2 Samuel 12

King James Version

Full text for 2 Samuel Chapter 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.

2The rich [man] had exceeding many flocks and herds:

3But 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.

4And 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.

5And 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:

6And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

7And 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;

8And 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.

9Wherefore 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.

10Now 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.

11Thus 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.

12For thou didst [it] secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

13And 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.

14Howbeit, 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.

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.

16David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

17And 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.

18And 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?

19But 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.

20Then 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.

21Then 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.

22And 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?

23But 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.

24And 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.

25And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.

26¶ And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

27And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.

28Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.

29And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

30And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof [was] a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was [set] on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.

31And he brought forth the people that [were] therein, and put [them] under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The prophet Nathan confronts King David with a parable concerning a rich man who stole a poor man's lamb, leading David to condemn the man. Nathan then declares, "Thou art the man," revealing David's sin in taking Bathsheba and killing Uriah. The Lord pronounces judgment, stating that the sword shall not depart from David's house and that the child born of Bathsheba shall die. David repents, and though his life is spared, the child falls ill and dies, after which David comforts Bathsheba, who bears Solomon.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with the prophet Nathan delivering a parable to King David about a wealthy man who unjustly took and slaughtered a poor man's only ewe lamb. David, angered by the injustice, declares that the man deserves death and must restore the lamb fourfold. Nathan then dramatically reveals that David himself is the man, accusing him of despising the Lord's commandment by taking Uriah's wife and orchestrating Uriah's death. As a consequence, the Lord declares that the sword will never depart from David's house, evil will arise from within his own household, and his wives will be publicly shamed. David immediately confesses his sin, and Nathan assures him that the Lord has put away his sin, so he shall not die; however, because David gave occasion for the Lord's enemies to blaspheme, the child born to Bathsheba falls ill and dies. After a period of intense fasting and prayer for the child, David accepts its death, worships the Lord, and comforts Bathsheba, who subsequently bears a son named Solomon, whom the Lord loved and called Jedidiah. The chapter concludes with David leading the final assault on Rabbah, taking the city, and dealing severely with its inhabitants.

Long Summary

The chapter begins with the prophet Nathan being sent by the Lord to confront King David. Nathan presents a parable of two men in a city: one rich with many flocks, and one poor with only a single, beloved ewe lamb. When a traveler came to the rich man, he refused to take from his own abundance but instead seized and prepared the poor man's lamb. David's anger was greatly kindled, and he swore by the Lord that the man deserved death and must restore the lamb fourfold for his lack of pity. Nathan then directly confronted David, declaring, "Thou art the man," and recounted how the Lord had greatly blessed David by anointing him king, delivering him from Saul, and giving him Saul's house and wives, promising even more if it had been too little. Nathan then accused David of despising the Lord's commandment by killing Uriah the Hittite with the sword and taking his wife, Bathsheba, to be his own. As a consequence, the Lord pronounced severe judgments: the sword would never depart from David's house, evil would be raised against him from within his own household, and his wives would be taken and publicly shamed. David immediately confessed, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan then declared that the Lord had put away his sin, and David would not die; however, because his deed had given great occasion for the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child born to Bathsheba would surely die. The Lord then struck the child, and it became very sick. David earnestly besought God for the child, fasting and lying on the earth for seven days. When the child died, David's servants feared to tell him, but David perceived it and, upon confirmation, arose, washed, anointed himself, changed his apparel, worshipped in the house of the Lord, and then ate. He explained his actions, stating he fasted while the child lived in hope of God's grace, but once dead, fasting was futile as he could not bring the child back. David then comforted Bathsheba, and she bore another son, whom David named Solomon, and the Lord loved him, sending Nathan to name him Jedidiah. The chapter concludes with Joab's successful siege of Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and his summons for David to personally take the city. David gathered the people, took Rabbah, claimed its king's crown, and brought forth abundant spoil, subjecting the inhabitants to severe labor.

Core Concepts

  • Nathan's ParableThe prophet Nathan uses a story of a rich man stealing a poor man's ewe lamb to illustrate David's sin, provoking David's righteous indignation against the fictional wrongdoer.
  • Divine RebukeNathan's direct accusation, "Thou art the man," serves as God's powerful confrontation of David's adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, exposing his hidden transgressions.
  • Consequences of SinThe Lord pronounces specific judgments upon David's house, including the perpetual presence of the sword, internal family strife, public shame for his wives, and the death of the child born of Bathsheba, as a direct result of his actions.
  • David's RepentanceUpon hearing Nathan's rebuke and the Lord's judgment, David immediately confesses, "I have sinned against the LORD," demonstrating a contrite heart and accepting responsibility for his actions.
  • Grief and AcceptanceDavid's intense fasting and prayer for his sick child highlight his deep sorrow and hope for divine mercy, followed by a composed acceptance of the child's death and a return to worship and daily life.
  • Solomon's BirthAfter the death of their first child, Bathsheba bears another son named Solomon, whom the Lord loved and through Nathan, named Jedidiah, signifying a new beginning and divine favor for David's lineage.
  • War's ConclusionThe chapter concludes with David personally leading the final assault on Rabbah, taking the Ammonite capital, seizing its treasures, and subjecting its inhabitants to harsh treatment, concluding the campaign.