CHAPTER 12
. NATHAN'S
PARABLE.
1. the Lord sent Nathan unto
David—The use of parables is a favorite style of speaking among
Oriental people, especially in the conveyance of unwelcome truth.
This exquisitely pathetic parable was founded on a common custom of
pastoral people who have pet lambs, which they bring up with their
children, and which they address in terms of endearment. The atrocity
of the real, however, far exceeded that of the fictitious offense.
5. the man that hath done this thing
shall surely die—This punishment was more severe than the case
deserved, or than was warranted by the divine statute (). The sympathies of the king had been deeply enlisted, his
indignation aroused, but his conscience was still asleep; and at the
time when he was most fatally indulgent to his own sins, he was most
ready to condemn the delinquencies and errors of others.
. HE APPLIES
IT TO DAVID,
WHO CONFESSES
HIS SIN,
AND IS PARDONED.
7. Nathan said to David, Thou art
the man—These awful words pierced his heart, aroused his
conscience, and brought him to his knees. The sincerity and depth of
his penitent sorrow are evinced by the Psalms he composed (Psalms 32:1-11;
Psalms 51:1-19; Psalms 103:1-22).
He was pardoned, so far as related to the restoration of the divine
favor. But as from his high character for piety, and his eminent rank
in society, his deplorable fall was calculated to do great injury to
the cause of religion, it was necessary that God should testify His
abhorrence of sin by leaving even His own servant to reap the bitter
temporal fruits. David was not himself doomed, according to his own
view of what justice demanded (Psalms 103:1-19); but he had to suffer a quadruple expiation in the
successive deaths of four sons, besides a lengthened train of other
evils.
8. I gave thee thy master's house,
and thy master's wives—The phraseology means nothing more than
that God in His providence had given David, as king of Israel,
everything that was Saul's. The history furnishes conclusive evidence
that he never actually married any of the wives of Saul. But the
harem of the preceding king belongs, according to Oriental notions,
as a part of the regalia to his successor.
11. I will raise up evil against
thee out of thine own house, &c.—The prophet speaks of God
threatening to do what He only permitted to be done. The fact is,
that David's loss of character by the discovery of his crimes,
tended, in the natural course of things, to diminish the respect of
his family, to weaken the authority of his government, and to
encourage the prevalence of many disorders throughout his kingdom.
15-23. the Lord struck the child . .
. and it was very sick—The first visible chastisement inflicted
on David appeared on the person of that child which was the evidence
and monument of his guilt. His domestics were surprised at his
conduct, and in explanation of its singularity, it is necessary to
remark that the custom in the East is to leave the nearest relative
of a deceased person to the full and undisturbed indulgence of his
grief, till on the third or fourth day at farthest (). Then the other relatives and friends visit him, invite
him to eat, lead him to a bath, and bring him a change of dress,
which is necessary from his having sat or lain on the ground. The
surprise of David's servants, then, who had seen his bitter anguish
while the child was sick, arose apparently from this, that when he
found it was dead, he who had so deeply lamented arose of himself
from the earth, without waiting for their coming to him, immediately
bathed and anointed himself, instead of appearing as a mourner, and
after worshiping God with solemnity, returned to his wonted repast,
without any interposition of others.
2 Samuel 12:24;
2 Samuel 12:25. SOLOMON
IS BORN.
24, 25. Bath-sheba . . . bare a son,
and he called his name Solomon—that is, "peaceable."
But Nathan gave him the name of Jedediah, by command of God, or
perhaps only as an expression of God's love. This love and the noble
gifts with which he was endowed, considering the criminality of the
marriage from which he sprang, is a remarkable instance of divine
goodness and grace.
. RABBAH IS
TAKEN.
26. Joab fought against Rabbah—The
time during which this siege lasted, since the intercourse with
Bath-sheba, and the birth of at least one child, if not two, occurred
during the progress of it, probably extended over two years.
27. the city of waters—Rabbah,
like Aroer, was divided into two parts—one the lower town,
insulated by the winding course of the Jabbok, which flowed almost
round it, and the upper and stronger town, called the royal city.
"The first was taken by Joab, but the honor of capturing so
strongly a fortified place as the other was an honor reserved for the
king himself."
28. encamp against the city, and
take it—It has always been characteristic of Oriental despots
to monopolize military honors; and as the ancient world knew nothing
of the modern refinement of kings gaining victories by their
generals, so Joab sent for David to command the final assault in
person. A large force was levied for the purpose. David without much
difficulty captured the royal city and obtained possession of its
immense wealth.
lest I take the city, and it
be called after my name—The circumstance of a city receiving a
new name after some great person, as Alexandria, Constantinople,
Hyderabad, is of frequent occurrence in the ancient and modern
history of the East.
30. he took their king's crown from
off his head—While the treasures of the city were given as
plunder to his soldiers, David reserved to himself the crown, which
was of rarest value. Its great weight makes it probable that it was
like many ancient crowns, not worn, but suspended over the head, or
fixed on a canopy on the top of the throne.
the precious stones—Hebrew,
"stone"; was a round ball composed of pearls and other
jewels, which was in the crown, and probably taken out of it to be
inserted in David's own crown.
31. he brought forth the people . .
. and put them under saws, c.—This excessive severity and
employment of tortures, which the Hebrews on no other occasion are
recorded to have practised, was an act of retributive justice on a
people who were infamous for their cruelties (1 Samuel 11:2
Amos 1:13).
CHAPTER 12
. NATHAN'S PARABLE.
1. the Lord sent Nathan unto David—The use of parables is a favorite style of speaking among Oriental people, especially in the conveyance of unwelcome truth. This exquisitely pathetic parable was founded on a common custom of pastoral people who have pet lambs, which they bring up with their children, and which they address in terms of endearment. The atrocity of the real, however, far exceeded that of the fictitious offense.
5. the man that hath done this thing shall surely die—This punishment was more severe than the case deserved, or than was warranted by the divine statute (). The sympathies of the king had been deeply enlisted, his indignation aroused, but his conscience was still asleep; and at the time when he was most fatally indulgent to his own sins, he was most ready to condemn the delinquencies and errors of others.
. HE APPLIES IT TO DAVID, WHO CONFESSES HIS SIN, AND IS PARDONED.
7. Nathan said to David, Thou art the man—These awful words pierced his heart, aroused his conscience, and brought him to his knees. The sincerity and depth of his penitent sorrow are evinced by the Psalms he composed (Psalms 32:1-11; Psalms 51:1-19; Psalms 103:1-22). He was pardoned, so far as related to the restoration of the divine favor. But as from his high character for piety, and his eminent rank in society, his deplorable fall was calculated to do great injury to the cause of religion, it was necessary that God should testify His abhorrence of sin by leaving even His own servant to reap the bitter temporal fruits. David was not himself doomed, according to his own view of what justice demanded (Psalms 103:1-19); but he had to suffer a quadruple expiation in the successive deaths of four sons, besides a lengthened train of other evils.
8. I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives—The phraseology means nothing more than that God in His providence had given David, as king of Israel, everything that was Saul's. The history furnishes conclusive evidence that he never actually married any of the wives of Saul. But the harem of the preceding king belongs, according to Oriental notions, as a part of the regalia to his successor.
11. I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, &c.—The prophet speaks of God threatening to do what He only permitted to be done. The fact is, that David's loss of character by the discovery of his crimes, tended, in the natural course of things, to diminish the respect of his family, to weaken the authority of his government, and to encourage the prevalence of many disorders throughout his kingdom.
15-23. the Lord struck the child . . . and it was very sick—The first visible chastisement inflicted on David appeared on the person of that child which was the evidence and monument of his guilt. His domestics were surprised at his conduct, and in explanation of its singularity, it is necessary to remark that the custom in the East is to leave the nearest relative of a deceased person to the full and undisturbed indulgence of his grief, till on the third or fourth day at farthest (). Then the other relatives and friends visit him, invite him to eat, lead him to a bath, and bring him a change of dress, which is necessary from his having sat or lain on the ground. The surprise of David's servants, then, who had seen his bitter anguish while the child was sick, arose apparently from this, that when he found it was dead, he who had so deeply lamented arose of himself from the earth, without waiting for their coming to him, immediately bathed and anointed himself, instead of appearing as a mourner, and after worshiping God with solemnity, returned to his wonted repast, without any interposition of others.
2 Samuel 12:24; 2 Samuel 12:25. SOLOMON IS BORN.
24, 25. Bath-sheba . . . bare a son, and he called his name Solomon—that is, "peaceable." But Nathan gave him the name of Jedediah, by command of God, or perhaps only as an expression of God's love. This love and the noble gifts with which he was endowed, considering the criminality of the marriage from which he sprang, is a remarkable instance of divine goodness and grace.
. RABBAH IS TAKEN.
26. Joab fought against Rabbah—The time during which this siege lasted, since the intercourse with Bath-sheba, and the birth of at least one child, if not two, occurred during the progress of it, probably extended over two years.
27. the city of waters—Rabbah, like Aroer, was divided into two parts—one the lower town, insulated by the winding course of the Jabbok, which flowed almost round it, and the upper and stronger town, called the royal city. "The first was taken by Joab, but the honor of capturing so strongly a fortified place as the other was an honor reserved for the king himself."
28. encamp against the city, and take it—It has always been characteristic of Oriental despots to monopolize military honors; and as the ancient world knew nothing of the modern refinement of kings gaining victories by their generals, so Joab sent for David to command the final assault in person. A large force was levied for the purpose. David without much difficulty captured the royal city and obtained possession of its immense wealth.
lest I take the city, and it be called after my name—The circumstance of a city receiving a new name after some great person, as Alexandria, Constantinople, Hyderabad, is of frequent occurrence in the ancient and modern history of the East.
30. he took their king's crown from off his head—While the treasures of the city were given as plunder to his soldiers, David reserved to himself the crown, which was of rarest value. Its great weight makes it probable that it was like many ancient crowns, not worn, but suspended over the head, or fixed on a canopy on the top of the throne.
the precious stones—Hebrew, "stone"; was a round ball composed of pearls and other jewels, which was in the crown, and probably taken out of it to be inserted in David's own crown.
31. he brought forth the people . . . and put them under saws, c.—This excessive severity and employment of tortures, which the Hebrews on no other occasion are recorded to have practised, was an act of retributive justice on a people who were infamous for their cruelties (1 Samuel 11:2 Amos 1:13).