Nathan's Story of the Poor Man's Lamb
Study note
God sent the prophet Nathan to David with a parable about a rich man who stole a poor man's only beloved lamb to serve to a guest instead of using one of his own large flock. The story was designed to make David pass judgment on himself without realizing it. David was furious at the injustice and declared that the man who did this deserved to die and must pay back four times over.
1 The Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David. Nathan came and told him a story: "Two men lived in the same town. One was wealthy, the other poor." And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
2 "The wealthy man owned huge herds of sheep and cattle." The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
3 "The poor man owned just one small lamb that he had bought and raised by hand. It grew up alongside his children, sharing his food, drinking from his cup, and sleeping in his arms. He treated it like his own daughter." But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
4 "One day a traveler visited the wealthy man. But instead of taking an animal from his own large flocks to feed his guest, the wealthy man grabbed the poor man's only lamb and cooked it for the visitor." And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
5 David was furious. He told Nathan, "I swear by the living Lord, that man deserves to die!" And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
6 "He must repay the lamb four times over for doing such a heartless thing!" And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
Nathan Confronts David
Study note
Nathan pointed directly at David and said the most famous four words in prophetic literature: 'You are the man.' God reminded David of everything he had been given: the throne, Saul's household, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. God would have given David even more, but David had despised God's word by taking Uriah's wife and arranging his murder. The consequences would be severe: violence would never leave David's house, and trouble would rise from within his own family. David immediately confessed his sin. Nathan told David that God forgave him and he would not die, but the child would.
7 Nathan looked straight at David and said, "You are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says this: 'I anointed you king over Israel and rescued you from Saul.'" And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
8 "I gave you your master's house and his wives. I gave you the nations of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have gladly given you much more." And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
9 "So why did you treat the Lord's word with such contempt? You had Uriah the Hittite killed in battle and took his wife for yourself. You used the Ammonite army as your murder weapon." Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
10 "Because of this, violence will plague your family from now on, since you showed contempt for me by taking Uriah's wife." Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
11 "The Lord declares: 'I will stir up trouble against you from within your own household. Before you, I will hand your wives over to someone close to you, and he will sleep with them out in the open for everyone to see.'" Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12 "What you did in secret, I will bring about in broad daylight for all Israel to witness." For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
13 David confessed to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan told him, "The Lord has forgiven your sin. You will not die for this." And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
14 "However, because your actions gave the Lord's enemies a reason to mock him, the baby born to you will die." Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
The Death of the Child
Study note
The child born to David and Bathsheba became very sick. David begged God for the child's life, fasting and lying on the ground for seven days. The elders tried to get him up, but he refused. When the child died on the seventh day, the servants were afraid to tell David. But when David realized the child had died, he surprised everyone by getting up, washing, changing his clothes, and going to worship God. He explained that while the child was alive there was hope that God might be merciful, but now that the child was dead, David would go to the child someday, not bring the child back.
15 Nathan went home. Then the Lord made the child that Bathsheba had given David very sick. And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
16 David pleaded with God to heal the baby. He refused to eat and spent every night lying flat on the bare ground. David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
17 The leaders of his household gathered around him and tried to get him off the floor, but he would not budge. He refused to share a meal with any of them. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
18 On the seventh day, the child died. David's servants were scared to break the news. They whispered to each other, "He would not listen to us while the child was alive. What might he do to himself if we tell him the child is dead?" And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
19 David noticed his servants whispering and figured out what had happened. He asked them straight out, "Did the child die?" They confirmed, "Yes, he did." But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
20 David immediately got up from the ground. He bathed, put on fresh clothes and cologne, and went to the Lord's tent to worship. Afterward he went home, asked for food, and ate a meal. Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
21 His servants were puzzled. "We do not understand," they said. "While the child was alive, you fasted and wept. But now that he has died, you get up and eat?" Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
22 David explained, "While the baby was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Maybe the Lord will be kind and let the child live.'" And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
23 "But now that he has died, what good does fasting do? I cannot bring him back. Someday I will go to be with him, but he cannot return to me." But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
Solomon Is Born
Study note
David comforted Bathsheba, and she gave birth to another son. David named him Solomon. The Lord loved the child and sent the prophet Nathan to give him the special name Jedidiah, meaning 'loved by the Lord.' Solomon would grow up to become one of the most famous kings in history.
24 David went to comfort his wife Bathsheba, and they had another son together. She named him Solomon, and the Lord loved the child. And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
25 The Lord sent word through the prophet Nathan, giving the boy the special name Jedidiah, which means "loved by the Lord." And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
David Captures Rabbah
Study note
Meanwhile, Joab had been fighting against the Ammonite capital of Rabbah and was close to capturing it. Joab sent word to David, urging him to come and lead the final attack so that the victory would be credited to David and not to Joab. David gathered the army, captured the city, and took the king's crown, which weighed about seventy-five pounds of gold. He took great quantities of plunder from the city and put the Ammonite people to forced labor.
26 Meanwhile, Joab kept attacking the Ammonite capital of Rabbah. He captured the royal fortress. And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
27 Joab sent word to David. "I have struck Rabbah. I took control of its water supply." And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.
28 "Now gather the rest of the army and come finish the job yourself. Otherwise I will capture the city and get the credit for it." 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.
29 David assembled the whole army and marched to Rabbah. He attacked it and took the city. And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
30 David removed the crown from the Ammonite king's head. It was made of gold weighing about 75 pounds and was studded with precious gems. It was placed on David's own head. He also carried off a massive amount of treasure from the city. And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
31 David put the captured people to work using saws, iron picks, iron axes, and at brick-making kilns. He did this throughout all the Ammonite cities. Then he led the whole army back to Jerusalem. And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.