1Jahve poslal k Davidovi proroka Natana. On k němu vešel a řekl mu: „V jednom městě byli dva mužové, jeden bohatý a druhý chudý. 2Ten bohatý měl bravu a skotu v převeliké hojnosti. 3Ten chudý neměl nic než jedinou ovečku, jedinou, maličkou, kterou si koupil. Krmil ji a ona u něho rostla s jeho dětmi, jedla jeho chléb a pila z jeho číše, spala v jeho klíně; byla jakoby jeho dcera. 4K bohatému muži zavítal host a on šetřil a nevzal ze svého bravu nebo skotu, čím by posloužil poutníkovi, jenž k němu přišel. Ukradl ovečku toho chudého muže a připravil ji pro svého návštěvníka.“ 5David se na toho muže prudce rozhněval a řekl Natanovi: „Jako že žije Jahve, muž, který to udělal, je hoden smrti! 6Nahradí tu ovečku čtyřnásobně za to, že se dopustil toho činu a že neměl slitování.“ 7Tu Natan Davidovi řekl: „Ten muž jsi ty. Takto mluví Jahve, Bůh Izraele: Pomazal jsem tě na krále Izraele, zachránil jsem tě ze Saulovy ruky, 8vydal jsem ti dům tvého pána, vložil jsem ti do náruče ženy tvého pána, dal jsem ti Izraelův a Judův dům a není-li to dost, přidám ti ještě cokoli. 9Proč jsi pohrdl Jahvem a udělal, co se mu nelíbí? Zasáhl jsi mečem Chetitu Uriáše, jeho ženu sis vzal za ženu, jeho jsi dal zahubit mečem Amonitů. 10Teď už se meč nikdy neodvrátí od tvého domu, protože jsi mnou pohrdl a protože jsi vzal ženu Chetity Uriáše, aby se stala tvou ženou. 11Takto mluví Jahve: Způsobím, že proti tobě povstane neštěstí z tvého vlastního domu. Tobě před očima vezmu tvé ženy a vydám je tvému bližnímu, on bude s tvými ženami spát a slunce to uvidí. 12Ty jsi jednal vskrytu, ale já to vykonám před tváří celého Izraele a před tváří slunce!“ 13David řekl Natanovi: „Zhřešil jsem proti Jahvovi!“ Tu Natan Davidovi řekl: „I Jahve ti tvou vinu odpouští, nezemřeš. 14Ale protože jsi v této věci potupil Jahva, dítě, které se ti narodí, zemře.“ 15A Natan odešel domů. Jahve zasáhl dítě, které Davidovi dala Uriášova žena, a ono těžce onemocnělo. 16David za to dítě úpěnlivě prosil Boha: přísně se postil, vrátil se domů a strávil noc leže na holé zemi. 17Hodnostáři jeho domu stáli kolem něho a chtěli ho pozvednout ze země, ale on odmítl a nevzal si s nimi nic k jídlu. 18Sedmého dne dítě zemřelo. Davidovi služebníci měli strach mu oznámit, že dítě zemřelo. Říkali si totiž: „Když bylo dítě naživu, mluvili jsme k němu a on nás neposlouchal. Jak mu můžeme říci, že je dítě mrtvé? Provede něco zlého!“ 19David si všiml, že si služebníci mezi sebou šeptají, a pochopil, že dítě zemřelo. David se svých služebníků zeptal: „Dítě zemřelo?“ a oni odpověděli: „Ano.“ 20Tu David vstal ze země, vykoupal se, navoněl se a převlékl si šaty. Potom vešel do Jahvovy svatyně a klaněl se. Když se vrátil domů, požádal, aby mu předložili jídlo, a pojedl. 21Jeho služebníci mu řekli: „Co to děláš? Pokud bylo dítě naživu, postil ses a plakal jsi a nyní, když dítě zemřelo, vstaneš a bereš si jídlo!“ 22On odpověděl: „Pokud bylo dítě naživu, postil jsem se a plakal, neboť jsem si říkal: Kdo ví? Možná se Jahve nade mnou slituje a dítě bude žít. 23Teď když zemřelo, proč bych se postil? Mohu je přivést nazpět? Já půjdu za ním, ale ono se ke mně nevrátí.“ 24David utěšil svou ženu Betsabe. Šel k ní a spal s ní. Ona počala a porodila syna, jemuž dala jméno Šalomoun. Jahve ho měl v lásce 25a oznámil to prostřednictvím proroka Natana. Ten ho podle Jahvova slova pojmenoval Jedidja. 26Joab vyrazil k útoku proti Rabě Amonitů a zmocnil se královského města. 27Tu Joab vypravil k Davidovi posly, aby mu řekli: „Zaútočil jsem na Rabu, zmocnil jsem se vodního města. 28Nyní seber zbytek vojska, rozlož se proti městu táborem a obsaď je ty, abych to město nedobyl a nedal mu své jméno já.“ 29David shromáždil celé vojsko a šel k Rabě, vyrazil k útoku proti městu a zmocnil se ho. 30Sňal Milkomovi z hlavy korunu, jež vážila jeden talent zlata; byl v ní zasazen drahokam, který se stal ozdobou Davidovy hlavy. Z města odnesl obrovské množství kořisti. 31Obyvatelstvo pak vyvedl, postavil je k pilám, železným špičákům nebo sekerám a zaměstnal je při zpracovávání cihel; stejně nakládal se všemi městy Amonitů. David a celé jeho vojsko se vrátili 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).