_A.M. 2970. B.C. 1034._ Nathan delivers and applies his parable, 2 Samuel 12:1. David repents and is forgiven, but punished, 2 Samuel 12:13; 2 Samuel 12:14. The sickness and death of the child, with David's behaviour on the occasion, 2 Samuel 12:15. The birth of Solomon, 2 Samuel 12:24; 2 Samuel 12... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord sent Nathan unto David_ When the ordinary means did not awaken David to repentance, God takes an extraordinary course. Thus the merciful Lord pities and prevents him who had so horribly forsaken God. _He said_ He prudently ushers in his reproof with a parable, after the manner of the easte... [ Continue Reading ]
_Many flocks and herds_ Denoting David's many wives and concubines, with whom he might have been satisfied. _One little ewe-lamb _ It appears by this that Uriah had but one wife, with whom he was well contented. _Which he had bought_ Or, _had procured._ Men frequently purchased their wives in those... [ Continue Reading ]
_There came a traveller unto the rich man_ This aptly signifies David's roving affection, which he suffered to wander from his own home, and to covet another man's wife. The Jewish doctors say it represents the evil disposition or desire that is in us, which must be carefully watched and resisted wh... [ Continue Reading ]
_David's anger was greatly kindled_, &c. So many base and aggravated circumstances appeared to him to attend it, that he thought it deserving of capital punishment. _The man shall surely die_ This seems more than the fact deserved, or than he had commission to inflict for it. But it is observable th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nathan said to David, Thou art the man_ Though he took such a mild, gentle, and prudent manner to bring David to a proper view and just sense of his sin, yet he deals faithfully with him at the last, and sets his iniquity before him in all its aggravations. Thus, in a similar way, by most appropria... [ Continue Reading ]
_ I gave thee thy master's house_ All that pertained to him as a king, which came, of course, to David, as his successor. _Thy master's wives into thy bosom_ For the wives of a king went along with his lands and goods unto his successor, it being unlawful for the widow of a king to be wife to any bu... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou hast killed Uriah_ David's contriving his death was as bad as if he had killed him with his own hand. _With the sword of the children of Ammon_ This was an aggravation of his crime, that he caused him to be slain by the professed enemies of God, who doubtless triumphed in the slaughter of so g... [ Continue Reading ]
_The sword shall never depart from thy house_ During the residue of thy life. As long as he lived, at times there should be destruction made in his family by the sword, which was awfully fulfilled in the violent deaths of his children, Amnon and Absalom, and, about the time of his death, Adonijah.... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house_ Which was notoriously fulfilled in Absalom's conspiracy against him. _I will take thy wives before thine eyes_ Openly, so that thou shalt know it as certainly as if thou didst see it, and yet shalt not be able to prevent it. For Absalom had... [ Continue Reading ]
_David said, I have sinned against the Lord_ Overwhelmed with shame, stung with remorse, and oppressed with a dreadful sense of the divine vengeance, impending, and ready to fall upon himself and his family, he could only give utterance to this short confession. How sincere and serious it was, what... [ Continue Reading ]
_Great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme_ To reproach God and his people, and the true religion. For, although these were not concerned in David's sin, but the blame and shame of it belonged entirely to himself, yet heathen and wicked men would, according to their own evil hearts, end... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord struck the child_ With some sudden and dangerous distemper. _David besought God for the child_ Supposing the threatening might be conditional, and so the execution of it prevented by prayer. _And went in_ Namely, into his closet to pray, solitarily and earnestly. Or, perhaps, into the sanc... [ Continue Reading ]
_The elders of his house_ The chief officers of his kingdom and household. _He would not_ This excessive mourning did not proceed simply from the fear of the loss of the child, but from a deep sense of his sin, and the divine displeasure manifested herein.... [ Continue Reading ]
_On the seventh day the child died_ The seventh from the beginning of the distemper. “Thus was the first instance of the divine vengeance for David's guilt speedily and rigidly executed; other instances of it were fulfilled in their order, before his own eyes, as will abundantly appear in the sequel... [ Continue Reading ]
_David arose from the earth and changed his apparel_ Put off the habit of a mourner, and prepared himself to appear before God. _And came into the house of the Lord_ That is, to the tabernacle, to confess his sin before the Lord, to own his justice in this stroke, to deprecate his just displeasure,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherefore should I fast_ Seeing fasting and prayer cannot now prevail with God for his life. _I shall go to him_ Into the state of the dead in which he is, and into heaven, where, I doubt not, I shall find him. Or, as Mr. Saurin paraphrases the words, “If I cannot have the consolation to partake wi... [ Continue Reading ]
_And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife_ Who, no doubt, was deeply afflicted for the loss of her child, and dejected for her sin. It is observable, however, that there is not one word said to her in all this relation, either concerning her guilt or her punishment. She was punished in the calamities... [ Continue Reading ]
_Took the royal city_ That is, that part of the city where the king's palace was; though now, it seems, he was retired to a strong fort. It is not to be supposed that Joab had continued the siege so long as till David had two children by Bath-sheba; this was done soon after the death of Uriah, when... [ Continue Reading ]
_Encamp against the city, and take it_ For, having taken one part of the city, he concluded the remaining part of it could not long stand out. _Lest I take the city_ Lest I have the honour of taking it; _and it be called by my name_ As from the conquest of Africa, the Roman general Scipio, many year... [ Continue Reading ]
_David gathered all the people and went_ The reader will naturally observe that this was an expedition which came very seasonably to relieve David in his distress, and to revive his glory in arms. And if Joab considered it in this light, as in all probability he did, the praise of his generosity is... [ Continue Reading ]
_He took the king's crown from off his head_ This was the king's part of the spoil. _The weight thereof was a talent of gold_ Or, rather, the price or value of it, as the Hebrew frequently signifies, and not only weight; and so it is to be taken here; for who could be able to carry on his head such... [ Continue Reading ]
_He brought forth the people_ The words are indefinite, and therefore not necessarily to be understood of _all_ the people, but of the men of war, and especially of those who had been the chief actors of that villanous action against David's ambassadors, and of the dreadful war ensuing upon it; for... [ Continue Reading ]