7 And Nathan H5416 said H559 to David, H1732 Thou art the man. H376 Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 I anointed H4886 thee king H4428 over Israel, H3478 and I delivered H5337 thee out of the hand H3027 of Saul; H7586
And thou shalt speak H1696 unto him, saying, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Hast thou killed, H7523 and also taken possession? H3423 And thou shalt speak H1696 unto him, saying, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 In the place H4725 where dogs H3611 licked H3952 the blood H1818 of Naboth H5022 shall dogs H3611 lick H3952 thy blood, H1818 even thine. And Ahab H256 said H559 to Elijah, H452 Hast thou found H4672 me, O mine enemy? H341 And he answered, H559 I have found H4672 thee: because thou hast sold H4376 thyself to work H6213 evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD. H3068
And Saul H7586 went H3212 on this side H6654 of the mountain, H2022 and David H1732 and his men H582 on that side H6654 of the mountain: H2022 and David H1732 made haste H2648 to get away H3212 for fear H6440 of Saul; H7586 for Saul H7586 and his men H582 compassed H5849 David H1732 and his men H582 round about H5849 to take H8610 them. But there came H935 a messenger H4397 unto Saul, H7586 saying, H559 Haste H4116 thee, and come; H3212 for the Philistines H6430 have invaded H6584 the land. H776 Wherefore Saul H7586 returned H7725 from pursuing H7291 after H310 David, H1732 and went H3212 against H7125 the Philistines: H6430 therefore they called H7121 that place H4725 Selahammahlekoth. H5555
And Saul H7586 sought H1245 to smite H5221 David H1732 even to the wall H7023 with the javelin; H2595 but he slipped away H6362 out of Saul's H7586 presence, H6440 and he smote H5221 the javelin H2595 into the wall: H7023 and David H1732 fled, H5127 and escaped H4422 that night. H3915 Saul H7586 also sent H7971 messengers H4397 unto David's H1732 house, H1004 to watch H8104 him, and to slay H4191 him in the morning: H1242 and Michal H4324 David's H1732 wife H802 told H5046 him, saying, H559 If thou save H4422 not thy life H5315 to night, H3915 to morrow H4279 thou shalt be slain. H4191 So Michal H4324 let H3381 David H1732 down H3381 through a window: H2474 and he went, H3212 and fled, H1272 and escaped. H4422 And Michal H4324 took H3947 an image, H8655 and laid H7760 it in the bed, H4296 and put H7760 a pillow H3523 of goats' H5795 hair for his bolster, H4763 and covered H3680 it with a cloth. H899 And when Saul H7586 sent H7971 messengers H4397 to take H3947 David, H1732 she said, H559 He is sick. H2470 And Saul H7586 sent H7971 the messengers H4397 again to see H7200 David, H1732 saying, H559 Bring him up H5927 to me in the bed, H4296 that I may slay H4191 him.
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,