2 Samuel 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. The use of parables is a favourite style of speaking among Oriental people, especially in the conveyance of unwelcome truth. This exquisitely-pathetic parable was founded on a common custom of pastoral people who have pet lambs, which they bring up with their children, and which they address in terms of endearment. The atrocity of the real, however, far exceeded that of the fictitious offence....

1-14 God will not suffer his people to lie still in sin. By this parable Nathan drew from David a sentence against himself. Great need there is of prudence in giving reproofs. In his application, he was faithful. He says in plain terms, Thou art the man. God shows how much he hates sin, even in his own people; and wherever he finds it, he will not let it go unpunished. David says not a word to excuse himself or make light of his sin, but freely owns it. When David said, I have sinned, and Nathan perceived that he was a true penitent, he assured him his sin was forgiven. Thou shalt not die: that is, not die eternally, nor be for ever put away from God, as thou wouldest have been, if thou hadst not put away the sin. Though thou shalt all thy days be chastened of the Lord, yet thou shalt not be condemned with the world. There is this great evil in the sins of those who profess religion and...

CHAPTER XII _The Lord sends Nathan the prophet to reprove David; which he_ _does by means of a curious parable_, 1-4. _David is led, unknowingly, to pronounce his on condemnation_, 5, 6. _Nathan charges the guilt home on his conscience; and predicts_ _a long train of calamities which should fall on him and his_ _family_, 7-12. _David confesses his sin; and Nathan gives him hope of God's_ _mercy, and foretells the death of the child born in adultery_, 13, 14. The child is taken ill; David fasts

Nathan came to David as if to ask his judicial decision on the case about to be submitted to him (compare 2 Samuel 14:2; 1 Kings 20:35). The circumstances of the story are exquisitely contrived to heighten the pity of David for the oppressed, and his indignation against the oppressor 1 Samuel 25:13, 1 Samuel 25:22....

EXPOSITION 2 SAMUEL 12:1 JEHOVAH SENT NATHAN UNTO DAVID. Though David had remained unrepentant for nearly a year, for we read in 2 Samuel 12:14 that the child was born, yet we are not to suppose that there had been no compunctions of conscience. A man could scarcely pass from utter callousness to a state of mind so tender as that depicted in Psalms 51:1 without some preparation. Assuredly David had suffered much mental distress, but he had given no outward sign of contrition, and possibly, but for Nathan's message, he might have overpowered his conscience, and his self-reproaches have become less frequent and agitating. More probably he was slowly ripening for re

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 true sense of his sin, his heart hardened, his graces dormant, the joys of salvation taken from him, and he without any communion with God, and having little concern about it; though perhaps he might have some pangs at times, which quickly went off; though some think he exercised repentance in a private way before; acknowledged his sin to the Lord, and had a sense of pardon, and before this time penned the thirty second and the hundred thirtieth psalms on this occasion, Psalms 32:1; but Nathan is sent to awaken

2. THE MESSAGE OF GOD AND DAVID'S CONFESSION AND THE BEGINNING OF THE CHASTISEMENT CHAPTER 12 _ 1. The Lord's message through Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1)_ 2. David's anger (2 Samuel 12:5) 3. Thou art the man! (2 Samuel 12:7) 4. The chastisement (2 Samuel 12:10) 5. David's confession (2 Samuel 12:13) 6. The death of the child announced (2 Samuel 12:14) 7. The death of the child and David's grie

2 SAMUEL 12. DAVID'S REPENTANCE. CAPTURE OF RABBAH (J). The section concerning Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1_ a_) is sometimes regarded as a later addition by some one who was anxious to point out and emphasize the moral; but this view is not generally held. Only 2 Samuel 12:10 need be regarded as editorial. The chapter is important because it shows that the primitive ideas as to the morality of Yahweh were very real, though they might be defective in some directions. 2 SAMUEL 12:1. Nathan, by parable and admonition, brings David's guilt home to him; he makes penitent confession. Yahweh puts away his sin, which is thought of as a kind of disease, which would of itself kill the sinner, if it were n

THE _ LORD._ Hebrew. _Jehovah_. App-4. SENT. See 2 Samuel 11:27. NATHAN. Septuagint and Syriac read "Nathan the prophet". he came. Compare title of Psalms 51. MEN. Hebrew. _'ish._ App-14....

2 Samuel 12:1-6. Nathan's Parable 1. _the_Lord _sent Nathan_ A year had passed, and Bath-sheba's child had been born, before Nathan was sent to rouse the king's slumbering conscience. To this crisis belong Psalms 51. and 32. See Introd. ch. VIII. § 5, p. 47. _and said unto him_ Some MSS of the Vulg. add _Give me a judgment_. The words cannot be regarded as part of the original text, though they are a correct gloss. The prophet asks for the king's decision, as though he were consulting him about a case which had really happened. Compare the plan adopted by the widow of Tekoah (ch. 2 Samuel 14:4-7); and by the prophet sent to rebuke Ahab ...