2 Samuel 12

Chapter 12 of 2 Samuel stands in the middle of the book, which recounts the reign of King David. In 2 Samuel 11, David lay with Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah killed in battle; this chapter continues with God's rebuke of that deed and its consequences.

Outline

• Verses 1–6 Nathan tells of a rich man with many flocks and herds who took a poor man's only ewe lamb. David, greatly angered, declares that the man deserves to die and must restore the lamb fourfold.
• Verses 7–12 Nathan says, "Thou art the man," and delivers God's rebuke. He declares that the sword shall never depart from David's house and that David's wives will be given to another in broad daylight.
• Verses 13–14 David confesses his sin. Nathan tells him that his sin has been put away and that he will not die, but that the child born to him will die.
• Verses 15–23 When the child falls ill, David fasts and lies upon the ground, pleading with God. When the child dies on the seventh day, David rises, washes, worships, and then eats.
• Verses 24–25 Bathsheba gives birth to Solomon. God sends Nathan, who gives the child the name Jedidiah.
• Verses 26–31 Joab, besieging Rabbah, summons David, and David takes the city. David wears the king's crown (weighing a talent of gold), puts the Ammonite people to forced labor, and returns to Jerusalem.

Key Verses

• 2 Samuel 12:7 "Thou art the man." The prophet's words, which use a parable to expose the king's sin directly.
• 2 Samuel 12:13 "I have sinned against the LORD." David's confession, in which he acknowledges his sin without excuse.
• 2 Samuel 12:23 "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." These words reveal David's grief over the loss of his child and his attitude toward death.

Characters and Places

• Nathan: A prophet of David's time who in this chapter rebukes the king and conveys the name given to Solomon.
• David: The king of Israel.
• Uriah: A Hittite and the husband of Bathsheba; he was killed in battle in chapter 11.
• Bathsheba: Formerly the wife of Uriah, she became David's wife. In this chapter she is called by name again for the first time.
• Solomon: The son of David and Bathsheba. The name Jedidiah means "beloved of the LORD."
• Joab: The commander of David's army.
• Rabbah: The royal city of the children of Ammon, which the text also calls "the city of waters."
• Jerusalem: David's capital.

Points for Reflection

• Forgiveness and consequences: Verses 13–14 declare that David's sin is forgiven while also foretelling the child's death and calamity upon David's house. Interpreters explain the relationship between forgiveness and the consequences of sin in differing ways. The prediction in verses 10–12 is understood to be fulfilled in later events such as the rebellion of Absalom (2 Samuel 16:22).
• The meaning of verse 23: Some interpret "I shall go to him" as expressing hope of reunion after death. Others take it to mean only that David himself will eventually die and go to the grave (Sheol).
• Translation of verses 30–31: Some translations render "their king" in verse 30 as Milcom, the name of the Ammonite god. Following older translations, verse 31 was at times read as describing the torture of captives, but the Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version render it as forced labor. The parallel passage is found in 1 Chronicles 20.
• The Psalms and the New Testament: The superscription of Psalm 51 states that it was composed when Nathan came to David. The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 refers to Solomon's mother as "her that had been the wife of Urias."

In the Korean Church

Nathan's parable and the words "Thou art the man" are frequently cited in sermons on repentance and the confession of sin. The chapter is often read together with Psalm 51.