Bible Commentaries
2 Samuel 12

Verse 1

12:1 And the LORD sent {a} 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.

(a) Because David lay now drowned in sin, the loving mercy of God which does not allow his own to perish, wakes his conscience by this story and brings him to repentance.

Verse 8

12:8 And I gave thee thy master’s {b} house, and thy master’s {c} 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 {d} such and such things.

(b) For David succeeded Saul in his kingdom.

(c) The Jews take this to be Eglah and Michal, or Rizpah and Michal.

(d) That is, greater things than these: for God’s love and benefits increase toward his own, if they do not hinder him by their ingratitude.

Verse 9

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 {e} children of Ammon.

(e) You have most cruelly given him into the hands of God’s enemies.

Verse 11

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 {f} sun.

(f) Meaning openly, at noon.

Verse 13

12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath {g} put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

(g) For the Lord seeks the sinner to turn to him.

Verse 14

12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to {h} blaspheme, the child also [that is] born unto thee shall surely die.

(h) In saying, that the Lord has appointed a wicked man to reign over his people.

Verse 16

12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and {i} went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

(i) That is, to his private chamber.

Verse 17

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 {k} bread with them.

(k) Thinking by his constant prayer that God would have restored his child, but God had determined otherwise.

Verse 20

12:20 Then David {l} 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.

(l) Showing that our lamentations should not be excessive, but moderate: and that we must praise God in all his doings.

Verse 21

12:21 Then {m} 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.

(m) As they who did not consider that God grants many things to the sobs and tears of the faithful.

Verse 23

12:23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? {n} can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

(n) By this consideration he appeased his sorrow.

Verse 24

12:24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and {o} he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.

(o) That is, the Lord, 1 Chronicles 22:9.

Verse 25

12:25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the {p} prophet; and {q} he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.

(p) To call him Solomon.

(q) Meaning, David.

Verse 27

12:27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of {r} waters.

(r) That is, the chief city and where all the water pipes are, is as good as taken.

Verse 30

12:30 And he took their king’s crown from off his head, the weight whereof [was] a {s} 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.

(s) That is, 60 pounds after the weight of the common talent.

Verse 31

12:31 And he brought forth the people that [were] therein, and put [them] under {t} 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.

(t) Signifying that as they were malicious enemies of God, so he put them to cruel death.