2 Samuel 12:30

_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._ He took their king's crown from off his head. While the treasures of the city were given as plunder to his soldiers, David reserved to himself the crown, which was of rarest value. Its great weight makes it probable that it was, like many ancient crowns, not worn, but suspended over the head, or fixed on a canopy on the top of the throne; and its value a talent of gold = 5,000 pound sterling. THE PRECIOUS STONES - Hebrew, stone; according to Josephus, a sardonyx-was a round ball composed of pearls and other jewels, which was in the crown, and probably taken out of it, to be inserted in David's own crown....

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....

Verse 2 Samuel 12:30. _THE WEIGHT WHEREOF WAS A TALENT OF GOLD_] If this talent was only _seven pounds_, as Whiston says, David might have carried it on his head with little difficulty; but this weight, according to common computation, would amount to more than _one_ _hundred_ pounds! If, however, משקלה _mishkalah_ be taken for the _value_, not the _weight_ then all is plain as the worth of the crown will be about _£_5075 15_s_. 7_d_. sterling. Now this seems to be the true sense, because of the added words _with the precious stones_; i.e., the _gold_ of the crown, and the _jewels_ with which it was adorned, were equal in _value_ to a talent of gold....

THEIR KING’S CROWN - The word rendered their king (Malcham) is also the name of the national idol of the Ammonites (Jeremiah 49:1, Jeremiah 49:3 margin; Amos 1:15; Zephaniah 1:5). Moreover, the weight of the crown, which is calculated to be equal to 100 or 125 pounds weight, is far too great for a man to wear. On the whole, it seems most probable that the idol Malcam is here meant....

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 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 STONES): or, "and a precious stone"; there might be more, as our version suggests, but there was one in it remarkably large and valuable; Josephus b says it had in it a very precious stone, a sardonyx; and this, according to the Talmud c was of the value of a talent of gold. A talent was equal to three thousand shekels, as appears from Exodus 38:25; and was in value, according to Brerewood d of our money, 4500 pounds; but according to Bishop Cumberland e 5067 pounds, three shilling

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

THEIR KING'S CROWN. the crown of Milcom, with Septuagint. Compare 1 Chronicles 20:2.Jeremiah 49:1; Jeremiah 49:3.Amos 1:15.Zephaniah 1:5 (Comp. Bible). talent. See App-51....

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