12:1 And the LORD sent a 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.
(a) Because David lay now drowned in sin, the loving mercy
of God which does not allow his own to perish, wakes
his conscience by this story and brings him to
repentance.
12:8 And I gave thee thy master's b house, and thy master's
c 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 d such and such things.
(b) For David succeeded Saul in his kingdom.
(c) The Jews take this to be Eglah and Michal, or Rizpah
and Michal.
(d) That is, greater things than these: for God's love and
benefits increase toward his own, if they do not hinder
him by their ingratitude.
12:9 Wherefore 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 e children of
Ammon.
(e) You have most cruelly given him into the hands of God's
enemies.
12:11 Thus 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 f sun.
(f) Meaning openly, at noon.
12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the
LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath g
put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
(g) For the Lord seeks the sinner to turn to him.
12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great
occasion to the enemies of the LORD to h blaspheme, the
child also [that is] born unto thee shall surely die.
(h) In saying, that the Lord has appointed a wicked man to
reign over his people.
12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David
fasted, and i went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
(i) That is, to his private chamber.
12:17 And 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 k bread with them.
(k) Thinking by his constant prayer that God would have
restored his child, but God had determined otherwise.
12:20 Then David l 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.
(l) Showing that our lamentations should not be excessive,
but moderate: and that we must praise God in all his
doings.
12:21 Then m 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.
(m) As they who did not consider that God grants many
things to the sobs and tears of the faithful.
12:23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? n can I
bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not
return to me.
(n) By this consideration he appeased his sorrow.
12:24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto
her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and o he
called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
12:25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the p prophet; and q
he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
(p) To call him Solomon.
(q) Meaning, David.
12:27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought
against Rabbah, and have taken the city of r waters.
(r) That is, the chief city and where all the water pipes
are, is as good as taken.
12:30 And he took their king's crown from off his head, the
weight whereof [was] a s 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.
(s) That is, 60 pounds after the weight of the common
talent.
12:31 And he brought forth the people that [were] therein, and
put [them] under t 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.
(t) Signifying that as they were malicious enemies of God,
so he put them to cruel death.
