Text -- 2 Samuel 12:3 (NET)

12:3 But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children. It used to eat his food, drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms. It was just like a daughter to him.

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Wesley: 2Sa 12:3

As men then used to buy their wives: or, had procured.

Clarke: 2Sa 12:3

And lay in his bosom - This can only mean that this lamb was what we call a pet or favourite in the family, else the circumstance would be very unnatural, and most likely would have prevented David from making the application which he did, as otherwise it would have appeared absurd. It is the only part of this parable which is at variance with nature and fact.

TSK: 2Sa 12:3

one little : 2Sa 11:3; Pro 5:18, Pro 5:19

meat : Heb. morsel

lay in his : Deu 13:6; Mic 7:5

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Poole: 2Sa 12:3

The poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb designing Uriah, with his own and only wife. Which he had bought; as men then used to buy their wives; or, had procured. Lay in his bosom; which David might take for hyperbolical expressions of his tender care of and affection to it; although there want not instances of some who have treated such brute creatures in this manner.

Haydock: 2Sa 12:3

Daughter. All these expressions tended to shew the affection of the owner for this pet lamb. (Haydock) ---

In Arabia, one of the finest is commonly fed in the house along with the children. (Bochart, Anim. T. i. B. ii. 46.) ---

It is not necessary that every word of this parable should have been verified in Bethsabee. (Calmet) ---

Many things are usually added for ornament. (Menochius) ---

Yet she had been treated in the most tender manner by her husband, who had her alone, while David had eighteen wives. (Haydock)

Gill: 2Sa 12:3

But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb,.... Uriah had but one wife, who was much younger than he, called a lamb, an ewe lamb, a little one. Abarbinel thinks Uriah had been a widower; and had children by another wife, supposed in the parable, and was much older than Bathsheba:

which he had bought; for men in those times and countries did not receive portions with their wives, but gave dowries to them, and for them:

and nourished up; as his own flesh, as husbands should their wives, Eph 5:29,

and it grew up together with him, and with his children; which Kimchi also supposes Uriah had by a former wife:

it did eat of his own meat, and drink of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter; all which are expressive of the care, kindness, love, and tenderness of a loving husband, whose affections are endeared to his wife, making her partaker of all he has, and to share in whatever he eats and drinks, and in his dearest embraces; and as there were instances of creatures, lambs and others, particularly tame or pet lambs, used in this way in a literal sense, to which the reference in the parable is, David had no suspicion of its being a parable. Bochart ^q has given many instances of creatures nourished and brought up in such a familiar manner.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 2Sa 12:3

¹ tn Heb “his sons.”

² tn The three Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in this sentence have a customary nuance; they describe past actions that were repeated or typical.

³ tn Heb “from his morsel.”

⁴ tn Heb “and on his chest [or perhaps, “lap”] it would lay.”

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: 2Sa 12:1-31

1 Nathan's parable of the ewe lamb causes David to be his own judge.

7 David, reproved by Nathan, confesses his sin, and is pardoned.

15 David mourns and prays for the child while it lives.

24 Solomon is born, and named Jedidiah.

26 David takes Rabbah, and tortures the people thereof.

MHCC: 2Sa 12:1-14

God will not suffer his people to lie still in sin. By this parable Nathan drew from David a sentence against himself. Great need there is of prudence in giving reproofs. In his application, he was faithful. He says in plain terms, Thou art the man. God shows how much he hates sin, even in his own people; and wherever he finds it, he will not let it go unpunished. David says not a word to excuse himself or make light of his sin, but freely owns it. When David said, I have sinned, and Nathan perceived that he was a true penitent, he assured him his sin was forgiven. Thou shalt not die: that is, not die eternally, nor be for ever put away from God, as thou wouldest have been, if thou hadst not put away the sin. Though thou shalt all thy days be chastened of the Lord, yet thou shalt not be condemned with the world. There is this great evil in the sins of those who profess religion and relation to God, that they furnish the enemies of God and religion with matter for reproach and blasphemy. And it appears from David's case, that even where pardon is obtained, the Lord will visit the transgression of his people with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. For one momentary gratification of a vile lust, David had to endure many days and years of extreme distress.

Matthew Henry: 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 (2Sa 12:14), 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, Psa 51:12, Psa 51:15. Let us observe,

I. The messenger God sent to him. We were told by the last words of the foregoing chapter that the thing David had done displeased the Lord, upon which, one would think, it should have followed that the Lord sent enemies to invade him, terrors to take hold on him, and the messengers of death to arrest him. No, he sent a prophet to him - Nathan, his faithful friend and confidant, to instruct and counsel him, 2Sa 12:1. David did not send for Nathan (though he had never had so much occasion as he had now for his confessor), but God sent Nathan to David. Note, Though God may suffer his people to fall into sin, he will not suffer them to lie still in it. He went on frowardly in the way of his heart, and if left to himself, would have wandered endlessly, but (saith God) I have seen his ways, and will heal him, Isa 57:17, Isa 57:18. He sends after us before we seek after him, else we should certainly be lost. Nathan was the prophet by whom God had sent him notice of his kind intentions towards him (2Sa 7:4), and now, by the same hand, he sends him this message of wrath. God's word in the mouth of his ministers must be received, whether it speak terror or comfort. Nathan was obedient to the heavenly vision, and went on God's errand to David. He did not say, "David has sinned, I will not come near him."No; count him not an enemy, but admonish him as a brother, 2Th 3:15. He did not say, "David is a king, I dare not reprove him."No; if God sends him, he sets his face like a flint, Isa 50:7.

II. The message Nathan delivered to him, in order to his conviction.

1. He fetched a compass with a parable, which seemed to David as a complaint made to him by Nathan against one of his subjects that had wronged his poor neighbour, in order to his redressing the injury and punishing the injurious. Nathan, it is likely, used to come to him upon such errands, which made this the less suspected. It becomes those who have interest in princes, and have free access to them, to intercede for those that are wronged, that they may have justice done them. (1.) Nathan represented to David a grievous injury which a rich man had done to an honest neighbour that was not able to contend with him: The rich man had many flocks and herds (2Sa 12:2); the poor man had one lamb only; so unequally is the world divided; and yet infinite wisdom, righteousness, and goodness, make the distribution, that the rich may learn charity and the poor contentment. This poor man had but one lamb, a ewe-lamb, a little ewe-lamb, having not wherewithal to buy or keep more. But it was a cade -lamb (as we call it); it grew up with his children, 2Sa 12:3. He was fond of it, and it was familiar with him at all times. The rich man, having occasion for a lamb to entertain a friend with, took the poor man's lamb from him by violence and made use of that (2Sa 12:4), either out of covetousness, because he grudged to make use of his own, or rather out of luxury, because he fancied the lamb that was thus tenderly kept, and ate and drank like a child, must needs be more delicate food than any of his own and have a better relish. (2.) In this he showed him the evil of the sin he had been guilty of in defiling Bath-sheba. He had many wives and concubines, whom he kept at a distance, as rich men keep their flocks in their fields. Had he had but one, and had she been dear to him, as the ewe-lamb was to its owner, had she been dear to him as the loving hind and the pleasant roe, her breasts would have satisfied him at all times, and he would have looked no further, Pro 5:19. Marriage is a remedy against fornication, but marrying many is not; for, when once the law of unity is transgressed, the indulged lust will hardly stint itself. Uriah, like the poor man, had only one wife, who was to him as his own soul, and always lay in his bosom, for he had no other, he desired no other, to lie there. The traveller or wayfaring man was, as bishop Patrick explains it from the Jewish writers, the evil imagination, disposition, or desire, which came into David's heart, which he might have satisfied with some of his own, yet nothing would serve but Uriah's darling. They observe that this evil disposition is called a traveller, for in the beginning it is only so, but, in time, it becomes a guest, and, in conclusion, is master of the house. For he that is called a traveller in the beginning of the verse is called a man ( ish - a husband) in the close of it. Yet some observe that in David's breast lust was but as a wayfaring man that tarries only for a night; it did not constantly dwell and rule there. (3.) By this parable he drew from David a sentence against himself. For David supposing it to be a case in fact, and not doubting the truth of it when he had it from Nathan himself, gave judgment immediately against the offender, and confirmed it with an oath, 2Sa 12:5, 2Sa 12:6. [1.] That, for his injustice in taking away the lamb, he should restore four-fold, according to the law (Exo 22:1), four sheep for a sheep. [2.] That for his tyranny and cruelty, and the pleasure he took in abusing a poor man, he should be put to death. If a poor man steal from a rich man, to satisfy his soul when he is hungry, he shall make restitution, though it cost him all the substance of his house, Pro 6:30, Pro 6:31 (and Solomon there compares the sin of adultery with that, Pro 6:32); but if a rich man steal for stealing sake, not for want but wantonness, merely that he may be imperious and vexatious, he deserves to die for it, for to him the making of restitution is no punishment, or next to none. If the sentence be thought too severe, it must be imputed to the present roughness of David's temper, being under guilt, and not having himself as yet received mercy.

2. He closed in with him, at length, in the application of the parable. In beginning with a parable he showed his prudence, and great need there is of prudence in giving reproofs. It is well managed if, as here, the offender can be brought ere he is aware, to convict and condemn himself. But here, in his application, he shows his faithfulness, and deals as plainly and roundly with king David himself as if he had been a common person. In plain terms, " Thou art the man who hast done this wrong, and a much greater, to thy neighbour; and therefore, by thy own sentence, thou deservest to die, and shalt be judged out of thy own mouth. Did he deserve to die who took his neighbour's lamb? and dost not thou who hast taken thy neighbour's wife? Though he took the lamb, he did not cause the owner thereof to lose his life, as thou hast done, and therefore much more art thou worthy to die."Now he speaks immediately from God, and in his name. He begins with, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, a name sacred and venerable to David, and which commanded his attention. Nathan now speaks, not as a petitioner for a poor man, but as an ambassador from the great God, with whom is no respect of persons.

(1.) God, by Nathan, reminds David of the great things he had done and designed for him, anointing him to be king, and preserving him to the kingdom (Pro 6:7), giving him power over the house and household of his predecessor, and of others that had been his masters, Nabal for one. He had given him the house of Israel and Judah. The wealth of the kingdom was at his service and every body was willing to oblige him. Nay, he was ready to bestow any thing upon him to make him easy: I would have given thee such and such things, Pro 6:8. See how liberal God is in his gifts; we are not straitened in him. Where he has given much, yet he gives more. And God's bounty to us is a great aggravation of our discontent and desire of forbidden fruit. It is ungrateful to covet what God has prohibited, while we have liberty to pray for what God has promised, and that is enough.

(2.) He charges him with a high contempt of the divine authority, in the sins he had been guilty of: Wherefore hast thou (presuming upon thy royal dignity and power) despised the commandment of the Lord? Pro 6:9. This is the spring and this is the malignity of sin, that it is making light of the divine law and the law-maker; as if the obligation of it were weak, the precepts of it trifling, and the threats not at all formidable. Though no man ever wrote more honourably of the law of God than David did, yet, in this instance, he is justly charged with a contempt of it. His adultery with Bath-sheba, which began the mischief, is not mentioned, perhaps because he was already convinced of that, but, [1.] The murder of Uriah is twice mentioned: " Thou hast killed Uriah with the sword, though not with thy sword, yet, which is equally heinous, with thy pen, by ordering him to be set in the forefront of the battle."Those that contrive wickedness and command it are as truly guilty of it as those that execute it. It is repeated with an aggravation: Thou hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon, those uncircumcised enemies of God and Israel. [2.] The marrying of Bath-sheba is likewise twice mentioned, because he thought there was no harm in that (Pro 6:9): Thou hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and again, Pro 6:10. To marry her whom he had before defiled, and whose husband he had slain, was an affront upon the ordinance of marriage, making that not only to palliate, but in a manner to consecrate, such villanies. In all this he despised the word of the Lord (so it is in the Hebrew), not only his commandment in general which forbade such things, but the particular word of promise which God had, by Nathan, sent to him some time before, that he would build him a house. If he had had a due value and veneration for this sacred promise, he would not thus have polluted his house with lust and blood.

(3.) He threatens an entail of judgements upon his family for this sin (Pro 6:10): " The sword shall never depart from thy house, not in thy time nor afterwards, but, for the most part, thou and thy posterity shall be engaged in war."Or it points at the slaughters that should be among his children, Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah, all falling by the sword. God had promised that his mercy should not depart from him and his house (Pro 7:15), yet here threatens that the sword should not depart. Can the mercy and the sword consist with each other? Yes, those may lie under great and long afflictions who yet shall not be excluded from the grace of the covenant. The reason given is, Because thou hast despised me. Note, Those who despise the word and law of God despise God himself and shall be lightly esteemed. It is particularly threatened, [1.] That his children should be his grief: I will raise up evil against thee out of thy own house. Sin brings trouble into a family, and one sin is often made the punishment of another. [2.] That his wives should be his shame, that by an unparalleled piece of villany they should be publicly debauched before all Israel, Pro 6:11, Pro 6:12. It is not said that this should be done by his own son, lest the accomplishment should have been hindered by the prediction being too plain; but it was done by Absalom, at the counsel of Ahithophel, Pro 16:21, Pro 16:22. He that defiled his neighbour's wife should have his own defiled, for thus that sin used to be punished, as appears by Job's imprecation, Job 31:10, Then let my wife grind unto another, and that threatening, Hos 4:14. The sin was secret, and industriously concealed, but the punishment should be open, and industriously proclaimed, to the shame of David, whose sin in the matter of Uriah, though committed many years before, would then be called to mind and commonly talked of upon that occasion. As face answers to face in a glass, so does the punishment often answer to the sin; here is blood for blood and uncleanness for uncleanness. And thus God would show how much he hates sin, even in his own people, and that, wherever he find it, he will not let it go unpunished.

3. David's penitent confession of his sin hereupon. He says not a word to excuse himself or extenuate his sin, but freely owns it: I have sinned against the Lord, 2Sa 12:13. It is probable that he said more to this purport; but this is enough to show that he was truly humbled by what Nathan said, and submitted to the conviction. He owns his guilt - I have sinned, and aggravates it - It was against the Lord: on this string he harps in the psalm he penned on this occasion. Psa 51:1, Against thee, thee only, have I sinned.

4. His pardon declared, upon this penitent confession, but with a proviso. When David said I have sinned, and Nathan perceived that he was a true penitent,

(1.) He did, in God's name, assure him that his sin was forgiven: " The Lord also has put away thy sin out of the sight of his avenging eye; thou shalt not die, "that is, "not die eternally, nor be for ever put away from God, as thou wouldest have been if he had not put away the sin."The obligation to punishment is hereby cancelled and vacated. He shall not come into condemnation: that is the nature of forgiveness. "Thy iniquity shall not be thy everlasting ruin. The sword shall not depart from thy house, but, [1.] It shall not cut thee off, thou shalt come to thy grave in peace."David deserved to die as an adulterer and murderer, but God would not cut him off as he might justly have done. [2.] "Though thou shalt all thy days be chastened of the Lord, yet thou shalt not be condemned with the world. "See how ready God is to forgive sin. To this instance, perhaps, David refers, Psa 32:5, I said, I will confess, and thou forgavest. Let not great sinners despair of finding mercy with God if they truly repent; for who is a God like unto him, pardoning iniquity?

(2.) Yet he pronounces a sentence of death upon the child, 2Sa 12:14. Behold the sovereignty of God! The guilty parent lives, and the guiltless infant dies; but all souls are his, and he may, in what way he pleases, glorify himself in his creatures. [1.] David had, by his sin, wronged God in his honour; he had given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. The wicked people of that generation, the infidels, idolaters, and profane, would triumph in David's fall, and speak ill of God and of his law, when they saw one guilty of such foul enormities that professed such an honour both for him and it. "These are your professors! This is he that prays and sings psalms, and is so very devout! What good can there be in such exercises, if they will not restrain men from adultery and murder?"They would say, "Was not Saul rejected for a less matter? why then must David live and reign still?"not considering that God sees not as man sees, but searches the heart. To this day there are those who reproach God, and are hardened in sin, through the example of David. Now, though it is true that none have any just reason to speak ill of God, or of his word and ways, for David's sake, and it is their sin that do so, yet he shall be reckoned with that laid the stumbling-block in their way, and gave, though not cause, yet colour, for the reproach. Note, There is this great evil in the scandalous sins of those that profess religion, and relation to God, that they furnish the enemies of God and religion with matter for reproach and blasphemy, Rom 2:24. [2.] God will therefore vindicate his honour by showing his displeasure against David for this sin, and letting the world see that though he loves David he hates his sin; and he chooses to do it by the death of the child. The landlord may distrain on any part of the premises where he pleases. Perhaps the diseases and deaths of infants were not so common in those days as they are now, which might make this, as an unusual thing, the more evident token of God's displeasure; according to the word he had often said, that he would visit the sins of the fathers upon the children.

Keil-Delitzsch: 2Sa 12:1-14

2Sa 12:1-4

Nathan's Reproof. - 2Sa 12:1. To ensure the success of his mission, viz., to charge the king with his crimes, Nathan resorted to a parable by which he led on the king to pronounce sentence of death upon himself. The parable is a very simple one, and drawn from life. Two men were living in a certain city: the one was rich, and had many sheep and oxen; the other was poor, and possessed nothing at all but one small lamb which he had bought and nourished ( יחיּה , lit . kept alive), so that it grew up in his house along with his son, and was treated most tenderly and loved like a daughter. The custom of keeping pet-sheep in the house, as we keep lap-dogs, is still met with among the Arabs (vid., Bochart, Hieroz . i. p. 594). There came a traveller ( הלך , a journey, for a traveller) to the rich man ( לאישׁ without an article, the express definition being introduced afterwards in connection with the adjective העשׁיר ; vid., Ewald , §293 a , p. 741), and he grudged to take of his own sheep and oxen to prepare (sc., a meal) for the traveller who had come to his house; "and he took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that had come to him."

2Sa 12:5-6

David was so enraged at this act of violence on the part of the rich man, that in the heat of his anger he pronounced this sentence at once: "As the Lord liveth, the man who did this deserves to die; and the lamb he shall restore fourfold." The fourfold restoration corresponds to the law in Exo 22:1. The culprit himself was also to be put to death, because the forcible robbery of a poor man's pet-lamb was almost as bad as man-stealing.

2Sa 12:7-8

The parable was so selected that David could not suspect that it had reference to him and to his son. With all the greater shock therefore did the words of the prophet, "Thou art the man," come upon the king. Just as in the parable the sin is traced to its root - namely, insatiable covetousness - so now, in the words of Jehovah which follow, and in which the prophet charges the king directly with his crime, he brings out again in the most unsparing manner this hidden background of all sins, for the purpose of bringing thoroughly home to his heart the greatness of his iniquity, and the condemnation it deserved. "Jehovah the God of Israel hath said, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul, and I gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom." These words refer to the fact that, according to the general custom in the East, when a king died, his successor upon the throne also succeeded to his harem, so that David was at liberty to take his predecessor's wives; though we cannot infer from this that he actually did so: in fact this is by no means probable, since, according to 1Sa 14:50, Saul had but one wife, and according to 2Sa 3:7 only one concubine, whom Abner appropriated to himself. "And gave thee the house of Israel and Judah;" i.e., I handed over the whole nation to thee as king, so that thou couldst have chosen young virgins as wives from all the daughters of Judah and Israel. מעט ואם , "and if (all this was) too little, I would have added to thee this and that."

2Sa 12:9

"Why hast thou despised the word of Jehovah, to do evil in His eyes? Thou hast slain Uriah the Hethite with the sword, and taken his wife to be thy wife, and slain him with the sword of the Ammonites." The last clause does not contain any tautology, but serves to strengthen the thought by defining more sharply the manner in which David destroyed Uriah. הרג , to murder, is stronger than הכּה ; and the fact that it was by the sword of the Ammonites , the enemies of the people of God, that the deed was done, added to the wickedness.

2Sa 12:10-12

The punishment answers to the sin. There is first of all (2Sa 12:10) the punishment for the murder of Uriah: "The sword shall not depart from thy house for ever, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife," etc. "For ever" must not be toned down to the indefinite idea of a long period, but must be held firmly in its literal signification. the expression "thy house,"however, does not refer to the house of David as continued in his descendants, but simply as existing under David himself until it was broken up by his death. The fulfilment of this threat commenced with the murder of Amnon by Absalom (2Sa 13:29); it was continued in the death of Absalom the rebel (2Sa 18:14), and was consummated in the execution of Adonijah (1Ki 2:24-25).

2Sa 12:11-12

But David had also sinned in committing adultery. It was therefore announced to him by Jehovah, "Behold, I raise up mischief over thee out of thine own house, and will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them to thy neighbour, that he may lie with thy wives before the eyes of this sun (for the fulfilment of this by Absalom, see 2Sa 16:21-22). "For thou hast done it in secret; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before (in the face of) the sun." David's twofold sin was to be followed by a twofold punishment. For his murder he would have to witness the commission of murder in his own family, and for his adultery the violation of his wives, and both of them in an intensified form. As his sin began with adultery, and was consummated in murder, so the law of just retribution was also carried out in the punishment, in the fact that the judgments which fell upon his house commenced with Amnon's incest, whilst Absalom's rebellion culminated in the open violation of his father's concubines, and even Adonijah lost his life, simply because he asked for Abishag the Shunammite, who had lain in David's bosom to warm and cherish him in his old age (1Ki 2:23-24).

2Sa 12:13-14

These words went to David's heart, and removed the ban of hardening which pressed upon it. He confessed to the prophet, "I have sinned against the Lord." "The words are very few, just as in the case of the publican in the Gospel of Luke (Luk 18:13). But that is a good sign of a thoroughly broken spirit ... There is no excuse, no cloaking, no palliation of the sin. There is no searching for a loophole, ... no pretext put forward, no human weakness pleaded. He acknowledges his guilt openly, candidly, and without prevarication"( Berleb. Bible ). In response to this candid confession of his sin, Nathan announced to him, "The Lord also hath let thy sin pass by (i.e., forgiven it) . Thou wilt not die. Only because by this deed thou hast given the enemies of the Lord occasion to blaspheme, the son that is born unto thee shall die." נאץ , inf. abs. Piel, with chirek, because of its similarity in sound to the following perfect (see Ewald , §240, c .). גּם , with which the apodosis commences, belongs to the הבּן which follows, and serves to give emphasis to the expression: "Nevertheless the son"(vid., Ges . §155, 2, a .). David himself had deserved to die as an adulterer and murderer. The Lord remitted the punishment of death, not so much because of his heartfelt repentance, as from His own fatherly grace and compassion, and because of the promise that He had given to David (2Sa 7:11-12), - a promise which rested upon the assumption that David would not altogether fall away from a state of grace, or commit a mortal sin, but that even in the worst cases he would turn to the Lord again and seek forgiveness. The Lord therefore punished him for this sin with the judgments announced in 2Sa 12:10-12, as about to break upon him and his house. But as his sin had given occasion to the enemies of the Lord - i.e., not only to the heathen, but also to the unbelieving among the Israelites themselves - to blaspheme or ridicule his religion and that of all other believers also, the child that was begotten in adultery and had just been born should die; in order, on the one hand, that the father should atone for his adultery in the death of the son, and, on the other hand, that the visible occasion for any further blasphemy should be taken away: so that David was not only to feel the pain of punishment in the death of his son, but was also to discern in it a distinct token of the grace of God.

Constable: 2Sa 9:1--20:26

VI. DAVID'S TROUBLES chs. 9--20

Chapters 9-20 contrast with chapters 2-8 in that this later section is negative whereas the earlier one was positive. It records failure; the former records success. Compare the similar narrative of Saul's triumphs (1 Sam. 7-12) and his troubles (1 Sam. 13-31).

"The crumbling of the empire in these chapters is far from anticlimactic. It is an outworking of the fertility principle which the author has been presenting throughout the entire book. Even David, the successful king, is not above this principle. When he disobeyed the covenant he was judged, and since he was the king the whole nation was judged with him. Sexual sin (related to the fertility motif) was the cause of David's downfall, and his fall was followed by sexual sins in his family."¹⁴⁹

David got into trouble when he stopped being humble before God and became arrogant. He was not as bad as Eli and his sons or Saul in this respect. Had he been, God would have cut him off too instead of giving him the Davidic Covenant. Chapters 9-20 show the effects of being arrogant before God.

Scholars frequently refer to chapters 9-20 along with 1 Kings 1 and 2 as "the succession narrative."¹⁵⁰ The reason for this is that the passage deals with matters that lead up to Solomon's succession of David as Israel's king.¹⁵¹ Other scholars prefer to call this unit "court history" since it deals with a broader range of subjects than just Solomon's succession to the throne.¹⁵²

"Virtually all scholars agree that this is one of the finest examples of history writing from the ancient Near Eastern world. It is at the same time a masterpiece of biography and storytelling what with its ingenious interweaving of plots and subplots, its brilliant character sketches, and its attention to artistic touches such as climax and denouement."¹⁵³

Chapters 9-20 begin with information about the survivors in Saul's family (ch. 9) as does the next major section of the book, chapters 21-24 (21:1-14).

Constable: 2Sa 10:1--12:31

B. God's Faithfulness despite David's Unfaithfulness chs. 10-12

These chapters form a sub-section within the Court History portion of 2 Samuel.¹⁵⁷ The phrase "Now it happened" or "Now it was" (10:1; 13:1) always opens a new section.¹⁵⁸ Descriptions of Israel's victories over the Ammonites (10:1-11:1; 12:26-31) frame the David and Bathsheba story.¹⁵⁹ The parallel passage in 1 Chronicles (19:1-20:3) spans 2 Samuel 10-12 while omitting the David and Bathsheba incident. The motif word salah ("send") appears 23 times in this section but only 21 times in the rest of the Court History. Its occurrence may signal the development of a power motif here.¹⁶⁰

Constable: 2Sa 11:1--12:31

2. David's unfaithfulness to God chs. 11-12

These two chapters form a unit as is clear from their chiastic structure.

"A. David sends Joab to besiege Rabbah (11:1).

B. David sleeps with Bathsheba, who becomes pregnant (11:2-5).

C. David has Uriah killed (11:6-17).

D. Joab sends David a message (11:18-27a).

E. The Lord is displeased with David (11:27b).

D'. The Lord sends David a messenger (12:1-14).

C'. The Lord strikes David's infant son, who dies (12:15-23).

B'. David sleeps with Bathsheba, who becomes pregnant (12:24-25).

A'. Joab sends for David to besiege and capture Rabbah (12:26-31)."¹⁶⁷

Even though David had been faithful to Jonathan in keeping his covenant with him (ch. 9), he was not faithful to Jehovah in keeping His covenant with Israel (i.e., the Mosaic Covenant). The writer's main point in this section, I believe, was the following. Disobedience to God's revealed will in the Law of Moses resulted in lack of blessing symbolized by infertility and death. Another view is this.

"The Bathsheba interlude occurs in 2 Samuel 11-12 primarily to indicate the birth and choice of Solomon, but much is learned about God's covenant dealing with His king."¹⁶⁸

This is perhaps the second most notorious sin in the Bible, after the Fall. It has probably received the most attention from unbelievers in movies and other forms of entertainment. Unbelievers love to gloat over the sins of godly people.

Constable: 2Sa 11:26--12:16

David's response to his sins 11:26-12:15a

At first, David piously tried to salve Joab's conscience for his complicity in Uriah's death (11:25). The Hebrew word translated "displease" literally means "be evil in your sight." David was calling what was sin something other than sin (cf. 1 John 1:9). What David had done was not only evil in Joab's eyes, but, of infinitely greater importance, it was evil in God's eyes. David further hardened his heart and covered up his sin by marrying Bathsheba (11:27).

"The Hebrew phrase translated had her brought [NIV]' (v. 27) is literally sent and collected her' and emphasizes the abuse of royal power that David is increasingly willing to exercise. . ."¹⁸⁷

"How could a man--a man after God's own heart--fall to such a level? If you are honest about your own heart, it's not hard to understand."¹⁸⁸

Here are some suggestions for guarding yourself against similar sexual sin. First, realize that there is nothing that will guarantee you immunity from sinning in this way. We face the choice to yield to sexual temptation over and over again, and overcoming it once or many times is no guarantee that we will always overcome it (cf. 1 Cor. 10:12). Second, cultivate your daily commitment to the Lord. We cannot afford to live one day out of fellowship with Him. We can strengthen our hearts against temptation that may assail us during the day by recommitting ourselves to pleasing Him and obeying Him daily in prayer before we encounter the temptations of that day. Third, cultivate intimacy with your spouse, if you are married. Covetousness is less of a problem, though it will always be a problem, if you are content with the person whom God has given you. Contentment is something that we learn (cf. Phil. 4:11). Fourth, cultivate accountability with your mate, if you are married. Voluntarily tell your spouse where you have been, what you have been doing, and who you have been with. Do not wait for your mate to ask you these questions, but volunteer this information. If you do this regularly and know that you are going to have to do it, because you have made a commitment to yourself to do it, it will affect what you do. Fifth, anticipate temptation and avoid it. If you know that a particular individual attracts you strongly, do not spend too much time with him or her. Furthermore, refrain from saying anything to such a person that you would not say if your or that person's spouse was standing there with you.

About one year passed between the events of chapter 11 and those of chapter 12. This seems clear from the fact that God struck David and Bathsheba's child shortly after Nathan confronted David with his sin (12:15). God graciously gave David months to confess his sin, but when he did not, the Lord sent Nathan to confront him. These must have been months of inner turmoil for David.

"David wasn't relaxing and taking life easy, sipping lemonade on his patio, during the aftermath of his adultery. Count on it . . . he had sleepless nights. He could see his sin written across the ceiling of his room as he tossed and turned in bed. He saw it written across the walls. He saw it on the plate where he tried to choke down his meals. He saw it on the faces of his counselors. He was a miserable husband, an irritable father, a poor leader, and a songless composer. He lived a lie but he couldn't escape the truth.

"He had no joy. (Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation' Ps. 51:12.) He was unstable. He felt inferior and insecure. (Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me' Ps. 51:10.) Sin does that to you. It's part of the wages that sin inevitably demands. A carnal Christian will dance all around and try to tell you, Everything's fine. Don't press me. I'm really free . . . really having fun . . . I'm doing well. You just haven't any idea.' But down inside it's there. Everything is empty, hollow, joyless, pointless. A true Christian cannot deny that. True guilt is there. Oppressively there. Constantly there."¹⁸⁹

Finally the Lord sent His prophet to confront the king. This required considerable courage on Nathan's part since David could have hardened his heart and had the prophet executed.

"In confronting someone in his sin, the timing is as important as the wording. Simply to tighten your belt, grab your Bible and, at your convenience, confront a person who is in sin is unwise. Most importantly, you need to be sure that you're sent by God. Nathan was."¹⁹⁰

Nathan's parable (cf. 14:1-20; 1 Kings 20:35-42; Isa. 5:1-7; Jer. 3:1-5) appealed to David's compassion as a shepherd and drew an emotional response from the king (12:5).¹⁹¹ Just like the man in the parable, David deserved to die, but David deserved to die for adultery (Lev. 20:10) and murder (Lev. 24:17). Hypocritically David ordered the man in Nathan's story to make restitution appealing to the Mosaic Law (Exod. 22:1) that he himself had disregarded. The man in the parable was not under a death sentence according to the Mosaic Law.¹⁹² David was reacting emotionally. He seems to have been trying to get rid of his own guilty conscience by condemning someone else while subconsciously passing judgment on himself.¹⁹³ It is interesting that four of David's sons died, perhaps as a divine fulfillment of the fourfold restitution that David ordered. They were David's first child by Bathsheba (v. 18), Amnon (13:28-29), Absalom (18:14-15), and Adonijah (1 Kings 2:25).¹⁹⁴

"You are the man!" (12:7) is certainly one of the most dramatic sentences in the Bible. Since several months had passed since David had committed his gross sins they were probably not on his mind when Nathan entered his presence and told his story. We see a prophet exercising authority over a king here. This was always the case in Israel's monarchy as we shall see repeatedly in the Books of Kings.¹⁹⁵ David had abused the great blessings that God had given him. Notice that the Lord said that He had done five great things for David (12:8), but David had done four sinful things in spite of God's goodness (12:9). He had despised God by disobeying His Word as though he were superior to it. David had seen what had happened to Saul for rejecting God's word.

David's punishment would be twofold: his own fertility (children) would be the source of his discipline, and God would remove the sources of his fertility (children) from him (12:11). The executions of these sentences follow in the text (13:11-14, 38-39; 16:22; 18:15). Verses 9 and 10 of the twelfth chapter have been called "the literary, historical, and theological crux and center of 2 Samuel as a whole."¹⁹⁶

"As David took' Uriah's wife (vv. 9-10), so the Lord will take' David's wives (v. 11). As the Lord gave' Saul's property and Israel's kingdom to David (v. 8), so he says that he will now give' David's wives to someone else, to one who is close to you' (v. 11)--ironically, an expression earlier used of David himself in similar circumstances (see 1 Sam 15:28; 28:17 . . .)."¹⁹⁷

"Just as David willfully takes Bathsheba for himself (II Sam. 11:2-4), so Amnon forces Tamar (II Sam. 13:8-14), Absalom enters the royal harem (II Sam. 16:22), and Adonijah tries to claim his deceased father's concubine (I Kings 2:13-17)."¹⁹⁸

"We need to remember that, like many sins, David's were carried out secretly--at least for a while [12:12]. One of the things that accompanies the promotion of individuals to higher positions of authority is an increase in privacy. This closed-door policy maintained by those in high office brings great temptation for things to be done in secret. Unaccountability is common among those in command. So it was with David."¹⁹⁹

Psalm 32:3-4 probably records David's misery during the time between his sinning and his confessing. This psalm, and especially Psalm 51, give further insight into David's feelings when he confessed his sins. God spared David's life by pure grace; normally David would have died for his sins (Lev. 20:10; 24:17). His pardon came as a special revelation from God through Nathan (12:13). David's confession was genuine. He called his sin what it was rather than trying to cover it up or explain it away, which was Saul's typical response. Moreover he acknowledged that his sin was primarily against Yahweh, not just against Bathsheba and Uriah.

"Repentance has its reward (cf. 1 Sa. 7:3)."²⁰⁰

"This was the turning-point in the life of David, and the clearest indication that he was different from Saul in the most essential relationship of all, that of submission to the Lord God. For that reason he found forgiveness, whereas Saul never accepted his guilt or the rejection that followed from it."²⁰¹

Whereas the Lord removed the guilt of David's sin (forgiveness) he did not remove the consequences of it (discipline). Someone has said that after you hammer a nail in a board you may remove the nail, but a hole remains.

"Just as judges today sometimes commute a sentence, so too God has the right and the power to modify or even cancel his own decisions in the light of the human response. In this case David's immediate signs of remorse allowed immediate forgiveness; but the deed itself could not be undone, and some consequences were inevitable."²⁰²

"David's voyeurism in 2 Sam 11:2 and Nathan's curse in 12:11 foreshadow Absalom's rooftop orgy (16:20-22)."²⁰³

This is how God deals with sin normally. He removes the guilt that would result in damnation, but He usually allows at least some of the consequences to follow and uses these for discipline and instruction. Notice how God's punishment fit David's crimes (cf. Gal. 6:7). In David's case the infant he fathered died.

"God could not ignore David's sin and thus let unbelievers impugn the holiness of His character."²⁰⁴

Guzik: 2Sa 12:1-31

2 Samuel 12 - Nathan Confronts David

A. Nathan's confrontation.

1. (1-4) Nathan's parable.

Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: "There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. "The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him."

a. Then the LORD sent Nathan to David: David's sin displeased the LORD but David wouldn't listen to the conviction of the Holy Spirit or to his conscience. Now God will send someone else to speak to David. God mercifully kept speaking to David even when David wouldn't listen.

i. Yet no one should presume that God would speak forever to the unrepentant sinner. God said in Genesis 6:3, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever." When we hear or sense the conviction of the Holy Spirit we must respond to it immediately, because it might not always be there.

b. There were two men in one city: With wisdom and courage, Nathan used a story to get the message through to David. It was common in those days to keep a lamb as a pet, and Nathan used this story of the pet lamb to speak to his friend David.

i. Previously the prophet Nathan delivered a message of great blessing to David (1 Samuel 7). David knew that Nathan was not a negative critic but a friend. It made David receptive to the message of the story.

c. Who refused to take from his own flock . . . he took the poor man's lamb: The sin Nathan describes is theft. There is a sense in which David stole something from Uriah. The Bible says that in marriage a husband has authority over the body of his wife (and vice-versa). Obviously David did not have this authority over the body of Bathsheba and he stole from Uriah. Adultery and sexual immorality are theft - taking something that does not belong to us.

i. This principle is also true regarding pornography and lust. Leviticus 18 describes the sin of uncovering the nakedness of those other than our spouse. The idea is that the nakedness of other doesn't belong to us and it is theft if we take it.

2. (5-6) David condemns the cruel man of Nathan's story.

So David's anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity."

a. David's anger was greatly aroused: Nathan did not ask David for a judicial decision, and David naturally assumed the story was true. David immediately passed sentence on the guilty man of Nathan's story. David shows that we often try to rid our guilty consciences by passing judgment on someone else.

b. The man who has done this shall surely die! David's sense of righteous indignation was so affected by his own guilt that he commanded a death sentence for the hypothetical case brought by Nathan, even though it wasn't a capital crime.

i. David had to condemn his own sin before he could find forgiveness. We often try to find refuge in excusing or minimizing or deflecting the blame of our sin and we do not simply condemn sin in our self.

ii. David's use of the oath "As the Lord lives" shows how passionate his indignation is. He calls God to witness the righteousness of his death sentence upon Nathan's hypothetical rich man.

c. He shall restore fourfold for the lamb: David rightly knew that penalizing the rich man - even with death - wasn't enough. He also had to restore something to the man he took something from. David knew that true repentance means restitution.

i. Restore fourfold also shows that David's sin and hardness of heart did not diminish his knowledge of the Bible. He immediately knew what the Bible said about those who steal sheep: If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep (Exodus 22:1). David knew the words of the Bible but was distant from the Author.

d. Because he had no pity: The idea is that the man should have had pity on his neighbor and did not. In the same way David should have had pity on Uriah and Bathsheba's father and grandfather.

3. (7-9) Nathan's confrontation.

Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.' "

a. You are the man: With this, Nathan applied the parable with alarming simplicity. Nathan had to shock David into seeing his sin for what it was. "This was downright plain dealing indeed." (Trapp)

i. Shocked, but not frightened: "You cannot frighten men into repentance, you may frighten them into remorse; and the remorse may or may not lead on to repentance." (Maclaren)

ii. "God accuses us and condemns us one by one that He may save us one by one." (Maclaren) A personal salvation requires a personal conviction of sin. It wasn't enough for David to confess that he was a sinner in a general sense; he had to confess his sin at this very point.

iii. In this sense, the confession of our sin needs to be specific. J. Edwin Orr tells of a time of revival in Brazil when a lady stood in a crowded church and said, "Please pray for me. I need to love people more." The leader gently told her, "That is not confession, sister. Anyone could have said it." Later in the service the woman stood again and said, "Please pray for me. What I should have said is that my tongue has caused a lot of trouble in this church." Her pastor whispered to the leader, "Now she's talking."

iv. It costs nothing to say, "I'm not everything I should be" or "I ought to be a better Christian." It does cost something to say, "I have been a trouble-maker in this church" or "I have had bitterness towards certain leaders, to whom I apologize right now."

b. I anointed you . . . I delivered you . . . I gave you . . . and gave you the house of Israel and Judah . . . I also would have given you much more: Through Nathan, God explains to David that his sin was really a base expression of ingratitude. When God gave all this to David and had so much more to give him, David sought out sin instead.

c. Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? In Psalm 19:8, David said: The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. Yet by his sin he despised the commandment of the LORD. David acted as if God's command was wrong and to be despised when he did evil in His sight.

d. You have killed Uriah . . . you have taken his wife: This is all another way of saying, "You are the man!" God won't allow David to blame anyone or anything else.

4. (10) David's punishment.

"Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife."

a. The sword shall never depart from your house: God promised that from this day forward David would know violence and bloodshed among his own family members.

i. David demanded fourfold restitution for the man in Nathan's parable. God exacted fourfold restitution for Uriah from four of David's sons: Bathsheba's child, Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah.

b. Because you have despised Me: In 2 Samuel 12:9 God said that David despised the commandment of the LORD. Here Nathan explained that in doing this, David despised God Himself. We can't despise God's commandments without despising Him.

i. Many who live in either open or hidden sin seem to believe it has no effect or little effect on their relationship with God. But despising God's commandment means despising God Himself, and we can't have fellowship with God and despise Him at the same time. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (1 John 1:6)

c. The wife of Uriah the Hittite: God didn't even use Bathsheba's own name. He wanted David to consider Bathsheba not only as an individual but as the wife of Uriah the Hittite.

5. (11-12) Adversity against David.

"Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.'"

a. I will raise up adversity against you from your own house: The Living Bible translates adversity as "rebellion." God warns David that because he troubled another man's house, God will allow trouble to come upon David's house - from within the house.

b. I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor: As David violated another man's wife, so another will violate his wives. This was fulfilled in 2 Samuel 16:21-22.

i. "Absalom abused his father's concubines on the house-top: and haply on that same terrace from whence he first looked, liked, and lusted after Bath-sheba." (Trapp)

c. You did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel: In these judgments, David will reap what he has sown - with interest.

B. David's repentance; the death of his newborn son.

1. (13a) David's repentance.

So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."

a. I have sinned against the LORD: David's confession is an example for each of us. He placed the blame squarely on his own shoulders. He did not minimize his offence. David realized that he especially sinned against God.

i. In the original Hebrew, David's statement I have sinned against the LORD amounts to only two words: hata al-Yahweh. These two words, and the heart they reflect, show the fundamental difference between David and Saul. Confession doesn't need to be long to be real and sincere. "The greatest griefs are not always the most verbal. Saul confessed his sin more largely, but less effectually." (Trapp)

ii. "The words are very few, but that is a good sign of a thoroughly broken spirit. There is no excuse, no hiding, no concealment of the sin. There is no searching for a loophole, no pretext put forward, no human weakness pleaded. He acknowledged his guilt openly, candidly and without any denial of truth." (Keil and Delitzsch)

iii. This was an exceptionally good response from a man of David's standing in life. When confronted with sin, kings often say, "Off with their head." David shows that God was working on his heart all along, and Nathan's confrontation was just the last piece of that work.

iv. "In all this David was pre-eminently revealed as a man after God's own heart. Other men who had been guilty of such failure might have defended their actions, might have slain the prophet. Not so with this man. He knew God, and he knew the wrong of his action, and he confessed his sin." (Morgan)

b. I: David speaks of himself. It isn't "we" though it was true that he was not the only sinner. Yet David knew that he had to deal with his sin. David shows personal responsibility for his sin.

c. Have sinned: David doesn't use elaborate or soft vocabulary. He sinned. It wasn't a mistake, an error, a mess-up, an indiscretion, or a problem.

d. Against the LORD: This expressed the enormity of David's sin. His sin against Bathsheba, against Uriah, against Ahithophel, against his wives and children, and against the nation were great. But his sin against the LORD was greatest of all. There are no small sins against a great God, and great sins are even greater.

e. I have sinned against the LORD: After meditation, David more eloquently expressed his repentance in Psalm 51.

i. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight - that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. . . . For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, and broken and contrite heart - these, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:1-4; 16-17)

ii. David's awareness of sin, desire for cleansing, recognition of God's righteous judgment, and understanding of what God wants are each clear in Psalm 51.

2. (13b-14) Forgiveness and the immediate consequences of David's sin.

And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die."

a. The LORD also has put away your sin: God's forgiveness was immediate. God did not demand a time of probation. You shall not die meant that David would be spared the penalty for adultery commanded under the Law of Moses.

i. It was because David believed the word, You are the man! That he could also believe the word, The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.

b. You have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme: David did this by doing just what those enemies of the LORD would do in the same situation. What David did was not unusual among the kings and rulers of the world, but it should be unusual among God's people.

i. "Hitherto all the king's care had been to conceal his sin from the world, - which yet he could not do with all his skill, for the enemies had got it by the end." (Trapp)

c. The child who is born to you shall surely die: There is a difference in judgment for sin and judgment by sin. God forgave David's sin, but He would not shield him from every consequence of the sin. David must face the consequences of his sin, beginning with the death of the child born by Bathsheba.

i. This shows that God didn't only want to heal David of the guilt of his sin; He also wanted to heal David of the presence of this sin. We never read of David committing adultery again because God used these chastisements to drive such impurities far from David.

ii. "Long before his sin with Bathsheba, there were various indications as to David's special liability to temptation. That sin only threw out upon the surface the evil that was always within him; and now God, having is him see that the deadly cancer is there, begins to use the knife to cut it out of him." (Spurgeon)

3. (15-23) The death of David's son.

Then Nathan departed to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it became ill. David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them. Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, "Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!" When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead." So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, "What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food." And he said, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."

a. The LORD struck the child: This is hard for many to accept. Sadly, often the innocent are made to suffer because of the sin of the guilty. Since the sickness came immediately after the words of Nathan the prophet, it was received as from the hand of God.

i. "The biblical writer does not hesitate to attributed directly to the Lord the sickness of this child, in accordance with the prophet's word." (Baldwin)

ii. This was far more tragic for David and Bathsheba than it was for the child himself. Their young son suffered for several days and we may trust that God's comfort was extended to the child in the midst of suffering. At the end of his suffering the child went to eternal glory. Though the child died, the chastisement was really upon David and Bathsheba and not upon the child.

iii. "God's mercy to his erring and repentant children will be shown in converting the results of their sin into the fires of their purification." (Meyer)

iv. This illustrates an important principle: even when sin is forgiven a price must be paid. God does not simply pass over or excuse our sin. It is forgiven and a price is paid. Often an innocent party pays the price for forgiveness.

b. That Uriah's wife bore to David: Though Uriah was dead and David was legally married to Bathsheba, the Biblical writer can't help but refer to Bathsheba as Uriah's wife. This is because when the child was conceived Uriah was alive and Bathsheba was Uriah's wife. It is God's way of saying, "Uriah's death and the subsequent marriage doesn't make everything alright."

c. David therefore pleaded with God for the child: David is right to take the announcement and presence of God's judgment as an invitation to earnestly seek His mercy. When God's judgment is announced or present, we shouldn't receive it passively or fatalistically. We should cry out to God in repentance and ask for His grace and mercy, realizing we deserve none of it.

d. David fasted . . . the child died: This shows that extraordinary prayer and fasting does not change God's mind. It put David in the right place to receive what he must from God but it did not "force" God to change His plan.

i. Extraordinary prayer and fasting are not tools to get whatever we want from God. They are demonstrations of radical submission and surrender to God's power and will.

e. He went into the house of the LORD and worshiped: This shows that David's extraordinary prayer and fasting were answered. He had a sense of peace when the child died, knowing he did all he could to seek God's mercy in a time of chastisement.

i. The ability to worship and honor God in a time of trial or crisis is a wonderful demonstration of spiritual confidence.

f. I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me: David was confident that his son would meet him in heaven. This is an indication that babies and perhaps children who pass from this world to the next will go to heaven.

i. 1 Corinthians 7:14 is an additional promise of assurance that the children of believers are saved, at least until they come to an age of personal accountability (which may differ for each child). However, we have no similar promise for the children of parents who are not Christians.

ii. If the children of non-Christian parents are saved, and do go to heaven - even some of them - it is important to understand that it is not because they are innocent. As sons and daughters of guilty Adam, we are also born guilty. If such children go to heaven, it is not because they are innocent and deserve heaven, but because the rich mercy of God has been extended to them also.

4. (24-25) God extends His mercy to David and Bathsheba.

Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Now the LORD loved him, and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.

a. David comforted Bathsheba his wife: This is the first time the Biblical writer calls this woman Bathsheba except for the mere reporting of her name in 2 Samuel 11:3. Each time before this she is called the wife of Uriah. Only now, after the chastisement for sin, is she called Bathsheba his wife.

b. Went in to her and lay with her: This shows that God did not command that David forsake or leave Bathsheba, even though his marriage to her was originally sinful. He was to honor God in the marriage commitment he made, even though it began in sin.

i. Paul commands the same principle in 1 Corinthians 7:17: As the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. In part, this principle in context warns us against trying to undo the past in regard to relationships. God tells us to repent of whatever sin is there and then to move on. If you are married to your second wife, after wrongfully divorcing your first wife, and become a Christian, don't think you must now leave your second wife and go back to your first wife, trying to undo the past. As the Lord has called you walk in that place right now.

c. So she bore a son . . . the LORD loved him: This shows the great forgiveness and tenderness of God. He did not hold a grudge against David and Bathsheba. The days of blessing and fruitfulness were not over for David.

i. "David's best sons came of Bath-sheba; because they were the fruit of their humiliation." (Trapp)

d. He called his name Solomon: Remarkably it is this son - the son born out of a marriage that began in adultery - that will be heir to David's throne. God chose this son among David's many sons to be heir to the throne and the ancestor of the Messiah to demonstrate the truth that God forgives repentant sinners.

i. People may not forgive; we may refuse to really believe that we are forgiven. But God forgives repentant sinners.

e. So he called his name Jedidiah: The name Jedidiah means, "loved of the LORD." It was God's way of saying that He would love and bless this son of David and Bathsheba.

C. David's victory at Rabbah.

1. (26-28) Joab fights against Rabbah.

Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city. And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, "I have fought against Rabbah, and I have taken the city's water supply. Now 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."

a. Joab fought against Rabbah and the people of Ammon, and took the royal city: This continues the war that began in 2 Samuel 10. Joab was about to complete the defeat of the Ammonites.

b. Lest I take the city and it be called after my name: Joab goads David into returning to battle by saying, "I'll take all the credit to myself if you don't come and finish this war."

i. Joab struggled for more than a year to conquer Rabbah, and the victory only came when David got things right with God. There was an unseen spiritual reason behind the lack of victory at Rabbah.

ii. "David's sin at home had hindered Joab's good success abroad, and retarded the conquest of this city Rabbah, which now is ready to be taken, that David reconciled to God may have the honour of it." (Trapp)

2. (29-31) David captures the city, takes the spoil, and sets the people to forced labor.

So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, fought against it, and took it. Then he took their king's crown from his head. Its weight was a talent of gold, with precious stones. And it was set on David's head. Also he brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance. And he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes, and made them cross over to the brick works. So he did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

a. David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah: This is the final phase of David's restoration. He went back to doing what he should have done all along - leading Israel out to battle, instead of remaining in Jerusalem.

b. Fought against it, and took it: David is in victory once again. His sin did not condemn him to a life of failure and defeat. There was chastisement for David's sin, but it did not mean that his life was ruined.

c. He took their king's crown . . . it was set on David's head: David's sin didn't take away his crown. Had David refused the voice of Nathan the Prophet it might have. Because David responded with confession and repentance, there was sill a crown for David's head.

i. "David's fall should put those who have not fallen on their guard, and save from despair those who have." (Augustine)

© 2002 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Introduction / Outline

JFB: 2 Samuel (Book Introduction)

THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF SAMUEL. The two were, by the ancient Jews, conjoined so as to make one book, and in that form could be called the Book of Samuel with more propriety than now, the second being wholly occupied with the relation of transactions that did not take place till after the death of that eminent judge. Accordingly, in the Septuagint and the Vulgate, it is called the First and Second Books of Kings. The early portion of the First Book, down to the end of the twenty-fourth chapter, was probably written by Samuel; while the rest of it and the whole of the Second, are commonly ascribed to Nathan and Gad, founding the opinion on 1Ch 29:29. Commentators, however, are divided about this, some supposing that the statements in 1Sa 2:26; 1Sa 3:1, indicate the hand of the judge himself, or a contemporary; while some think, from 1Sa 6:18; 1Sa 12:5; 1Sa 27:6, that its composition must be referred to a later age. It is probable, however, that these supposed marks of an after-period were interpolations of Ezra. This uncertainty, however, as to the authorship does not affect the inspired authority of the book, which is indisputable, being quoted in the New Testament (1Sa 13:14 in Act 13:22, and 2Sa 7:14 in Heb 1:5), as well as in many of the Psalms.

JFB: 2 Samuel (Outline)

• AN AMALEKITE BRINGS TIDINGS OF SAUL'S DEATH. (2Sa. 1:1-16)
• DAVID LAMENTS SAUL AND JONATHAN. (2Sa 1:17-27)
• DAVID, BY GOD'S DIRECTION, GOES UP TO HEBRON, AND IS MADE KING OVER JUDAH. (2Sa 2:1-7)
• SIX SONS BORN TO DAVID. (2Sa 3:1-5)
• ABNER REVOLTS TO DAVID. (2Sa 3:6-12)
• JOAB KILLS ABNER. (2Sa 3:22-30)
• BAANAH AND RECHAB SLAY ISH-BOSHETH, AND BRING HIS HEAD TO HEBRON. (2Sa 4:1-2)
• DAVID CAUSES THEM TO BE PUT TO DEATH. (2Sa 4:10-12)
• THE TRIBES ANOINT DAVID KING OVER ISRAEL. (2Sa 5:1-5)
• HE TAKES ZION FROM THE JEBUSITES. (2Sa 5:6-12)
• ELEVEN SONS BORN TO HIM. (2Sa 5:13-16)
• HE SMITES THE PHILISTINES. (2Sa 5:17-25)
• DAVID FETCHES THE ARK FROM KIRJATH-JEARIM ON A NEW CART. (2Sa 6:1-5)
• UZZAH SMITTEN. (2Sa 6:6-11)
• DAVID AFTERWARDS BRINGS THE ARK TO ZION. (2Sa 6:12-19)
• MICHAL'S BARRENNESS. (2Sa 6:20-23)
• NATHAN APPROVES THE PURPOSE OF DAVID TO BUILD GOD A HOUSE. (2Sa 7:1-3)
• DAVID'S PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING. (2Sa 7:18-29)
• DAVID SUBDUES THE PHILISTINES, AND MAKES THE MOABITES TRIBUTARY. (2Sa 8:1-2)
• HE SMITES HADADEZER AND THE SYRIANS. (2Sa 8:3-14)
• HIS REIGN. (2Sa 8:15-18)
• DAVID SENDS FOR MEPHIBOSHETH. (2Sa 9:1-12)
• DAVID'S MESSENGERS, SENT TO COMFORT HANUN, ARE DISGRACEFULLY TREATED. (2Sa 10:1-5)
• THE AMMONITES OVERCOME. (2Sa 10:6-14)
• THE SYRIANS DEFEATED. (2Sa 10:15-19)
• JOAB BESIEGES RABBAH. (2Sa 11:1)
• DAVID COMMITS ADULTERY WITH BATH-SHEBA. (2Sa 11:2-12)
• URIAH SLAIN. (2Sa 11:14-27)
• NATHAN'S PARABLE. (2Sa 12:1-6)
• HE APPLIES IT TO DAVID, WHO CONFESSES HIS SIN, AND IS PARDONED. (2Sa 12:7-23)
• SOLOMON IS BORN. (2Sa 12:24-25)
• RABBAH IS TAKEN. (2Sa 12:26-31)
• AMNON LOVES TAMAR. (2Sa 13:1-5)
• HE DEFILES HER. (2Sa. 13:6-27)
• AMNON IS SLAIN. (2Sa 13:28-36)
• ABSALOM FLEES TO TALMAI. (2Sa 13:37-39)
• JOAB BRINGS ABSALOM TO JERUSALEM. (2Sa 14:22-33)
• ABSALOM STEALS THE HEARTS OF ISRAEL. (2Sa 15:1-9)
• HE FORMS A CONSPIRACY. (2Sa 15:10-12)
• DAVID FLEES FROM JERUSALEM. (2Sa. 15:13-37)
• ZIBA, BY FALSE SUGGESTIONS, CLAIMS HIS MASTER'S INHERITANCE. (2Sa 16:1-4)
• SHIMEI CURSES DAVID. (2Sa 16:5-19)
• AHITHOPHEL'S COUNSEL. (2Sa 16:20-23)
• SECRET INTELLIGENCE SENT TO DAVID. (2Sa 17:15-22)
• AHITHOPHEL HANGS HIMSELF. (2Sa 17:23-29)
• DAVID REVIEWING THE ARMIES. (2Sa 18:1-4)
• GIVES THEM CHARGE OF ABSALOM. (2Sa 18:5-13)
• HE IS SLAIN BY JOAB. (2Sa. 18:14-32)
• JOAB CAUSES THE KING TO CEASE MOURNING. (2Sa 19:1-8)
• THE ISRAELITES BRING THE KING BACK. (2Sa. 19:9-43)
• SHEBA MAKES A PARTY IN ISRAEL. (2Sa 20:1-9)
• AMASA IS SLAIN. (2Sa 20:10-13)
• JOAB PURSUES SHEBA UNTO ABEL. (2Sa 20:14-15)
• A WISE WOMAN SAVES THE CITY BY SHEBA'S HEAD. (2Sa 20:16-22)
• DAVID'S GREAT OFFICERS. (2Sa 20:23-26)
• THE THREE YEARS' FAMINE FOR THE GIBEONITES CEASE BY HANGING SEVEN OF SAUL'S SONS. (2Sa 21:1-9)
• RIZPAH'S KINDNESS UNTO THE DEAD. (2Sa 21:10-11)
• DAVID BURIES THE BONES OF SAUL AND JONATHAN IN THEIR FATHER'S SEPULCHER. (2Sa 21:12-22)
• DAVID PROFESSES HIS FAITH IN GOD'S PROMISES. (2Sa 23:1-7)
• A CATALOGUE OF HIS MIGHTY MEN. (2Sa. 23:8-39)
• DAVID NUMBERS THE PEOPLE. (2Sa 24:1-9)
• HE, HAVING THREE PLAGUES PROPOUNDED BY GAD, REPENTS, AND CHOOSES THREE DAYS' PESTILENCE. (2Sa 24:10-14)
• HIS INTERCESSION TO GOD; THE PLAGUE CEASES. (2Sa 24:15-25)

TSK: 2 Samuel 12 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

2Sa 12:1, Nathan’s parable of the ewe lamb causes David to be his own judge; 2Sa 12:7, David, reproved by Nathan, confesses his sin, and is pardoned; 2Sa 12:15, David mourns and prays for the child while it lives; 2Sa 12:24, Solomon is born, and named Jedidiah; 2Sa 12:26, David takes Rabbah, and tortures the people thereof.

Poole: 2 Samuel 12 (Chapter Introduction)

SAMUEL CHAPTER 12

Nathan by a parable reproveth and threateneth David, 2Sa 12:1-12 . He confesseth his sin, and is pardoned, but the child must die, 2Sa 12:13,14 : David mourneth and prayeth for it whilst life was in it; after is satisfied and cheered: the reason, 2Sa 12:15-23 . He goeth in to Bath-sheba: Solomon is born of her, and is called Jedidiah , 2Sa 12:24,25 . David taketh Rabbah, and tortureth the people thereof, 2Sa 12:26-31 .

MHCC: 2 Samuel (Book Introduction)

This book is the history of the reign of king David. It relates his victories, the growth of the prosperity of Israel, and his reformation of the state of religion. With these events are recorded the grievous sins he committed, and the family as well as public troubles with which he was punished. We here meet with many things worthy of imitation, and many that are written for our warning. The history of king David is given in Scripture with much faithfulness, and from it he appears, to those who fairly balance his many virtues and excellent qualities against his faults, to have been a great and good man.

MHCC: 2 Samuel 12 (Chapter Introduction)

(2Sa 12:1-14) Nathan's parable-David confesses his sin.

(2Sa 12:15-25) The birth of Solomon.

(2Sa 12:26-31) David's severity to the Ammonites.

Matthew Henry: 2 Samuel (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Second Book of Samuel

This book is the history of the reign of king David. We had in the foregoing book an account of his designation to the government, and his struggles with Saul, which ended at length in the death of his persecutor. This book begins with his accession to the throne, and is entirely taken up with the affairs of the government during the forty years he reigned, and therefore is entitled by the Septuagint. The Third Book of the Kings. It gives us an account of David's triumphs and his troubles. I. His triumphs over the house of Saul (ch. 1-4), over the Jebusites and Philistines (ch. 5), at the bringing up of the ark (ch. 6 and 7), over the neighbouring nations that opposed him (ch. 8-10); and so far the history is agreeable to what we might expect from David's character and the choice made of him. But his cloud has a dark side. II. We have his troubles, the causes of them, his sin in the matter of Uriah (ch. 11 and 12), the troubles themselves from the sin of Amnon (ch. 13), the rebellion of Absalom (ch. 14-19) and of Sheba (ch. 20), and the plague in Israel for his numbering the people (ch. 24), besides the famine of the Gibeonites (ch. 21). His son we have (ch. 22), and his words and worthies (ch. 23). Many things in his history are very instructive; but for the hero who is the subject of it, though in many instances he appears here very great, and very good, and very much the favourite of heaven, yet it must be confessed that his honour shines brighter in his Psalms than in his Annals.

Matthew Henry: 2 Samuel 12 (Chapter Introduction)

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, I. His conviction, by a message Nathan brought him from God, which was a parable that obliged him to condemn himself (2Sa 12:1-6), and the application of the parable, in which Nathan charged him with the sin (2Sa 12:7-9) and pronounced sentence upon him, (2Sa 12:10-12). II. His repentance and remission, with a proviso (2Sa 12:13, 2Sa 12:14). III. The sickness and death of the child, and his behaviour while it was sick and when it was dead (2Sa 12:15-23), in both which David gave evidence of his repentance. IV. The birth of Solomon, and God's gracious message concerning him, in which God gave an evidence of his reconciliation to David (2Sa 12:24, 2Sa 12:25). V. The taking of Rabbah (2Sa 12:26-31), which is mentioned as a further instance that God did not deal with David according to his sins.

Constable: 2 Samuel (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Second Samuel continues the history begun in 1 Samuel. Please see my comments regarding 2 Samuel's title, date, authorship, and scope in the introductory section of the 1 Samuel notes.

Message¹

First Samuel records David's preparation. Second Samuel records his service namely his reign. In our study of 1 Samuel I mentioned three aspects of his preparation: as shepherd, as courtier, and as "outlaw." In 2 Samuel we see those aspects of his preparation put to work. He became the shepherd of his people, the center of his court, and the strong ruler of his nation. He fulfilled the office of king successfully under God's leadership.

The message of 2 Samuel is that man's attitude toward God creates an opportunity for God, and God's attitude toward man creates an opportunity for man.

First, man's attitude toward God creates an opportunity for God.

We find this principle stated in 22:26-28. Compare Hannah's prayer of praise in 1 Sam. 2:1-10. God is to each person what that person is to God.

We find the principle illustrated in David's attitudes toward God. David had four convictions about God. We see these in his thanksgiving psalm in chapter 22, which is also Psalm 18. David evidently wrote it early in his life.

1. He believed God was Israel's supreme Ruler. He never doubted this or presumed to elevate himself to God's place as Head of the nation. This is clear in 22:2-16. Contrast David's view with Saul's. Some local church leaders follow Saul's example rather than David's.

2. He believed God was consistently and completely righteous (right) in His dealings. David confessed his sin when charged with it rather than trying to deny it. In 22:17-27 this comes through clearly. Contrast Saul.

3. He believed God was always merciful. He was willing to let God determine His punishment because he believed God would be merciful (cf. 22:28-46). Contrast Saul.

4. He believed God's will was always best. His greatest desire was for God's will in his own life and in Israel (cf. 22:47-51). Contrast Saul.

David's convictions created opportunities for God.

1. Because David really believed in God's sovereignty God could and did set David over the throne of Israel and direct him to govern God's people (cf. 22:2-3). Even today loyal employees are the ones that employers promote to positions of greater responsibility.

2. Because David acknowledged God's righteousness God was able to bless David for his righteousness (cf. 22:21-28).

3. Because David appreciated God's mercy God was able to be merciful with him (cf. 22:35-36).

4. Because David viewed God's will as superior God was able to bring His will for David and Israel to pass (cf. 22:51).

With these attitudes David became God's instrument through whom God accomplished His larger plans and purposes. Even though David sinned greatly, his deepest convictions lay in these truths. God based His dealings with David on David's deepest convictions. He was the man after God's own heart. God did not base His dealings with David primarily on David's momentary failings. This is a great encouragement. Your deep underlying attitude toward God provides a foundation on which God can build and use you in some way. Your presence here at DTS is encouraging to me. The direction you are heading is more important than how far you have advanced in Christian growth.

The other side of this coin is that God's attitude toward a person creates an opportunity for that person. John wrote, "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

We find this principle stated in 23:1-5. David evidently wrote this chapter later in his life.

We find the principle illustrated in God's attitudes toward David. What were these?

1. God purposed for David to be king (cf. 23:1). This knowledge affected David's attitude toward God. He just needed to consent to God's purpose for him. God has purposed to bless you. This is the revelation of the whole Bible.

2. God's power would be adequate for David's needs (cf. 23:2). The power for all of David's life, including the inspiration for his words, came from God. David could simply cooperate with it. We too have the Spirit. We too need just to cooperate with God.

3. God's pattern for David's kingship was God's own rule (cf. 23:3-4). David could conform to God's example as Sovereign to fulfill his destiny. We have Jesus Christ's example as well as God's pattern.

4. God's persistence would result in the fulfillment of all His promises to David (cf. 23:5). This gave David confidence in God in the present. God has promised never to leave us (Matt. 28:20). He has proved Himself faithful.

In 1 Samuel we learned that God's ultimate victory does not depend on people's attitudes toward Him. His people can be loyal or rebellious, and this will not affect His ultimate victory.

In 2 Samuel we learn that our ultimate victory in life depends on our attitude toward God. Conformity to the will of God creates fitness for service. Conformity to the will of God depends wholly on our attitude toward God. It does not depend on our ability, or on our ability to persuade God to do something. It depends on our abandonment to Him, and on our willingness to let God persuade us to do something. It depends on our commitment to Him and our faithfulness to Him.

God does not measure us as other people do. We measure each other by external actions. God measures us by internal attitudes. What is your attitude toward God? Do you really want to please God, or do you obey God simply because of your background and environment? Would you live a filthy life if you could get away with it? What is your real attitude toward God? Do you really want to do right? David was a man after God's own heart because he really wanted what God wanted. What do you really want?

Be careful, because God will give you what you really want. Do you want to run your own life? God will let you do it, but He may let you run your life into a brick wall.

Constable: 2 Samuel (Outline)

Outline

(Continued from notes on 1 Samuel)

V. David's triumphs chs. 1-8

A. The beginning of David's kingdom 1:1-3:5

1. David's discovery of Saul and Jonathan's deaths ch. 1

2. David's move to Hebron 2:1-4a

3. David's overtures to Jabesh-gilead 2:4b-7

4. Ish-bosheth's coronation over Israel 2:8-11

5. The conflict between Abner and Joab 2:12-32

6. The strengthening of David's position 3:1-5

B. The unification of the kingdom 3:6-5:16

1. David's acceptance of Abner 3:6-39

2. David's punishment of Ish-bosheth's murderers ch. 4

3. David's acceptance by all Israel 5:1-12

4. David's additional children 5:13-16

C. The establishment of the kingdom 5:17-8:18

1. David's victories over the Philistines 5:17-25

2. David's moving of the ark to Jerusalem ch. 6

3. The giving of the Davidic Covenant ch. 7

4. The security of David's kingdom ch. 8

VI. David's troubles chs. 9-20

A. David's faithfulness ch. 9

B. God's faithfulness despite David's unfaithfulness chs. 10-12

1. The Ammonite rebellion ch. 10

2. David's unfaithfulness to God chs. 11-12

C. David's rejection and return chs. 13-20

1. Events leading up to Absalom's rebellion chs. 13-14

2. Absalom's attempt to usurp David's throne chs. 15-20

VII. Summary illustrations chs. 21-24

A. Famine from Saul's sin 21:1-14

1. Saul's broken treaty with the Gibeonites 21:1-6

2. David's justice and mercy 21:7-9

3. David's honoring of Saul and Jonathan 21:10-14

B. Four giant killers 21:15-22

C. David's praise of Yahweh ch. 22

D. David's last testament 23:1-7

E. Thirty-seven mighty men 23:8-39

1. Selected adventures of outstanding warriors 23:8-23

2. A list of notable warriors among The Thirty 23:24-39

F. Pestilence from David's sin ch. 24

1. David's sin of numbering the people 24:1-9

2. David's confession of his guilt 24:10-14

3. David's punishment 24:15-17

4. David's repentance 24:18-25

Constable: 2 Samuel

2 Samuel

Bibliography

Achtemeier, Paul J., and Elizabeth Achtemeier. The Old Testament Roots of Our Faith. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979.

Ackerman, James S. "Knowing Good and Evil: A Literary Ananysis of the Court History in 2 Samuel 9-20 and 1 Kings 1-2." Journal of Biblical Literature 109:1 (Spring 1990):41-60.

Ackroyd, Peter R. "The Succession Narrative (so-called)." Interpretation 35:4 (1980):383-96.

Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed., New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.

Albright, William F. The Archaeology of Palestine. 1949. Revised ed. Pelican Archaeology series. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, Eng.: Penguin Books, 1956.

Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Narrative. New York: Basic, 1981.

Anderson, A. A. 2 Samuel. Word Biblical Commentary series. Dallas: Word Books, 1989.

Archer, Gleason L., Jr. Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Regency Reference Library series. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982.

_____. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction. Revised ed. Chicago: Moody Press, 1974.

Armerding, Carl Edwin. "Were David's Sons Really Priests?" In Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation: Studies in Honor of Merrill C. Tenney Presented by His Former Students, pp. 75-86. Ed. Gerald F. Hawthorne. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1975.

Arnold, Bill T. "The Amalekite's Report of Saul's Death: Political Intrigue or Incompatible Sources?" Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 32:3 (1989):289-98.

Bailey, Randall C. David in Love and War: The Pursuit of Power in 2 Samuel 10-12. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement 75. Sheffield, Eng.: JSOT, 1990.

Baldwin, Joyce G. 1 & 2 Samuel. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries series. Leicester, Eng., and Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1988.

Battenhouse, Roy. "The Tragedy of Absalom: A Literary Analysis." Christianity and Literature 31:3 (Spring 1982):53-57.

Baxter, J. Sidlow. Explore the Book. 6 vols. London: Marshall, Morgan, and Scott, 1965.

Beal, Richard H. "The Hittites After the Empire's Fall." Biblical Illustrator 10:1 (Fall 1983):72-81.

Bellefontaine, Elizabeth. "Customary Law and Chieftanship: Judicial Aspects of 2 Samuel 14:4-21." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 38 (1987):47-72.

Bendavid, Abba. Parallels in the Bible. Jerusalem: Carta, 1972.

Bentzen, Aage. "The Cultic Use of the Story of the Ark in Samuel." Journal of Biblical Literature 67 (1948):37-53.

Berlin, Adele. "Characterization in Biblical Narrative: David's Wives." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 23 (July 1982):69-85.

Blaikie, William G. The Second Book of Samuel. 1893; reprint ed. Minneapolis: Klock and Klock, 1978.

Blenkinsopp, Joseph. "Did Saul Make Gibeon His Capital?" Vetus Testamentum 24:1 (January 1974):1-7.

_____. "Kiriath-jearim and the Ark." Journal of Biblical Literature 88 (1969):143-56.

Bright, John A. A History of Israel. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1959.

Brueggemann, Walter. "2 Samuel 21-24: An Appendix of Deconstruction?" Catholic Biblical Quarterly 50:3 (July 1988):383-97.

_____. First and Second Samuel. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching series. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1990.

_____. "Of the Same Flesh and Bone (Gn 2, 23a)." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 32:4 (September 1970):532-42.

Bury, J. B.; S. A. Cook; and F. E. Adcock, eds. The Cambridge Ancient History. 12 vols. 2nd ed. reprinted. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1928.

Calderone, Philip J. Dynastic Oracle and Suzerainty Treaty. Manila: Ateneo University, 1966.

Camp, Claudia V. "The Wise Women of 2 Samuel: A Role Model for Women in Early Israel." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 43:1 (January 1981):14-29.

Campbell, Anthony F. Of Prophets and Kings: A Late Ninth-Century Document (1 Samuel 1-2Kings 10). Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph 17. Washington: Catholic Biblical Association of America, 1986.

Carlson, R. A. David the Chosen King. Translated by Eric J. Sharpe and Stanley Rudman (notes). Stockholm: Almquist and Wiksell, 1964.

Carter, Leslie. Warring Faith. London: Victory Press, 1961.

Chafin, Kenneth L. 1, 2 Samuel. The Communicator's Commentary series. Dallas: Word Books, 1989.

Childs, Brevard S. Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979.

Chisholm, Robert B., Jr. "Does God Deceive?" Bibliotheca Sacra 155:617 (January-March 1998):11-28.

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. "Youth and Age." In Poems That Live Forever. Selected by Hazel Fellman. New York: Doubleday, 1965.

Conroy, Charles. Absalom Absalom! Narrative and Language in 2 Sam 13-20. Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1978.

Constable, Thomas L. "Analysis of Bible Books--Old Testament." Paper submitted for course 685 Analysis of Bible Books--Old Testament. Dallas Theological Seminary, January 1967.

Cooke, Gerald. "The Israelite King as Son of God." Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 73:2 (June 1961):202-25.

Coxon, Peter W. "A Note on Bathsheba' in 2 Samuel 12, 1-6." Biblica 62:2 (1981):247-50.

Crockett, William Day. A Harmony of the Books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973.

Cross, Frank M., Jr. Canaanite Myth and the Hebrew Bible. Cambridge and London: Harvard University Press, 1973.

_____. "An Interpretation of the Nora Stone." Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 208 (December 1972):13-19.

Cross, Frank Moore, Jr. and David Noel Freedman. "A Royal Song of Thanksgiving--II Samuel 22 = Psalm 18." Journal of Biblical Literature 72:1 (1953):15-34.

Curtis, John Briggs. "East is East . . ..'" Journal of Biblical Literature 80:4 (1961):356-63.

Darby, John Nelson. Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. 5 vols. Revised ed. New York: Loizeaux Brothers Publishers, 1942.

Davis, John J., and John C Whitcomb. A History of Israel. Reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980.

Day, Peggy L. "Abishai and satan in 2 Samuel 19:17-22." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 49:4 (October 1987):543-47.

de Vaux, Roland. Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions. 2 vols. Translated by John McHugh. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1961.

DeVries, LaMoine. "The Forest of Ephraim." Biblical Illustrator 10:1 (1983):82-85.

Damrosch, David. The Narrative Covenant: Transformations of Genre in the Growth of Biblical Literature. San Francisco: Harper, 1987.

Dillard, Raymond B. "David's Census: Perspectives on II Samuel 24 and I Chronicles 21." In Through Christ's Word: A Festschrift for Dr. Philip E. Hughes, pp. 94-107. Edited by Robert W. Godfrey and Jesse L. Boyd III. Phillipsburg, N.J.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1985.

Driver, S. R. Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel. 1913; 2nd ed. revised, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1966.

Dumbrell, William J. Covenants and Creation. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.

Eskhult, Mats. Studies in Verbal Aspect and Narrative Technique in Biblical Hebrew Prose. Uppsala, Sweden: Uppsala University, 1990.

Fensham, F. Charles. "The Battle Between the Men of Joab and Abner as a Possible Ordeal by Battle?" Vetus Testamentum 20:3 (July 1970):356-57.

_____. "Clauses of Protection in Hittite Vassal-Treaties and the Old Testament." Vetus Testamentum 13 (1963):133-43.

_____. "The Treaty between Israel and the Gibeonites." Biblical Archaeologist 27:3 (1964):96-100.

Flanagan, James W. "Court History or Succession Document? A Study of 2 Samuel 9-20; 1 Kings 1-2." Journal of Biblical Literature 91:2 (1972):172-81.

Fokkelman, J. P. Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel. Vol. 1: King David. Assen: Von Gorcum & Co., 1981.

Freedman, David Noel. "The Refrain in David's Lament Over Saul and Jonathan." In Ex Orbe Religionum: Studia Geo Widengren Oblata. pp. 115-26. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 1972.

Gaebelein, Arno C. The Annotated Bible. 4 vols. Reprint ed. Chicago: Moody Press, and New York: Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., 1970.

Garnet, Paul. "Atonement Constructions in the Old Testament and the Qumran Scrolls." Evangelical Quarterly 46:3 (July-September 1974):131-63.

Garsiel, Moshe. The First Book of Samuel: A Literary Study of Comparative Structures, Analogies, and Parallels. Ramat-Gan: Revivim, 1985.

Gehrke, R. O. I and II Samuel. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1968.

Gevirtz, Stanley. "David's Lament Over Saul and Jonathan." In Patterns in the Early Poetry of Israel, pp. 72-96. Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization series, number 32. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1963.

Gileadi, Avraham. "The Davidic Covenant: A Theological Basis for Corporate Protection." In Israel's Apostasy and Restoration: Essays in Honor of Roland K. Harrison, pp. 157-63. Edited by Avraham Gileadi. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988.

Goldingay, John. Theological Diversity and the Authority of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1987.

Goldman, S. Samuel. London: Soncino Press, 1951.

Gordon, Robert P. I & II Samuel: A Commentary. Library of Biblical Interpretation series. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, Regency Reference Library, 1986.

Gunn, David M. "David and the Gift of the Kingdom (2 Samuel 2-4, 9-20, 1 Kings 1-2)." Semeia 3 (1975):14-45.

_____. "From Jerusalem to the Jordan and Back: Symmetry in 2 Samuel XV-XX." Vetus Testamentum 30:1 (January 1980):109-13.

_____. The Story of King David: Genre and Interpretation. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement 6. Sheffield, Eng.: JSOT, 1978.

_____. "Traditional Composition in the Succession Narrative'." Vetus Testamentum 26:2 (April 1976):214-29.

Harton, George M. "Fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28-30 in History and in Eschatology." ThD dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1981.

Hays, J. Daniel. "The Cushites: A Black Nation in the Bible." Bibliotheca Sacra 153:612 (October-December 1996):396-409.

Heater, Homer, Jr. "A Theology of Samuel and Kings." In A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, pp. 115-55. Edited by Roy B. Zuck. Chicago: Moody Press, 1991.

Hertzberg, Hans Wilhelm. I and II Samuel. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1976.

Hill, Andrew E. "A Jonadab Connection in the Absalom Conspiracy." Journal of Biblical Literature 30:4 (December 1987):387-90.

Hillers, Delbert R. "A Note on Some Treaty Terminology in the Old Testament." Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 176 (1964):46-47.

Hodges, Zane C. "Conflicts in the Biblical Account of the Ammonite-Syrian War." Bibliotheca Sacra 119:475 (July-September 1962):238-43.

Hoftijzer, J. "David and the Tekoite Woman." Vetus Testamentum 20:4 (October 1970):419-44.

Holladay, William L. "Form and Word-Play in David's Lament over Saul and Jonathan." Vetus Testamentum 20:2 (April 1970):153-89.

Holloway, Steven W. "Distaff, Crutch or Chain Gang: The Curse of the House of Joab in 2 Samuel III 29." Vetus Testamentum 37:3 (July 1987):370-75.

Horn, Siegfried H. "The Crown of the King of the Ammonites." Andrews University Seminary Bulletin 11:2 (1973):170-80.

Jackson, Jared J. "David's Throne: Patterns in the Succession Story." Canadian Journal of Theology 11:3 (July 1965):183-95.

Jones, Gwilym H. The Nathan Narratives. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement 80. Sheffield, Eng.: JSOT, 1990.

Josephus, Flavius. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Whiston. Antiquities of the Jews. London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1866.

Kallai, Zechariah. "Judah and Israel--A Study in Israelite Historiography." Israel Exploration Journal 28:4 (1978):251-61.

Keil, C. F. and Franz Delitzsch. Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel. Translated by James Martin. Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. Reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1960.

Kennedy, James. "David's Lament over Saul and Jonathan: II Sam. 1:19-27." American Journal of Semitic Languages 32 (1916):118-25.

Kirkpatrick, A. F. The Second Book of Samuel. Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1886.

Kitchen, K. A. The Bible In Its World. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1977.

Laney, J. Carl. First and Second Samuel. Everyman's Bible Commentary series. Chicago: Moody Press, 1982.

Lange, John Peter, ed. Commentary on the Holy Scriptures. 12 vols. Reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1960. Vol. 3: Samuel-Kings, by Chr. Fr. David Erdmann and Karl Chr. W. T. Bahr. Translated, enlarged, and edited by C. H. Toy, John A. Broadus, Edwin Harwood, and W. G. Sumner.

Lasine, Stuart. "Melodrama as Parable: The Story of the Poor Man's Ewe-Lamb and the Unmasking of David's Topsy-Turvy Emotions." Hebrew Annual Review 8 (1984):101-24.

LaSor, William Sanford. "The Prophets during the Monarchy: Turning Points in Israel's Decline." In Israel's Apostasy and Restoration, pp. 59-70. Edited by Avraham Gileadi. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988.

Lawlor, John I. "Theology and Art in the Narrative of the Ammonite War (2 Samuel 10-12)." Grace Theological Journal 3:2 (1982):193-205.

Lawrence, John W. Life's Choices. Portland: Multnomah Press, 1975.

Lemche, Niels Peter. "David's Rise." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 10 (November 1978):2-25.

Levenson, Jon D. "The Davidic Covenant and Its Modern Interpreters." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 41:2 (1979):205-19.

Levenson, Jon D., and Baruch Halpern. "The Political Import of David's Marriages." Journal of Biblical Literature 99:4 (1980):507-18.

Mabee, Charles. "David's Judicial Exoneration." Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 92:1 (1980):92-107.

Malamat, Abraham. "Aspects of the Foreign Policies of David and Solomon." Journal of Near Eastern Studies 22:1 (January 1963):1-17.

_____. "The Kingdom of David & Solomon in Its Contact With Egypt and Aram Naharaim." Biblical Archaeologist 21:4 (1958):96-102.

Mare, W. Harold. The Archaeology of the Jerusalem Area. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987.

Martin, John A. "Studies in 1 and 2 Samuel." Bibliotheca Sacra 141:561 (January-March 1984):28-42; 562 (April-June 1984):131-45; 563 (July-September):209-22; 564 (October-December):303-14.

Mazar, B. "The Military Elite of King David." Vetus Testamentum 13 (1963):310-20.

McCarter, P. Kyle, Jr. II Samuel. Anchor Bible series. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Co., 1984.

_____. "The Apology of David." Journal of Biblical Literature 99:4 (1980):489-504.

_____. "Plots, True or False': The Succession Narrative as Court Apologetic." Interpretation 35:4 ( October 1981):355-67.

_____. "The Ritual Dedication of the City of David in 2 Samuel 6." In The Word of the Lord Shall Go Forth: Essays in Honor of David Noel Freedman in Celebration of His Sixtieth Birthday, pp. 273-78. Edited by Carol L. Meyers and M. O'Connor. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1983.

McCarthy, Dennis J. "II Samuel 7 and the Structure of the Deuteronomic History." Journal of Biblical Literature 84 (1965):136.

McKane, William. I and II Samuel. London: SCM Press, 1963.

Merrill, Eugene H. "2 Samuel." In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, pp. 457-82. Edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1985.

_____. Kingdom of Priests. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987.

_____. "Royal Priesthood: An Old Testament Messianic Motif." Bibliotheca Sacra 150:597 (January-March 1993):50-61.

Meyer, F. B. David: Shepherd and King. Condensed Christian Books series. Westchester, Ill.: Good News Publishers, 1960.

_____. Samuel the Prophet. Chicago: Fleming H. Revell, n.d.

Millard, A. R. "Saul's Shield Not Anointed With Oil." Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 230 (April 1978):70.

Monson, James M. The Land Between. Jerusalem: By the author, P.O. Box 1276, 1983.

Morgan, G. Campbell. Living Messages of the Books of the Bible. 2 vols. New York: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1912.

Murray, Donald. "Once Again t hd Sbty Ysr'l in II Samuel 7:7." Revue Biblique 94:3 (July 1987):389-96.

Na'aman, Nadav. "The List of David's Officers (Salisim)." Vetus Testamentum 38:1 (1988):71-79.

Neiderhiser, Edward A. "2 Samuel 20:8-10: A Note for a Commentary." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 24:3 (September 1981):209-10.

New Bible Dictionary, 1962 ed. S. v. "Cherethites," by T. C. Mitchell.

New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. Edited by C. Brown. 1975, 1976 and 1978 ed. S. v. "Shepherd," by E. Beyreuther.

Newsome, James D., Jr. ed. A Synoptic Harmony of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1986.

Nicol, George G. "The Wisdom of Joab and the Wise Woman of Tekoa." Studia Theologica 36 (1982):97-104.

North, Robert. "Social Dynamics From Saul to Jehu." Biblical Theology Bulletin 12:4 (1982):109-19.

O'Ceallaigh, G. C. "And So David Did to All the Cities of Ammon.'" Vetus Testamentum 12 (1962):179-89.

Ockinga, Boyu G. "A Note on 2 Samuel 18.18." Biblische Notizen 31 (1986):31-34.

Oppenheim, A. Leo. Ancient Mesopotamia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1964.

Ota, Michiko. "A Note on 2 Sam 7." In A Light Unto My Path: Old Testament Studies in Honor of Jacob M. Myers, pp. 403-7. Edited by Howard N. Bream, Ralph D. Heim, and Carey A. Moore. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1974.

Patrick, Symon. A Commentary Upon the Two Books of Samuel. London: Chiswell, 1703.

Payne, David F. I & II Samuel. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1982.

Payne, J. Barton. "1, 2 Chronicles." In I Kings-Job. Vol. 4 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary. 12 vols. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein and Richard D. Polcyn. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988.

Pentecost, J. Dwight. Things to Come. Findlay, Ohio: Dunham Publishing Co., 1958.

_____. Thy Kingdom Come. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1990.

Perdue, Leo G. "Is There Anyone Left of the House of Saul . . . ?' Ambiguity and the Characterization of David in the Succession Narrative." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 30 (October 1984):67-84.

Peters, F. E. Jerusalem. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985.

Pfeiffer, Charles F., and Howard F Vos. The Wycliffe Historical Geography of Bible Lands. Chicago: Moody Press, 1967.

Pfeiffer, Robert H. Introduction to the Old Testament. Revised ed. New York: Harper, 1948.

Phillips, Anthony. "David's Linen Ephod." Vetus Testamentum 19:4 (October 1967):485-87.

_____. "The Interpretation of 2 Samuel xii 5-6." Vetus Testamentum 16 (1966):242-44.

_____. "NEBALAH--a term for serious disorderly and unruly conduct." Vetus Testamentum 25:2 (April 1975):237-41.

Porter, J. R. "The Interpretation of 2 Samuel VI and Psalm CXXXII." Journal of Theological Studies N.S. 5 (1954):161-73.

Pritchard, James B., ed. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. 3rd ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969.

Rasmussen, Carl G. Zondervan NIV Atlas of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1989.

Reid, Patrick V. "Sbty in 2 Samuel 7:7." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 37:1 (January 1975):17-20.

Richardson, H. Neil. "The Last Words of David: Some Notes on II Samuel 23:1-7." Journal of Biblical Literature 90:3 (1971):257-66.

Ridout, George P. Prose Compositional Techniques in the Succession Narrative [2 Samuel 7, 9-20; 1 Kings 1-2]. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms, 1985.

Rogers, Cleon L., Jr. "The Davidic Covenant in the New Testament." Bibliotheca Sacra 150:600 (October-December 1993):458-78; and 150:601 (January-March 1994):71-84.

_____. "The Promises to David in Early Judaism." Bibliotheca Sacra 150:599 (July-September 1993:285-302.

Rosenberg, Joel. King and Kin: Political Allegory in the Hebrew Bible. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986.

Rost, Leonhard. The Succession to the Throne of David. Sheffield. Eng.: Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Press, 1982.

Roth, Wolfgang. "The Deuteronomic Rest Theology: A Redaction-Critical Study." Biblical Research 21 (1976):5-14.

____. "You Are the Man! Structural Interaction in 2 Samuel 10-12." Semeia 8 (1977):1-13.

Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership. Chicago: Moody Press, 1969.

Saucy, Robert L. The Case for Progressive Dispensationalism. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993.

Segal, M. H. "The Composition of the Books of Samuel." Jewish Quarterly Review 55 (1964-65):318-39; 56 (1965-66):32-50.

Schwantes, Siegfried J. A Short History of the Ancient Near East. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1965.

Shea, William H. "Chiasmus and the Structure of David's Lament." Journal of Biblical Literature 105:1 (1986):13-25.

_____. "David's Lament." Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 221 (February 1976):141-44.

Simon, Uriel. "The Poor Man's Ewe-Lamb." Biblica 48 (1967):207-42.

Skehan, Patrick W. "Joab's Census: How Far North (2 Sm 24, 6)?" Catholic Biblical Quarterly 31:1 (January 1969):42-49.

Smith, George Adam. The Historical Geography of the Holy Land. 22nd ed. London: Hodder and Stoughton, n.d.

Smith, H. P. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Books of Samuel. International Critical Commentary series. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1904.

Smith, J. M. P. "The Character of King David." Journal of Biblical Literature 52 (1933):1-11.

Smith, Morton. "The So-Called Biography of David' in the Books of Samuel and Kings." Harvard Theological Review 44 (1951):167-69.

Smith, Sidney. "The Practice of Kingship in Early Semitic Kingdoms." In Myth, Ritual, and Kingship, pp. 22-73. Edited by Samuel H. Hooke. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1958.

Sternberg, Meir. The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1987.

Student Map Manual. Jerusalem: Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est., 1979.

Swindoll, Charles R. David: A Man of Passion and Destiny. Great Lives from God's Word series. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1997.

Tadmor, Hayim. "Traditional Institutions and the Monarchy: Social and Political Tensions in the Time of David and Solomon." In Studies in the Period of David and Solomon and Other Essays, pp. 237-57. Edited by Tomoo Ishida. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1982.

Talmon, Shemaryahu. King, Cult, and Calendar in Ancient Israel: Collected Studies. Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1986.

Thiele, Edwin R. The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1965.

Thompson, J. A. 1, 2 Chronicles. New American Commentary series. N.c.: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994.

Tidwell, N. L. "The Linen Ephod: 1 Sam. II 18 and 2 Sam. VI 14." Vetus Testamentum 24:4 (October l974):505-7.

Tsevat, Matitiahu. "The House of David in Nathan's Prophecy." Biblica 46 (1965):353-56.

_____. "Studies in the Book of Samuel," Hebrew Union College Annual 34 (1963):71-82; 36 (1965):49-58.

Tucker, Stanley D. "The Theology of the Book of Samuel: A Study of God's Humiliation or Exaltation of Leaders." Biblical Viewpoint 12:2 (1978):152-59.

Vanderkam, James C. "Davidic Complicity in the Deaths of Abner and Eshbaal: A Historical and Redactional Study." Journal of Biblical Literature 99:4 (1980):521-39.

Vogels, Walter. "David's Greatness in His Sin and Repentance." The Way 15:4 (1975):243-54.

Waltke, Bruce K. "The Phenomenon of Conditionality Within Unconditional Covenants." In Israel's Apostasy and Restoration: Essays in Honor of Roland K. Harrison, pp. 123-39. Edited by Avraham Gileadi. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988.

Walvoord, John F. "The New Covenant." In Integrity of Heart, Skillfulness of Hands, pp. 186-200. Edited by Charles H. Dyer and Roy B. Zuck. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1994.

Weinfeld, Moshe. "The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East." Journal of the American Oriental Society 90:2 (1970):184-203.

Wenham, G. J. "Were David's Sons Priests?" Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 87:1 (1975):79-82.

Wharton, James A. "A Plausible Tale: Story and Theology in II Samuel 9-20, I Kings 1-2." Interpretation 35:4 (October 1981):341-54.

Whitelam, Keith W. "The Defence of David." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 29 (June 1984):61-87.

Whyte, Alexander. Bible Characters. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1952.

Wood, Leon. Israel's United Monarchy. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979.

_____. A Survey of Israel's History. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970.

Yadin, Yigael. The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands in the Light of Archaeological Discovery. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1963.

Yee, Gale A. "The Anatomy of Biblical Parody: The Dirge Form in 2 Samuel 1 and Isaiah 14." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 50:4 (October 1988):565-86.

_____. "Fraught With Background': Literary Ambiguity in II Samuel 11." Interpretation 42:3 (July 1988):240-53.

Young, Fred E. "First and Second Samuel." In The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, pp. 273-305. Edited by Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison. Chicago: Moody Press, 1962.

Youngblood, Ronald F. "1, 2 Samuel." In Deuteronomy-2 Samuel. Vol. 3 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary. 12 vols. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein and Richard P. Polcyn. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992.

Zapf, David L. "How Are the Mighty Fallen! A Study of 2 Samuel 1:17-27." Grace Theological Journal 5:1 (1984):95-126.

Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: 2 Samuel (Book Introduction)

THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL;

otherwise called,

THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS.

INTRODUCTION.

This Book contains the transactions of David till the end of the pestilence, occasioned by his numbering the people, chap. xxiv. The last six chapters of the preceding book were probably written by Gad, who delivered God's orders to David, after he was deprived of the company of Samuel. Gad, Nathan, and other prophets, continued the sacred history, 1 Paralipomenon xxix. 29. After the unfortunate death of Saul, his general, Abner, instead of submitting quietly to the dominion of David, (Haydock) set the son of the deceased monarch upon the throne, at Mahanaim; and two years elapsed before the rival kings came to open war, chap. ii. 10. (Salien) --- David was 30 years old when he was anointed at Hebron, (chap. v. 4,) where he reigned seven years and a half over Juda. On the death of Isoboseth, he was anointed a third time, as king of all Israel, and reigned in that character 37 years. (Haydock) --- The partisans of Isoboseth might be excused in their adherence to him, as he was the son of the late king, and the election of David was not sufficiently notified to them. (Salien) --- We here behold the many virtues of David, and his repentance for some faults into which he had fallen. His predictions, and the names and exploits of many of his valiant men, are likewise recorded. (Worthington)

Gill: 2 Samuel (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 2 SAMUEL

This book, in many copies of the Hebrew Bible, is carried on without any new title put unto it; the reason of it is, because, by some, this, with the preceding, has been reckoned but one book: hence the Jews say ^a, Samuel wrote his book, not his books; in others it is called Samuel Second; and by the Vulgate Latin the Second Book of Samuel, which we call the Second of Kings; though why his name should be put to it at all I see not, since it neither concerns him, nor could it be written by him, being an history of events after his death. The Greek version calls it the Second of Kings; and the Syriac version, the Second Book of the Kings of Israel; whereas there is but one king of Israel it makes mention of, and of whose actions only it is an history; and therefore with greater propriety it is called, as the Arabic version, the Book of David the Prophet, of whose reign, from the beginning to the end of it, it gives an account: wherefore Isidore ^b thinks it was written by David; and if so, it has this mark of simplicity and integrity, that the writer does not spare himself, nor conceal his own faults, and particularly that very capital one, the affair of Bathsheba, and also his numbering of the people; but it is most probable that it was written by Nathan and Gad ^c, see 1Ch 29:29; but whoever was the penman of it, there is no doubt to be made of its being written by inspiration, or that it is canonical; which has never been questioned, since there stands in it a famous prophecy concerning the building of the temple by a son of David, which had an exact accomplishment, 2Sa 7:12; as well as of the family of David, for a great while to come, which also was fulfilled, 2Sa 7:19; and an eminent passage concerning the Messiah, the son of David, and of his divine sonship, 2Sa 7:14; quoted by the Apostle Paul in proof of it, Heb 1:5. It contains an history of about forty years, for so long David reigned, seven years and six months in Hebron, over Judah, and thirty three years in Jerusalem, over all Israel and Judah; and this book relates his last words.

Gill: 2 Samuel 12 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 12

Nathan is sent to David to charge him with his sin, and convince him of it by a parable, 2Sa 12:1; which being accommodated and applied to David's case, brought him to a conviction and acknowledgment of it, and repentance for it, which was forgiven him, 2Sa 12:7; though he is told the child begotten in adultery should die, and it was quickly struck with sickness and died; and David's behaviour during its sickness and at its death is recorded, 2Sa 12:14; after which Solomon was born to him of the same woman, and had the name of Jedidiah given him by the Lord, which signifies the beloved of the Lord, and as a token of reconciliation, and a confirmation of his sin being forgiven him, 2Sa 12:24; and the chapter is concluded with the taking of the city of Rabbah, and the spoil in it, and the usage of the inhabitants of it, 2Sa 12:26.