but the poor one had only one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He tended it and it grew up together with him and his children: it used to share his morsel of bread, drink from his cup, and nestle in his bosom; it was like a daughter to him.
One day, a traveler came to the rich man, but he was loath to take anything from his own flocks or herds to prepare a meal for the guest who had come to him; so he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
David flew into a rage against the man, and said to Nathan, “As GOD lives, the man who did thisathe man who did this Or “any man who has done this.” deserves to die!
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויחראף
305
דוד
14
באיש
313
מאד
45
ויאמר
257
אלנתן
531
חייהוה
44
כי
30
בןמות
498
האיש
316
העשה
380
זאת
408
II Samuel 12:6
Gematria: 4295
ואתהכבשהישלםארבעתיםעקבאשרעשהאתהדברהזהועלאשרלאחמלס
He must pay for the lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and showed no pity.”
And Nathan said to David, “That man is you! Thus said the ETERNAL, the God of Israel: ‘It was I who anointed you king over Israel and it was I who rescued you from the hand of Saul.
I gave you your master’s house and possession of your master’s wives; and I gave you the House of Israel and Judah; and if that were not enough, I would give you twice as much more.
Why then have you flouted GOD’s command—and done what displeases Me?bMe So qere; kethib “Him.” You have put Uriah the Hittite to the sword; you took his wife and made her your wife and had him killed by the sword of the Ammonites.
Thus said GOD: ‘I will make a calamity rise against you from within your own house; I will take your wives and give them to another man before your very eyes and he shall sleep with your wives under this very sun.
Word-by-Word Analysis
כה
25
אמר
241
יהוה
26
הנני
115
מקים
190
עליך
130
רעה
275
מביתך
472
ולקחתי
554
אתנשיך
781
לעיניך
190
ונתתי
866
לרעיך
330
ושכב
328
עםנשיך
490
לעיני
170
השמש
645
הזאת
413
II Samuel 12:12
Gematria: 4366
כיאתהעשיתבסתרואניאעשהאתהדברהזהנגדכלישראלונגדהשמשס
You acted in secret, but I will make this happen in the sight of all Israel and in broad daylight.’”
David said to Nathan, “I stand guilty before GOD!” And Nathan replied to David, “GOD has remitted your sin; you shall not die.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמר
257
דוד
14
אלנתן
531
חטאתי
428
ליהוהסויאמר
373
נתן
500
אלדוד
45
גםיהוה
69
העביר
287
חטאתך
438
לא
31
תמות
846
II Samuel 12:14
Gematria: 2635
אפסכינאץנאצתאתאיבייהוהבדברהזהגםהבןהילודלךמותימות
However, since you have spurned the enemies ofcthe enemies of The phrase is intended to avoid saying “spurned GOD”; cf. first note at 1 Sam. 25.22. GOD by this deed, even the child about to be born to you shall die.”
Nathan went home, and GOD afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and it became critically ill.
Word-by-Word Analysis
וילך
66
נתן
500
אלביתו
449
ויגף
99
יהוה
26
אתהילד
450
אשר
501
ילדה
49
אשתאוריה
923
לדוד
44
ויאנש
367
II Samuel 12:16
Gematria: 2340
ויבקשדודאתהאלהיםבעדהנערויצםדודצוםובאולןושכבארצה
David entreated God for the boy; David fasted, and he went in and spent the night lyingdlying Some Septuagint mss. and 4QSamᵃ add “in sackcloth”; cf. 1 Kings 21.27. on the ground.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויבקש
418
דוד
14
אתהאלהים
492
בעד
76
הנער
325
ויצם
146
דוד
14
צום
136
ובא
9
ולן
86
ושכב
328
ארצה
296
II Samuel 12:17
Gematria: 2244
ויקמוזקניביתועליולהקימומןהארץולאאבהולאבראאתםלחם
The senior servants of his household tried to induce him to get up from the ground; but he refused, nor would he partake of food with them.
On the seventh day the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell David that the child was dead; for they said, “We spoke to him when the child was alive and he wouldn’t listen to us; how can we tell him that the child is dead? He might do something terrible.”
When David saw his servants talking in whispers, David understood that the child was dead; David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” “Yes,” they replied.
Thereupon David rose from the ground; he bathed and anointed himself, and he changed his clothes. He went into the House of GOD and prostrated himself. Then he went home and asked for food, which they set before him, and he ate.
His courtiers asked him, “Why have you acted in this manner? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but now that the child is dead, you rise and take food!”
Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have attacked Rabbah and I have already captured the water city.gthe water city Meaning of Heb. uncertain; perhaps the source of the water supply.
Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it; otherwise I will capture the city myself, and my name will be connected with it.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ועתה
481
אסף
141
אתיתר
1011
העם
115
וחנה
69
עלהעיר
385
ולכדה
65
פןאלכד
185
אני
61
אתהעיר
686
ונקרא
357
שמי
350
עליה
115
II Samuel 12:29
Gematria: 1586
ויאסףדודאתכלהעםוילךרבתהוילחםבהוילכדה
David mustered all the troops and marched on Rabbah, and he attacked it and captured it.
hVv. 30–31 are found also in 1 Chron. 20.2–3. The crown was taken from the head of their kingitheir king Heb. malkam, perhaps equivalent to “Milcom,” the Ammonite deity; cf. 1 Kings 11.5. and it was placed on David’s head—it weighed a talent of gold, and [on it]j[on it] So Targum and 1 Chron. 20.2. were precious stones. He also carried off a vast amount of booty from the city.
He led out the people who lived there and set them to work with saws, iron threshing boards, and iron axes, or assigned them to brickmaking; David did this to all the towns of Ammon. Then David and all the troops returned to Jerusalem.