2Sa 12:1-13 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 2Sam 12:1-31: 12:1-31 Chapter 12 expands on the last phrase of 11:27 . 12:1 The Lord sent Nathan to David at least nine months after his adulterous sin. • This story is a rare Old Testament instance of a parable (see also Judg 9:8-15 ). Such stories can be effective for communicating truth. • David was rich in the royal treasures he possessed, the number of wives he had, and all the promises of God for his future. Uriah by contrast was poor : he had one wife, one home, and no lineage.

Summary for 2Sam 12:1-31: 12:1-31 ^a Chapter 12 expands on the last phrase of 11:27 ^b. 12:1 ^c The Lord sent Nathan to David at least nine months after his adulterous sin.

• This story is a rare Old Testament instance of a parable (see also Judg 9:8-15 ^d). Such stories can be effective for communicating truth.

• David was rich in the royal treasures he possessed, the number of wives he had, and all the promises of God for his future. Uriah by contrast was poor: he had one wife, one home, and no lineage.
12:3 ^e like a baby daughter: Nathan’s comparison of this lamb to a daughter (Hebrew bath) strikes a parallel with Bathsheba’s name (see study note on 11:3).
12:4 ^f he took the poor man’s lamb: Samuel had previously warned that a king would take what was not his (1 Sam 8:11-17 ^g).
Summary for 2Sam 12:5-6: 12:5-6 ^h The rich man of the parable did not deserve to die according to the law; instead, he must repay four lambs (cp. Exod 22:1 ⁱ). Intriguingly, David would later lose four of his sons (Bathsheba’s first child, 2 Sam 12:18 ^j; Amnon, 13:29 ^k; Absalom, 18:14-15 ^l; Adonijah, 1 Kgs 2:25 ^m).
Summary for 2Sam 12:7-8: 12:7-8 ⁿ You are that man! David did deserve to die for his crime (Lev 20:10 ^o).

• I anointed ... I gave ... I would have given you: David’s sin not only violated God’s commandments against murder, adultery, and coveting (Exod 20:1-17 ^p) but also amounted to a brazen disregard for all that the Lord had graciously given him.
12:8 ^q His wives were probably the concubines of Saul’s harem (cp. 3:7 ^r). The phrase could refer to Saul’s wife Ahinoam, although David probably married a different woman with the same name (cp. 1 Sam 14:50 ^s; 25:43 ^t).
12:10 ^u from this time on (literally forever): Contrast God’s gracious “forever” promises of 7:13-29 ^v.

• The reminder of what David had done with the sword (12:9 ^w) and what role the sword would play in his family recalls David’s cavalier response to Joab’s report of the deaths of Uriah and other innocent Israelites (11:25 ^x).
12:11 ^y I will cause your own household to rebel against you: Absalom’s revolt against David (chs 14–19 ^z) fulfilled this promise.