| 2-Samuel-12 [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. Nathan was one of the Chroniclers of the Kingdom of David, cf. <<NOW THE ACTS OF DAVID THE KING, FIRST AND LAST, BEHOLD, THEY ARE WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF SAMUEL THE SEER, AND IN THE BOOK OF NATHAN THE PROPHET, AND IN THE BOOK OF GAD THE SEER>> [1-Chronicles 29:29]. Uriah the Hittite had been amongst the thirty leading warriors of the Kingdom who comprised the Royal Guard (1-Chronicles 11:41). Another member of the Royal Guard was JOEL THE BROTHER OF NATHAN [1-Chronicles 11:38]. David had sinned against Uriah who was a member of the Royal Guard. The Royal Guard in a general sense perhaps had a right to be offended. Nathan went on his mission as the agent of God but through his family connection he could also be considered to be somehow also especially representative for the grievance of the Chosen Thirty. [2-Samuel 12: THE RICH MAN HAD EXCEEDING MANY FLOCKS AND HERDS: [2-Samuel 12:3] BUT THE POOR MAN HAD NOTHING, SAVE ONE LITTLE EWE LAMB, WHICH HE HAD BOUGHT AND NOURISHED UP: AND IT GREW UP TOGETHER WITH HIM, AND WITH HIS CHILDREN; IT DID EAT OF HIS OWN MEAT, AND DRANK OF HIS OWN CUP, AND LAY IN HIS BOSOM, AND WAS UNTO HIM AS A DAUGHTER. [2-Samuel 12:4] AND THERE CAME A TRAVELLER UNTO THE RICH MAN, AND HE SPARED TO TAKE OF HIS OWN FLOCK AND OF HIS OWN HERD, TO DRESS FOR THE WAYFARING MAN THAT WAS COME UNTO HIM; BUT TOOK THE POOR MAN'S LAMB, AND DRESSED IT FOR THE MAN THAT WAS COME TO HIM. The poor man took what little he had of his own and gave it to another. The rich man also gives to another but he takes from what belongs to someone else who has nothing else even though he (the rich man) has more than enough of his own. Note the Progression: AND THERE CAME A TRAVELLER.. THE WAYFARING MAN THE MAN The Midrash points out a progression here from a simple traveller to a guest (WAYFARING) to "THE MAN". In other words the rich man is being imposed upon by a wayfarer who he has taken in and is now telling him what to do. Instead of asking the guest to leave the rich man takes from another what is needed to please "The Man". This often happens. People tend to compensate for their own weaknesses and failings by taking advantage of those still weaker and more vulnerable than themselves. There are a few questions to be asked on the matter of this parable. David lay with the wife of Uriah and also ordered that Joab cause his death. Uriah is killed and David takes his wife unto himself in public. David is condemned for bringing about his death and for taking the woman. We saw that Uriah died along with others of the servants of David. It may be that his death came about in the course of a regular military action only Joab used the orders David had sent him to avert blame for the disaster. It may also be that for causes Scripture only hints at (and even that is not certain) Uriah for some reason had to be disposed of for reasons of state. Nevertheless David is condemned as if he had been responsible. David is condemned for taking the woman during the life of Uriah but not for doing so after his death. If Uriah had been legally married to Bathsheba and David had taken her in adultery then his marrying her when Uriah died would have been problematic according to the Law. The solution must be that Bathsheba belonged to Uriah in some way or other but not necessarily in the full conjugal sense. That may have been how David was able to "convince" himself that he could be with her. David was condemned for taking what was not his. We can stretch things as far as possible to find alleviating circumstances for the actions of David. This may be close enough to what actually was but David nevertheless is condemned and the simple first reading of Scripture does not spare the king. It is also possible to stretch things in the other direction and make the described actions of David out to be even worse than they actually were. Others have done this. [2-Samuel 12:5] AND DAVID'S ANGER WAS GREATLY KINDLED AGAINST THE MAN; AND HE SAID TO NATHAN, AS THE LORD LIVETH, THE MAN THAT HATH DONE THIS THING SHALL SURELY DIE: <<SHALL SURELY DIE>>: Hebrew "Ben-Movet", literally "Son of Death" meaning worthy of death but not necessarily to be condemned as such. The crime described is not one for which the death penalty would be applied. The king however did have authority to execute offenders for minor offences in exceptional circumstances. [2-Samuel 12:6] AND HE SHALL RESTORE THE LAMB FOURFOLD, BECAUSE HE DID THIS THING, AND BECAUSE HE HAD NO PITY. <<FOURFOLD>>: The Sages (Yoma 22) pointed out that David was punished four times over, by the death of his first child from Bathsheba, by the death of Amnon, the tragedy of Tamar, and the death of Absalom. Ralbag (Gersonides) puts the death of Adonijah in place of Tamar. David was also punished when his concubines were publicly raped. David is punished for the death of Uriah and for taking of the lamb that was not his. [2-Samuel 12:7] AND NATHAN SAID TO DAVID, THOU ART THE MAN. THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, I ANOINTED THEE KING OVER ISRAEL, AND I DELIVERED THEE OUT OF THE HAND OF SAUL; <<THOU ART THE MAN>>: Whatever the truth about the whole inner workings of this affair really is it was presented as a straightforward lust, sin, and murder case. David also was to acknowledge it as such. The Sages said that David did not deserve that such a crime should come to his doing but it did in order to teach us the value of repentance. David was to repent, be punished and be forgiven. I doubt if any of us has done things as bad as those attributed here to David. If David could acknowledge his sin and repent so can we. [2-Samuel 12:8] AND I GAVE THEE THY MASTER'S HOUSE, AND THY MASTER'S 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 SUCH AND SUCH THINGS. <<THY MASTER'S WIVES>>: The widows of a Monarch may be given to another monarch but they cannot marry commoners. According to tradition David married one of the widowed concubines of Saul and he was particularly fond of her. Saul had six wives. David could have married them all if he had so wished (apart from the mother of Michal), and twice as many again, i.e. " I WOULD MOREOVER HAVE GIVEN UNTO THEE SUCH AND SUCH THINGS". A king could marry 18 wives and an ordinary person as many as he liked but in practice most Israelites only had one wife. [2-Samuel 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 CHILDREN OF AMMON. Here it says that David did cause his death though in the description of the event, as we saw, this is not so clear. The question may be academic as to whether David really did cause the death of Uriah or only intended to do so but Uriah was killed in action anyway. [2-Samuel 12:10] NOW THEREFORE THE SWORD SHALL NEVER DEPART FROM THINE HOUSE; BECAUSE THOU HAST DESPISED ME, AND HAST TAKEN THE WIFE OF URIAH THE HITTITE TO BE THY WIFE. According to the simple reading the House of David was always to be liable to suffer from violence whether by having it inflicted upon themselves or by needing to inflict it on others. This is problematic since they were often natural warriors but not necessarily predisposed to violence. << MY SOUL HATH LONG DWELT WITH HIM THAT HATETH PEACE. I AM FOR PEACE: BUT WHEN I SPEAK, THEY ARE FOR WAR >> [Psalms 120:6-7]. [2-Samuel 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 SUN. <<THY NEIGHBOUR>> Hebrew "rayecha" which can mean "fellow" or "colleague" hinting that the person who would do this thing would be of the Royal Line and thus also a natural candidate for the monarchy, like David. [2-Samuel 12:1 FOR THOU DIDST IT SECRETLY: BUT I WILL DO THIS THING BEFORE ALL ISRAEL, AND BEFORE THE SUN. [2-Samuel 12:13] AND DAVID SAID UNTO NATHAN, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE LORD. AND NATHAN SAID UNTO DAVID, THE LORD ALSO HATH PUT AWAY THY SIN; THOU SHALT NOT DIE. David does not make excuses. He does not explain. He is not angry as most of us probably would be if ever any of our past misdeeds were thrown publicly in our faces. David acknowledges his sin. [2-Samuel 12:14] HOWBEIT, BECAUSE BY THIS DEED THOU HAST GIVEN GREAT OCCASION TO THE ENEMIES OF THE LORD TO BLASPHEME, THE CHILD ALSO THAT IS BORN UNTO THEE SHALL SURELY DIE. David was to be punished not for the sin itself. For that he had been forgiven. He was to be punished for the effects of the son and for the Desecration of the Name of God. David was King of Israel and Judah. David was the chosen of the Almighty. From David will emerge the future Messiah of Israel and all mankind. Respect for the Almighty is bound up with respect for the Almighty. By his deeds David had allowed the bad mouths to impugn against the faith of David and against what David believed in which is the truth of the Almighty God of Israel. When David passed away Scripture testifies: "BECAUSE DAVID DID THAT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN THE EYES OF THE LORD, AND TURNED NOT ASIDE FROM ANY THING THAT HE COMMANDED HIM ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE, SAVE ONLY IN THE MATTER OF URIAH THE HITTITE" [1-Kings 15:5] . [2-Samuel 12:15] AND NATHAN DEPARTED UNTO HIS HOUSE. AND THE LORD STRUCK THE CHILD THAT URIAH'S WIFE BARE UNTO DAVID, AND IT WAS VERY SICK. Scripture emphasize that the child was from the wife of Uriah. Later (as pointed out by "Daat Mikra") the woman is referred to as "HIS WIFE" meaning the wife of David, i.e. AND DAVID COMFORTED BATHSHEBA HIS WIFE (2-Samuel 12:24). [2-Samuel 12:16] DAVID THEREFORE BESOUGHT GOD FOR THE CHILD; AND DAVID FASTED, AND WENT IN, AND LAY ALL NIGHT UPON THE EARTH. Even though the child had been conceived in sin David still besought the Almighty on its behalf. WE saw that God had already decreed through the mouth of the Prophet that the child would die (2-Samuel 12:14). Nevertheless a principle exists that even Prophecy when it speaks of disaster can be altered from bad to good through prayer and change of heart (cf. Isaiah 38:1-21). [2-Samuel 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 BREAD WITH THEM. <<HE WOULD NOT>>: Hebrew "lo" (not) "obeh": Obeh (OBH) means accede to and by extension "obey". The English word "obey" like many English words is traced to the Latin or the French and possibly correctly so. Nevertheless it is interesting to note that quite frequently the English usage of a derived word is closer in meaning and sound to a Hebrew word than it is to the foreign source it is supposed to come from. [2-Samuel 12:18] AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE SEVENTH DAY, THAT THE CHILD DIED. AND THE SERVANTS OF DAVID FEARED TO TELL HIM THAT THE CHILD WAS DEAD: FOR THEY SAID, BEHOLD, WHILE THE CHILD WAS YET ALIVE, WE SPAKE UNTO HIM, AND HE WOULD NOT HEARKEN UNTO OUR VOICE: HOW WILL HE THEN VEX HIMSELF, IF WE TELL HIM THAT THE CHILD IS DEAD? [2-Samuel 12:19] BUT WHEN DAVID SAW THAT HIS SERVANTS WHISPERED, DAVID PERCEIVED THAT THE CHILD WAS DEAD: THEREFORE DAVID SAID UNTO HIS SERVANTS, IS THE CHILD DEAD? AND THEY SAID, HE IS DEAD. [2-Samuel 12:20] THEN DAVID 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. [2-Samuel 12:21] THEN 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. [2-Samuel 12:2 AND HE SAID, WHILE THE CHILD WAS YET ALIVE, I FASTED AND WEPT: FOR I SAID, WHO CAN TELL WHETHER GOD WILL BE GRACIOUS TO ME, THAT THE CHILD MAY LIVE? [2-Samuel 12:23] BUT NOW HE IS DEAD, WHEREFORE SHOULD I FAST? CAN I BRING HIM BACK AGAIN? I SHALL GO TO HIM, BUT HE SHALL NOT RETURN TO ME. <<I SHALL GO TO HIM>>: Daat Mikra points out that this is proof of belief in Life in the World to Come and that there exists: <<A World of the Souls where a father shall meet his son died because of the sin of the father and the two shall be together>>. [2-Samuel 12:24] AND DAVID COMFORTED BATHSHEBA HIS WIFE, AND WENT IN UNTO HER, AND LAY WITH HER: AND SHE BARE A SON, AND HE CALLED HIS NAME SOLOMON: AND THE LORD LOVED HIM. Here Bathsheba is called the wife of David as a sign that their sin had been forgiven them. WENT IN UNTO HER, AND LAY WITH HER: this is parallel to the initial act of adultery (or improper intercourse however the incident is explained): "AND DAVID SENT MESSENGERS, AND TOOK HER; AND SHE CAME IN UNTO HIM, AND HE LAY WITH HER" [2-Samuel 11:4]. AND SHE BARE A SON: The first time she conceived and bore a son who died in infancy. The second time she also bore a son. AND THE LORD LOVED HIM: The first time the child was conceived in sin. This time in a permitted time. The actual act of conception was almost the same in both instances. We are allowed, indeed even commanded to act in certain ways but only in a time and after a manner sanctioned by the Almighty and by the community. [2-Samuel 12:25] AND HE SENT BY THE HAND OF NATHAN THE PROPHET; AND HE CALLED HIS NAME JEDIDIAH, BECAUSE OF THE LORD. <<JEDIDIAH>>: In Hebrew "Yedidyah", i.e. "Yedid" (friend of) "Yah" (the Almighty). BACK TO SAMUEL INDEX HOME |