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 Samue... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Hebro... [ Continue Reading ]
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: WHIC... [ Continue Reading ]
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 doe... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Weemse s... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NATHAN SAID TO DAVID, THOU [ART] THE MAN,.... The rich man, or who is designed by him in the parable, and answers to him t: 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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 th... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 fa... [ Continue Reading ]
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 fif... [ Continue Reading ]
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 i... [ Continue Reading ]
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 blasph... [ Continue Reading ]
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 gr... [ Continue Reading ]
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 WOUL... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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,... [ Continue Reading ]
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; pray... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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, a... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 pl... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Ta... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 A... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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: AN... [ Continue Reading ]