XII. We here pass from the story of David’s great and aggravated crimes to that of his deep repentance. Beyond all question Psalms 51 is the expression of his penitence after the visit of Nathan, and Psalms 32 the expression of his experience after the assurance of Divine forgiveness, set forth for... [ Continue Reading ]
SENT NATHAN. — Nathan was already on intimate terms with David, and recognised by him as a prophet (2 Samuel 7:1).... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WERE TWO MEN. — The parable is designed to bring out David’s indignation against the offender without being so clear as to awaken at first any suspicion of a personal application. It does not allude to the special crimes of David, but to the meanness and selfishness of the transaction — qualit... [ Continue Reading ]
IT GREW UP TOGETHER. — “All these circumstances are exquisitely contrived to heighten the pity of the hearer for the oppressed, and his indignation against the oppressor.” — _Speaker’s Commentary. _... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS GREATLY KINDLED. — David’s generous impulses had not been extinguished by his sin, nor his warm sense of justice; his naturally quick temper (1 Samuel 25:13; 1 Samuel 25:22; 1 Samuel 25:33) at once roused his indignation to the utmost.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOURFOLD. — In exact accordance with the Law (Exodus 22:1; comp. Luke 19:8). The LXX. (in most copies “sevenfold,” comp. Proverbs 6:31) and the Chaldee (“fortyfold”) have expressed more of human indignation; but David knew the Law too well to change its terms.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU ART THE MAN. — The boldness and suddenness of this application bring a shock to David which at once aroused his slumbering conscience. This could not have been the case had David been essentially a bad man. He was a man whose main purpose in life was to do God’s will, but he had yielded to temp... [ Continue Reading ]
THY MASTER’S WIVES. — In 2 Samuel 12:7 the prophet enumerates the chief favours and blessings shown to David, and these are so brought out as to show not only his base ingratitude, but also the unreasonableness of this particular sin. We are told of only one wife of Saul (1 Samuel 14:50) and of one... [ Continue Reading ]
HAST SLAIN HIM. — This is a different and stronger word than “killed” in the first part of the verse, and might well be translated _murdered._ It was murder in the eyes of the Lord, although accomplished indirectly by the sword of the Ammonites.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL NEVER DEPART. — This word, in both its positive and negative forms, _for ever_ and _never,_ is constantly used to express the longest time possible in connection with the subject of which it is used. Here it must mean “as long as David lives;” and the punishment denounced found its realisation... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE SINNED. — The same words were used by Saul (1 Samuel 15:24; 1 Samuel 15:30), but in a totally different spirit. Saul’s confession was a concession to the prophet for the purpose of securing his support, and with no real penitence; David, in these few words, pours out before God the confession... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST GIVEN GREAT OCCASION. — Although David was forgiven, yet since his sin had brought great scandal on the church, it was necessary that he should suffer publicly the consequences of that sin. We can see that this was especially important in David’s case, both for the vindication of God’s jus... [ Continue Reading ]
BESOUGHT GOD FOR THE CHILD. — It can hardly be necessary to say that this does not imply any want of submissiveness to God’s will on David’s part, nor an inordinate love for the child of his guilt. “In the case of a man whose penitence was so earnest and so deep, the prayer for the preservation of h... [ Continue Reading ]
I SHALL GO TO HIM. — As far as the mere words themselves are concerned, this might be taken as the expression of a Stoic’s comfort, “I shall go to the dead, but the dead will not come to me;” but David, in his whole nature and belief, was as far as possible from being a Stoic, and these words in his... [ Continue Reading ]
CALLED HIS NAME SOLOMON. — The birth of Solomon could hardly have taken place until after the events mentioned in 2 Samuel 12:26, since it is not likely that the siege of Rabbah would have occupied two years. It is without doubt mentioned here (after the custom of Scripture narrative) to close the s... [ Continue Reading ]
JEDIDIAH. — It does not appear that this name (_beloved of the Lord_) was intended to do more than express the Divine acceptance of Solomon; and it never came into use as a personal title.... [ Continue Reading ]
TOOK THE ROYAL CITY. — The parallel narrative is resumed at this point in 1 Chronicles 20:2. Rabbah was situated in the narrow valley of the upper Jabbok, on both sides of the stream, but with its citadel on the cliff on the northern side. The “royal city” of this verse, and “the city of waters” of... [ Continue Reading ]
THE REST OF THE PEOPLE. — Joab proposes a general muster of the remaining forces of Israel, either because additional force was actually needed for the capture of the citadel, or simply to carry out the formal capturing of the city by David in person.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR KING’S CROWN. — The same Hebrew letters, translated _their king,_ form the name of _Milcom,_ the chief idol of the Ammonites, and hence some writer have quite unnecessarily supposed that the idol’s crown is meant. A TALENT OF GOLD. — If this is according to the Hebrew weights, the amount is e... [ Continue Reading ]
PUT THEM UNDER SAWS. — The literal translation of the Hebrew (_put them with,_ or _into, the saw_) does not give any good sense, and no doubt a single letter of the text should be changed, bringing it into agreement with 1 Chronicles 20:3, “cut them with saws.” (Comp. Hebrews 11:37.) HARROWS OF IRO... [ Continue Reading ]