle he had built for the ark of God. He may have 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 2Sa_12:23,
came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped - That is, to the tabernacle, to confess his sin before the Lord, to own his justice in this stroke, to deprecate his just displeasure, to acknowledge God's rich mercy, in sparing his own life; and to offer such sacrifices as were required in such cases.
2Sa 12:21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
what thing is this that thou hast done - what is the reason of such conduct and behavior? they knew what was done, but they did not know the meaning of it, which is what they inquired after:
but when the child was dead thou didst rise - this seemed strange to them, when they expected his sorrow would be increased.
2Sa 12:22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
Who can tell - David, and indeed all others under the Mosaic dispensation, were satisfied that all God’s warnings and promises were conditional, that even in the most vehement assertions relative to judgments, etc., they sought for a change of purpose. And notwithstanding the declaration of Nathan, relative to the death of the child, David sought for its life, not knowing but that might depend on some unexpressed condition, such as earnest prayer, fasting, humiliation, etc., and in these he continued while there was hope. When the child died, he ceased to grieve, as he now saw that this must be fruitless. This appears to be the sole reason of David’s importunity.
2Sa 12:23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me - 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:
2Sa 12:24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
Solomon - Or “peaceable,” a name given to him at his circumcision. The giving of the name Jedidiah, by the Lord through Nathan, signified God’s favor to the child, as in the cases of Abraham, Sarah, and Israel. The name Jedidiah (which contains the same root as the name David, namely, “to love”) indicated, prophetically, what God’s Providence brought about actually, namely, the succession and glorious reign of Solomon over Israel.
He called his name Solomon - This name seems to have been given prophetically, for sholomah signifies peaceable, and there was almost uninterrupted peace during his reign.
he called his name Solomon - 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:
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 a house for his name:
2Sa 12:25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
Called his name Jedidiah - literally, the beloved of the Lord.
And he sent by the hand of Nathan - the Lord sent a message by Nathan the prophet to David, that he loved Solomon: The giving of such a name was a practical declaration on the part of Jehovah that He loved Solomon, from which David could and was intended to discern that the Lord had blessed his marriage with Bathsheba. Jedidiah, therefore, was not actually adopted as Solomon's name.
he called his name Jedidiah - Jedidiah signifies "the beloved of the Lord"; a name and character which well agrees with the Messiah, Solomon's antitype, Mat_3:17 And lo, a voice from Heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
2Sa 12:26 And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
Joab fought against Rabbah - The time during which this siege lasted, since the intercourse with Bathsheba, and the birth of at least one child, if not two, occurred during the progress of it, probably extended over two years.
2Sa 12:27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.
The city of waters - The lower town of Rabbah, so called from a stream which rises within it and flows through it. The part of the city that contains its water supplies. The upper town with the citadel lay on a hill to the north of the stream, and was probably not tenable for any length of time after the supply of water was cut off. This was the reason why David should come speedily, as the citadel, deprived of water, could not long hold out.
the city of waters — Rabbah was divided into two parts - one the lower town, insulated by the winding course of the Jabbok, which flowed almost round it, and the upper and stronger town, called the royal city. The first was taken by Joab, but the honor of capturing so strongly a fortified place as the other was an honor reserved for the king himself.
2Sa 12:28 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.
Now therefore gather the rest of the people together - The rest of the soldiers in the land of Israel, and come to Rabbah:
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 that he waited for David so that the credit and honor would go towards his king.
2Sa 12:29 And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
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:
2Sa 12:30 And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
Their king’s crown - The word rendered their king (Malcham) is also the name of the national idol of the Ammonites (Jer_49:1, Jer_49:3; Amo_1:15; Zep_1:5). Moreover, the weight of the crown, which is calculated to more than to 100 or 125 pounds weight, is far too great for a man to wear. If, however, it be taken for the value, not the weight, then it would seem to be that because of the added words with the precious stones; the gold of the crown and the jewels with which it was adorned were equal in value to a talent of gold. The same words both in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, are used, to signify either weight, or price. And the addition of precious stones, which are never valued by the weight of gold, makes this view most probable. Moreover, the weight might seem too great either for the king of Ammon, or for David to wear it upon his head.
Their king’s crown - While the treasures of the city were given as plunder to his soldiers, David reserved to himself the crown, which was of rarest value. This commentator thinks its great weight makes it likely that it was similar to many ancient crowns, not worn, but suspended over the head, or fixed on a canopy on the top of the throne. Writings from the Greeks and other ancient writers mention several such large crowns, made more for sight than use. Atheneus describes a crown of gold that was 24 feet in circumference; and mentions others that were two, some four, and others five feet deep. Pliny takes notice of some that were no less than eight pounds weight. Besides the crown usually worn, it was customary for kings, in some nations, to have such large ones as described, either hung or supported over the throne, where they sat at their coronation or other solemn occasions.
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.
it was set on David's head - to show that the kingdom was subject to him;
2Sa 12:31 And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
he brought forth the people that were therein - Not all the inhabitants of the place, but the princes of the children of Ammon, the counselors 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:
he brought forth the people - This excessive severity and employment of tortures, which the Hebrews on no other occasion are recorded to have practiced, was an act of retributive justice on a people who were infamous for their cruelties (1Sa_11:2; Amo_1:13).
Put them under saws - There is some conflict between scholars. Some say David tortured Ammonites while others say he put them to work. Saws were used to kill, as referenced in Heb_11:37. Or it could mean they were put to work sawing, using tools, making bricks etc.
Axes - The word rendered occurs only here and in 1Ch_20:3. It evidently means some cutting instrument.
Made them pass through the brickkiln - The phrase is that always used of the cruel process of making their children pass through the fire to Moloch, and it is possible that David punished this idolatrous practice by inflicting something similar upon the worshippers of Moloch. The cruelty of these executions belongs to the barbarous manners of the age, and was provoked by the conduct of the Ammonites 2Sa_10:1-4; 1Sa_11:1-2, but is utterly indefensible under the light of the Gospel.
Made them pass through the brickkiln - where they burnt their bricks, by which they were not only scorched and blistered, but burnt to death; they caused them to pass through Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon, 1Ki_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.
put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron - whereby they were cut asunder, as some were in later times by the Romans and others, or their flesh torn to pieces, and they put to extreme pain and agony, and so died most miserably. The parallel passage is in1Ch_20:3.
thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon – Commentators seek to excuse this behavior of David’s, if in fact he ordered these atrocities. One states: “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, 1Sa_11:2.” The Ammonites were cruel to their enemies and it is here thought by some scholars that David subjected only the fighting men to the cruelty they themselves enacted on others. In doing this, David merely retaliated upon the Ammonites the cruelties with which they had treated their foes; since according to Amo_1:13 they ripped up women who were with child, and according to 1Sa_11:2 their king Nahash would only make peace with the inhabitants of Jabesh upon the condition that the right eye of every one of them should be put out. After the close of this war, David returned to Jerusalem with all the men of war. The war with the Syrians and Ammonites, including as it did the Edomite war as well, was the fiercest in which David was ever engaged, and was also the last great war of his life.
