1Hospodin za Davidem poslal Nátana. Ten k němu přišel a řekl mu: „V jednom městě žili dva muži, jeden bohatý a jeden chudý. 2Bohatý měl velikou spoustu ovcí a dobytka. 3Chudý neměl nic než jednu malou ovečku, kterou koupil a choval. Vyrůstala u něj s jeho dětmi, z jeho skrovného pokrmu jedla, z jeho poháru pila, v jeho klíně spala, jako by byla jeho dcerou. 4Jednou k onomu boháči přišel pocestný. Jemu ale bylo líto vzít a připravit pro hosta jednu ze svých ovcí nebo dobytka, a tak vzal ovečku onoho chudáka a tu tomu příchozímu připravil.“ 5David se na toho muže hrozně rozhněval. „Jakože je živ Hospodin,“ řekl Nátanovi, „muž, který to spáchal, musí zemřít! 6A tu ovečku zaplatí čtyřnásobně – za to, že provedl takovou věc a neměl slitování.“ 7„Ten muž jsi ty!“ řekl Nátan Davidovi. „Tak praví Hospodin, Bůh Izraele: Já jsem tě pomazal za krále nad Izraelem a já jsem tě vysvobodil ze Saulových rukou. 8Dal jsem ti dům tvého pána. I ženy svého pána jsi dostal do klína. Dal jsem ti dům Izraele a Judy. A kdyby ti to bylo málo, přidal bych ti ještě mnohem víc! 9Proč jsi pohrdl Hospodinovým slovem? Provedl jsi, co je v jeho očích zlé. Uriáše Chetejského jsi zabil mečem a jeho ženu sis vzal za manželku. Zavraždil jsi ho mečem Amonců! 10Proto, že jsi mnou pohrdl a vzal sis za ženu manželku Uriáše Chetejského, se od tvého domu od nynějška nikdy neodvrátí meč. 11Tak praví Hospodin: Hle, vzbudím proti tobě zlo z tvého vlastního domu. Před tvýma očima vezmu tvé ženy a dám je tvému bližnímu, aby s nimi spal všem na očích. 12Ty jsi to udělal tajně, ale já to udělám veřejně, před celým Izraelem!“ 13„Zhřešil jsem proti Hospodinu!“ řekl mu na to David. „Ano,“ odpověděl mu Nátan, „ale Hospodin z tebe tvůj hřích sňal. Nezemřeš. 14Protože jsi ale tímto činem znevážil Hospodina, musí zemřít tvůj novorozený syn.“ 15A po těch slovech se Nátan vrátil domů. Hospodin pak postihl dítě, které Davidovi porodila Uriášova manželka, a to onemocnělo. 16David kvůli tomu chlapci hledal Boha. Držel půst a v noci ležel na holé zemi. 17Stařešinové jeho domu se postavili okolo, aby ho přiměli vstát ze země, ale on nechtěl. Ani pokrm od nich nepřijal. 18Po sedmi dnech pak dítě zemřelo. Davidovi služebníci se mu chlapcovu smrt báli oznámit. „Když ještě chlapec žil,“ říkali si, „domlouvali jsme mu, ale nechtěl nás poslechnout. Co až mu řekneme: ‚Dítě umřelo?‘ Mohl by provést něco hrozného!“ 19David si ale všiml, že si jeho služebníci šeptají, a pochopil, že chlapec zemřel. „Dítě umřelo?“ zeptal se svých služebníků. „Ano, umřelo,“ odpověděli. 20Nato David vstal ze země, a když se umyl, pomazal mastí a převlékl, šel se poklonit do Hospodinovy svatyně. Pak se vrátil domů, požádal o pokrm a pojedl. 21„Co to děláš?“ řekli mu jeho služebníci. „Dokud chlapec žil, postil ses a plakal, ale jakmile zemřel, vstal jsi a dal ses do jídla!“ 22„Dokud chlapec žil,“ odpověděl jim, „postil jsem se a plakal, protože jsem si říkal: ‚Kdo ví? Třeba se nade mnou Hospodin slituje a nechá ho naživu.‘ 23Teď je mrtvý. Proč bych se měl postit? Copak ho mohu přivést zpět? Já půjdu za ním, ale on se ke mně nevrátí.“ 24Potom David utěšoval svou manželku Batšebu; přišel k ní a miloval se s ní. Když pak porodila syna, dala mu jméno Šalomoun, Pokojný. Hospodin si ho zamiloval 25a skrze proroka Nátana sdělil, že pro Hospodina se bude jmenovat Jedidiáš, Miláček Hospodinův. 26Joáb mezitím bojoval proti Rabě Amonců. Když to královské město téměř dobyl, 27vyslal k Davidovi posly se vzkazem: „Zaútočil jsem na Rabu a dobyl jsem městský zdroj vody. 28Vezmi tedy zbytek vojska, oblehni město a dobuď je, abych je nedobyl já a vítězství nebylo připisováno mně.“ 29David tedy vzal všechno zbývající vojsko a vytáhl proti Rabě. Zaútočil na ni a dobyl ji. 30Potom sňal z Molochovy hlavy korunu vážící talent zlata. Měla na sobě drahokam, který pak David nosíval na hlavě. Vyvezl z města také veliké množství kořisti. 31Jeho obyvatele odvedl a dal k pile, k železným dlátům a sekyrám; některé poslal do cihelny. Tak naložil se všemi městy Amonců. Potom se David se vším vojskem vrátil do Jeruzaléma.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 NATHAN'S PARABLE. (
2Σαμ. 12:1-6)
the Lord sent Nathan unto David--The use of parables is a favorite style of speaking among Oriental people, especially in the conveyance of unwelcome truth. This exquisitely pathetic parable was founded on a common custom of pastoral people who have pet lambs, which they bring up with their children, and which they address in terms of endearment. The atrocity of the real, however, far exceeded that of the fictitious offense.
5 the man that hath done this thing shall surely die--This punishment was more severe than the case deserved, or than was warranted by the divine statute (
Έξ. 22:1). The sympathies of the king had been deeply enlisted, his indignation aroused, but his conscience was still asleep; and at the time when he was most fatally indulgent to his own sins, he was most ready to condemn the delinquencies and errors of others.
7 HE APPLIES IT TO DAVID, WHO CONFESSES HIS SIN, AND IS PARDONED. (
2Σαμ. 12:7-23)
Nathan said to David, Thou art the man--These awful words pierced his heart, aroused his conscience, and brought him to his knees. The sincerity and depth of his penitent sorrow are evinced by the Psalms he composed (
Ψαλ. 32:1-
Ψαλ. 32:11; Psa. 51:1-19; Psa. 103:1-22). He was pardoned, so far as related to the restoration of the divine favor. But as from his high character for piety, and his eminent rank in society, his deplorable fall was calculated to do great injury to the cause of religion, it was necessary that God should testify His abhorrence of sin by leaving even His own servant to reap the bitter temporal fruits. David was not himself doomed, according to his own view of what justice demanded (
2Σαμ. 12:5); but he had to suffer a quadruple expiation in the successive deaths of four sons, besides a lengthened train of other evils.
8 I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives--The phraseology means nothing more than that God in His providence had given David, as king of Israel, everything that was Saul's. The history furnishes conclusive evidence that he never actually married any of the wives of Saul. But the harem of the preceding king belongs, according to Oriental notions, as a part of the regalia to his successor.
11 I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, &c.--The prophet speaks of God threatening to do what He only permitted to be done. The fact is, that David's loss of character by the discovery of his crimes, tended, in the natural course of things, to diminish the respect of his family, to weaken the authority of his government, and to encourage the prevalence of many disorders throughout his kingdom.
15 the Lord struck the child . . . and it was very sick--The first visible chastisement inflicted on David appeared on the person of that child which was the evidence and monument of his guilt. His domestics were surprised at his conduct, and in explanation of its singularity, it is necessary to remark that the custom in the East is to leave the nearest relative of a deceased person to the full and undisturbed indulgence of his grief, till on the third or fourth day at farthest (
Ιωάν. 11:17). Then the other relatives and friends visit him, invite him to eat, lead him to a bath, and bring him a change of dress, which is necessary from his having sat or lain on the ground. The surprise of David's servants, then, who had seen his bitter anguish while the child was sick, arose apparently from this, that when he found it was dead, he who had so deeply lamented arose of himself from the earth, without waiting for their coming to him, immediately bathed and anointed himself, instead of appearing as a mourner, and after worshiping God with solemnity, returned to his wonted repast, without any interposition of others.
24 SOLOMON IS BORN. (
2Σαμ. 12:24-25)
Bath-sheba . . . bare a son, and he called his name Solomon--that is, "peaceable." But Nathan gave him the name of Jedediah, by command of God, or perhaps only as an expression of God's love. This love and the noble gifts with which he was endowed, considering the criminality of the marriage from which he sprang, is a remarkable instance of divine goodness and grace.
26 RABBAH IS TAKEN. (
2Σαμ. 12:26-31)
Joab fought against Rabbah--The time during which this siege lasted, since the intercourse with Bath-sheba, and the birth of at least one child, if not two, occurred during the progress of it, probably extended over two years.
27 the city of waters--Rabbah, like Aroer, was divided into two parts--one the lower town, insulated by the winding course of the Jabbok, which flowed almost round it, and the upper and stronger town, called the royal city. "The first was taken by Joab, but the honor of capturing so strongly a fortified place as the other was an honor reserved for the king himself."
28 encamp against the city, and take it--It has always been characteristic of Oriental despots to monopolize military honors; and as the ancient world knew nothing of the modern refinement of kings gaining victories by their generals, so Joab sent for David to command the final assault in person. A large force was levied for the purpose. David without much difficulty captured the royal city and obtained possession of its immense wealth.
lest I take the city, and it be called after my name--The circumstance of a city receiving a new name after some great person, as Alexandria, Constantinople, Hyderabad, is of frequent occurrence in the ancient and modern history of the East.
30 he took their king's crown from off his head--While the treasures of the city were given as plunder to his soldiers, David reserved to himself the crown, which was of rarest value. Its great weight makes it probable that it was like many ancient crowns, not worn, but suspended over the head, or fixed on a canopy on the top of the throne.
the precious stones--Hebrew, "stone"; was a round ball composed of pearls and other jewels, which was in the crown, and probably taken out of it to be inserted in David's own crown.
31 he brought forth the people . . . and put them under saws, &c.--This excessive severity and employment of tortures, which the Hebrews on no other occasion are recorded to have practised, was an act of retributive justice on a people who were infamous for their cruelties (
1Σαμ. 11:2;
Άμ. 1:13).