27 And Joab H3097 sent H7971 messengers H4397 to David, H1732 and said, H559 I have fought H3898 against Rabbah, H7237 and have taken H3920 the city H5892 of waters. H4325
For only Og H5747 king H4428 of Bashan H1316 remained H7604 of the remnant H3499 of giants; H7497 behold, his bedstead H6210 was a bedstead H6210 of iron; H1270 is it not H3808 in Rabbath H7237 of the children H1121 of Ammon? H5983 nine H8672 cubits H520 was the length H753 thereof, and four H702 cubits H520 the breadth H7341 of it, after the cubit H520 of a man. H376
And it came to pass, after the year H8141 was expired, H8666 at the time H6256 when kings H4428 H4397 go forth H3318 to battle, that David H1732 sent H7971 Joab, H3097 and his servants H5650 with him, and all Israel; H3478 and they destroyed H7843 the children H1121 of Ammon, H5983 and besieged H6696 Rabbah. H7237 But David H1732 tarried still H3427 at Jerusalem. H3389
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Samuel 12
Commentary on 2 Samuel 12 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 12
The foregoing chapter gave us the account of David's sin; this gives us the account of his repentance. Though he fell, he was not utterly cast down, but, by the grace of God, recovered himself, and found mercy with God. Here is,
2Sa 12:1-14
It seems to have been a great while after David had been guilty of adultery with Bath-sheba before he was brought to repentance for it. For, when Nathan was sent to him, the child was born (v. 14), so that it was about nine months that David lay under the guilt of that sin, and, for aught that appears, unrepented of. What shall we think of David's state all this while? Can we imagine that his heart never smote him for it, or that he never lamented it in secret before God? I would willingly hope that he did, and that Nathan was sent to him, immediately upon the birth of the child, when the thing by that means came to be publicly known and talked of, to draw from him an open confession of the sin, to the glory of God, the admonition of others, and that he might receive, by Nathan, absolution with certain limitations. But, during these nine months, we may well suppose his comforts and the exercises of his graces suspended, and his communion with God interrupted; during all that time, it is certain, he penned no psalms, his harp was out of tune, and his soul like a tree in winter, that has life in the root only. Therefore, after Nathan had been with him, he prays, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and open thou my lips, Ps. 51:12, 15. Let us observe,
2Sa 12:15-25
Nathan, having delivered his message, staid not at court, but went home, probably to pray for David, to whom he had been preaching. God, in making use of him as an instrument to bring David to repentance, and as the herald both of mercy and judgment, put an honour upon the ministry, and magnified his word above all his name. David named one of his sons by Bath-sheba Nathan, in honour of this prophet (1 Chr. 3:5), and it was that son of whom Christ, the great prophet, lineally descended, Lu. 3:31. When Nathan retired, David, it is probable, retired likewise, and penned the 51st Psalm, in which (though he had been assured that his sin was pardoned) he prays earnestly for pardon, and greatly laments his sin; for then will true penitents be ashamed of what they have done when God is pacified towards them, Eze. 16:63.
Here is,
2Sa 12:26-31
We have here an account of the conquest of Rabbah, and other cities of the Ammonites. Though this comes in here after the birth of David's child, yet it is most probable that it was effected a good while before, and soon after the death of Uriah, perhaps during the days of Bath-sheba's mourning for him. Observe,