1Hospodin poslal k Davidovi Nátana. Přišel k němu a řekl mu: V jednom městě byli dva muži; jeden bohatý a druhý chudý. 2Bohatý měl velmi mnoho ovcí a skotu. 3Chudý neměl nic než jen jednu malou ovečku, kterou koupil. Živil ji, vyrůstala u něho spolu s jeho syny. Jídala jeho sousto chleba, pila z jeho poháru a spávala v jeho klíně. Měl ji jako dceru. 4Nějaký pocestný přišel k bohatému muži, ale tomu bylo líto vzít ze svých ovcí či ze svého skotu a připravit poutníkovi, který k němu přišel. Tak vzal ovečku chudého muže a připravil ji muži, který k němu přišel. 5David proti tomu muži velice vzplál hněvem a řekl Nátanovi: Jakože živ je Hospodin, muž, který to spáchal, je synem smrti. 6A tu ovečku nahradí čtyřnásobně za to, že toto spáchal, a protože neměl soucit. 7Nátan Davidovi řekl: Ty jsi ten muž! Toto praví Hospodin, Bůh Izraele: Já jsem tě pomazal za krále nad Izraelem. Já jsem tě vysvobodil ze Saulovy ruky. 8Dal jsem ti dům tvého pána a ženy tvého pána do tvého klína. Dal jsem ti dům izraelský a judský. A kdyby to bylo málo, přidal bych ti to či ono. 9Proč jsi pohrdl Hospodinovým slovem a spáchal jsi zlo v jeho očích? Chetejce Urijáše jsi zabil mečem a jeho manželku sis vzal za ženu; zabil jsi ho mečem synů Amónových. 10Nyní se meč navždy neodvrátí od tvého domu za to, že jsi mnou pohrdl a vzal sis manželku Chetejce Urijáše, aby byla tvou ženou. 11Toto praví Hospodin: Hle, já dám povstat proti tobě zlu z tvého domu. Před tvýma očima vezmu tvé ženy a dám je tvému bližnímu. Bude s tvými ženami spát za denního světla. 12Ty jsi to sice spáchal tajně, já však to učiním před celým Izraelem a za denního světla. 13David řekl Nátanovi: Zhřešil jsem proti Hospodinu. Nátan Davidovi odpověděl: Hospodin také odňal tvůj hřích, nezemřeš. 14Ovšem protože jsi touto věcí tolik znevážil Hospodina, syn, který se ti narodí, jistě zemře. 15Pak Nátan odešel domů. Hospodin postihl dítě, které porodila Urijášova žena Davidovi, takže těžce onemocnělo. 16David hledal Boha kvůli tomu chlapci. Postil se, šel, ulehl a spal na zemi. 17Starší jeho domu k němu přistoupili, aby ho zvedli ze země, ale nechtěl, ani s nimi nepojedl pokrm. 18Sedmého dne se stalo, že dítě zemřelo. Davidovi otroci se báli mu oznámit, že dítě zemřelo. Říkali: Když bylo dítě naživu, přemlouvali jsme ho, a neuposlechl nás. Jak bychom mu mohli říct, že dítě zemřelo? Mohl by učinit něco zlého. 19David však viděl, že jeho otroci si něco šeptali, a pochopil, že dítě zemřelo. Proto se David svých otroků zeptal: Dítě zemřelo? Odpověděli: Zemřelo. 20Nato David vstal ze země, umyl se, pomazal se olejem a vyměnil si oděv. Šel do Hospodinova domu a poklonil se. Pak přišel domů, a když požádal, předložili mu pokrm a pojedl. 21Jeho otroci se ho zeptali: Co má znamenat to, co jsi učinil? Když bylo dítě naživu, postil ses a plakal, a jakmile dítě zemře, vstaneš a pojíš pokrm. 22Odpověděl: Když bylo dítě naživu, postil jsem se a plakal, protože jsem si říkal: Kdo ví, snad se nade mnou Hospodin slituje a dítě bude žít. 23Nyní zemřelo. Nač bych se měl postit? Což ho mohu zase přivést zpět? Já půjdu k němu, ale ono se ke mně nevrátí. 24David potěšil svou ženu Bat-šebu, vešel k ní a spal s ní. Porodila syna a pojmenoval ho Šalomoun. Hospodin si ho zamiloval 25a vzkázal po proroku Nátanovi, aby ho pojmenoval Jedidjáš, kvůli Hospodinu. 26Jóab bojoval proti Rabě synů Amónových a královské město dobyl. 27Jóab poslal k Davidovi posly se slovy: Bojoval jsem proti Rabě a již jsem dobyl Vodní město. 28Nyní shromáždi zbytek lidu, utáboř se proti městu a dobuď ho. Jinak dobudu město já a bude nazváno mým jménem. 29David shromáždil všechen lid a vytáhl k Rabě. Bojoval proti ní a dobyl ji. 30Korunu jejich krále vzal z jeho hlavy — vážila talent zlata a byl na ní drahokam — a spočinula na Davidově hlavě. Vynesl z města velmi mnoho kořisti. 31Lid, který byl v něm, vyvedl a ustanovil, aby pracovali s pilou, železnými špičáky a železnými sekyrami, a přivedl je do cihelny. Tak jednal se všemi městy synů Amónových. David a všechen lid se pak vrátil do Jeruzaléma.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 NATHAN'S PARABLE. (
2Sam 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 (
Exod 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. (
2Sam 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 (
Ps 32:1-
Ps 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 (
2Sam 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 (
John 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. (
2Sam 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. (
2Sam 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 (
1Sam 11:2;
Amos 1:13).