2 Samuel 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._ Encamp against the city, and take it. It has always been characteristic of Oriental despots to monopolize military honours; and, since the ancient world knew nothing of the modern refinement of kings gaining victories by their generals, so Joab sent for David to command the final assault in person. A large force was levied for the purpose. David, without much difficulty, captured the royal city, and obtained possession of its immense wealth. LEST I TAKE THE CITY, AND IT BE CALLED AFTER MY NAME. The circumstance of a city receiving a new name after some great person, as Alexandria, Constantinople, Hyderabad, is of frequent occurrence in the ancient and modern history of the East....

26-31 To be thus severe in putting the children of Ammon to slavery was a sign that David's heart was not yet made soft by repentance, at the time when this took place. We shall be most compassionate, kind, and forgiving to others, when we most feel our need of the Lord's forgiving love, and taste the sweetness of it in our own souls....

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

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 NAME; so great a regard had Joab, though an ambitious man, to the fame and credit of David his king: so Craterus a at the siege of Artacacna, being prepared to take it, waited the coming of Alexander, that he might have the honour of it. a Curt. Hist. l. 6. c. 6....

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

Capture of Rabbah = 1 Chronicles 20:1-3...

I HAVE FOUGHT AGAINST RABBAH, AND HAVE TAKEN THE CITY OF WATERS, &C.— Rabbah was a royal, a large, and a populous city, watered, and in some measure encompassed by the river Jabbok. It had its name from its grandeur, being derived from a Hebrew word, signifying to increase and grow great, and was now in the height of its glory. As the _city of waters_ must mean Rabbah only, Houbigant translates after Josephus, _and I have intercepted,_ or _cut off the waters from it,_ which gives a good reason for Joab's message, as it was not probable that the city in this case should hold out long. Nothing can be more gallant and generous than the message of Joab: _Lest I take the city, and it be called after my name._ There is a magnanimity in the proposal capable of creating admiration in the meanest minds. The man who could transfer the glory of his own conquests to his prince, needs no higher eulog...

_The Final Siege of Rabbah._ 2 Samuel 12:26-31 26 And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. 27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters. 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. 29 And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. 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. 31 And he brought forth the people that _were_ therein, and put _them_ under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of ir

DAVID'S REPENTANCE AND PARDON. THE CAPTURE OF RABBAH 4. To dress for the wayfaring man] We may notice Eastern ideas of hospitality: cp. Genesis 18:3....