Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Samuel · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Verſ. 1. ANd the Lord ſent Nathan unto David, &c.] It was now about three quarters of a yeare, ſince David committed that foul ſinne with the wife of Uriah (for the child ſhe then conceived, was now born, verſ. 14.) in all which time, though doubtleſſe his conſcience did often gall him, yet he ſtrived to harden himſelf againſt ſuch fears, and onelyonly took care to conceal his ſinne that it might not be known (which yet he could not do; for however, he did it ſecretly, and had done what he could to keep it cloſe; yet by reaſon of his marriage with the wife of Uriah, &c. it began now to be by ſome ſuſpected, and blazoned abroad; and therefore Nathan tells him, verſ. 14. that by this deed he had given great occaſion to the enemies of God to blaſpheme:) now therefore the Lord in mercy ſent Nathan to him, that he might be brought to confeſſe his ſinne, and unfainedly to riſe out of this ſad condition.
There were two men in one citie, the one rich, and the other poore, &c.] As a Chirurgeon will hide his inſtrument, wherewith he intends to lanch a ſore, under an handkercheif, or ſome ſuch thing, ſo doth Nathan at firſt hide his reproof under the vail of a Parable, that David might the better be brought to paſſe ſentence againſt himſelf, in a third perſon. For the intention and application of the Parable, it is this: by the rich man, that had exceeding many flocks and herds, he meant David, who had very many wives and concubines: by the poore man that had nothing, ſave one little ewe-lambe, is meant Uriah, who had it ſeems but one wife▪ to wit, Bathſheba; and ſhe is not onelyonly compared to an ewe-lambe, but alſo to ſuch a lambe, as we uſe to call cade-lambes, or coſſet-lambes, which without a damme, are brought up by hand; and therefore it is ſaid, it was a lambe which he had bought (for husbands in thoſe times, uſed to give dowries for their wives) and nouriſhed up, and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, (or as it is in the original, of his own morſell; implying, that though the poore man had but a little, yet he gave his darling lambe part of it) and drank of his own cup, and lay in his boſome: which doth ſweetly expreſſe the condition of a wife, whom the husband ought to eſteem his onelyonly darling and delight, and make her a ſharer of all that he hath; as indeed men are the liker to do when they have but one wife. Again, whereas it is ſaid, verſ. 4. that There came a travailer into the rich man, and he ſpared to take of his own flock, and of his own herd, for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poore mans lambe, and dreſſed it for the man that was come to him. By this traveller, or wayfaring man, for whoſe entertainment the rich man took away the poore mans ewe-lambe, is meant the devil, by means of whom indeed it was, that David incroached upon the bed of Uriah, and lay with his wife, though he had ſo many wives and concubines of his own, and the alluſion is very fit: firſt, becauſe the devil may well be compared to a traveller, in regard of his continuall traverſing the earth, from one place to another, that he may tempt, and ſeduce men to ſinne; when the Lord asked Sathan whence he came, Job. 1.7. he anſwered, from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it; and S. Peter ſaith, 1. Pet. 5.8. that As a roaring lion, he walketh about ſeeking whom he may devoure: ſecondly▪ becauſe hereby is ſweetly implyed, a notable difference betwixt the temptations of the regenerate, (ſuch as David was) and the ſinnes of wicked men; to the one the devil comes now and then, as a traveller, and wayfaring man, and finds for the time too good entertainment; but in the other, he dwels as a Lord and maſter, ruling and reigning in them at all times: and thirdly, becauſe when men eſpecially ſuch good men as David was, do give any entertainment to the devils temptations, for the committing of any ſinne, they feaſt the devil herewith; it is meat and drink to him, to winne ſuch men to ſinne againſt God.
Verſ. 5. And he ſaid to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing ſhall ſurely die.] That is, he ſhall not onelyonly reſtore the lambe fourefold according to the Law, Exod. 22.1. If a man ſhall ſteal an ox, or a ſheep, and kill it, or ſell it, he ſhall reſtore five oxen for an ox, and foure ſheep for a ſheep; but beſides, he ſhall be put to death: Thus David in his wrath threatens a heavier puniſhment then God in his Law had appointed; as accounting it ſuch a mercileſſe act, and ſo, ſuch a ſingular wickedneſſe, that fourefold reſtitution was not puniſhment enough; for ſo much he expreſſeth in the following words, verſ. 6. And he ſhall restore the lambe fourefold, becauſe he did this thing, and becauſe he had no pity: and ſo unwittingly paſſeth a moſt heavy ſentence againſt himſelf.
Verſ. 8. And I gave thee thy maſters houſe, and thy maſters wives into thy boſome, &c.] That is, I advanced thee to ſuch an eſtate, that all that was thy maſters was in thy power, even his wives and concubines were at thy diſpoſing; and indeed it ſeems kings had in thoſe times many which they took for wives and concubines, whom they never carnally knew, and of ſuch this might be meant. Doubtleſſe it was unlawfull for David, to marry any of Sauls his father-in-laws wives, to wit, ſuch as he had carnally known; for ſhe that was Sauls wife, was Davids mother-in-law, and ſuch he might not marry, Levit. 18.8. The nakedneſſe of thy fathers wife thou ſhalt not uncover; it is thy fathers nakedneſſe: either therefore the meaning of theſe words, if meant of ſuch, muſt be onelyonly this, that Sauls wives and concubines were in Davids power, that he might have taken them, though he did it not; or if it be conceived that David did indeed take to him any of Sauls wives or concubines, we muſt underſtand theſe words [I gave] onelyonly of Gods bringing them into his power (though he made uſe of his power unlawfully) not of Gods approving of this fact of his againſt the Law, as in the like ſenſe this word is uſed again, verſ. 11. I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour▪ &c.
Verſ. 9. Wherefore haſt thou deſpiſed the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his ſight?] Becauſe when men embolden themſelves to do that which they know is contrary to Gods commandment, onelyonly becauſe they can do it ſecretly, and no body ſhall come to know of it (and yet they cannot be ignorant that God is priuie to all they do) this is an evident argument, that in effect they make light of tranſgreſſing Gods Law, and care not much for diſpleaſing God, ſo no other inconvenience be like to come upon them; hence it is that the Prophet Nathan chargeth David with deſpiſing the commandment of the Lord, in doing that which was evil in his ſight.
Thou haſt killed Uriah the Hittite with the ſword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, &c.] Firſt, the perſon whom David had cauſed to be ſlain, is ſo expreſſely named, the rather becauſe Uriah was a man of ſuch eminency, one of Davids worthies, chap. 23.39. and one it ſeems that feared God, and was zealous for God and his people, as appears by that he ſaid to David, chap. 11.11. The Ark, and Iſrael, and Judah abide in tents, and ſhall I then go home into mine houſe, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? and ſo the worth of the party murthered did much aggravate his ſinne. Secondly, even his marrying with Bathſheba is mentioned here as a branch of his ſinne; for becauſe he had accompliſhed this marriage by ſuch wicked means, to wit, by cauſing her husband to be killed, that he might marry her, and had done it purpoſely to conceal his adultery, and having brought this to paſſe, did now chucker himſelf, as if all had been well, even by this marriage he had highly provoked God to diſpleaſure againſt him. And thirdly, this is mentioned as a great aggravation of his ſinne, that he had ſlain Uriah with the ſword of the children of Ammon: and indeed there was much evil wrapped up in this: For firſt, there was a treachery in this; a ſinne which God greatly abhorres; they ſet him upon a deſperate ſervice, and then according to the plot they had laid, when he was engaged, they retired from him, and ſo baſely betrayed him to the ſword of the enemie: ſecondly, by this means many of Gods people were ſlain together with him: thirdly, the Ammonites were encouraged hereby, and took occaſion to inſult over Gods people, and over the truth and religion they profeſſed; yea, perhaps over the God of the Iſraelites, as regardleſſe of thoſe that ſerved him, or not able to protect thoſe that fought in his cauſe: and fourthly, the hearts of Gods people were exceedingly ſadded and diſcouraged thereby.
Verſ. 10. Now therefore the ſword ſhall never depart from thine houſe.] This may be referred not onelyonly to the violent death of his three ſonnes Amnon, Abſalom, and Adonijah, who were all ſlain with the ſword; but alſo to the bloudy wars wherewith the poſterity of David were continually moleſted, eſpecially betwixt them and the kings of Iſrael, the ſucceſſours of Jeroboam.
Verſ. 11. Thus ſaith the Lord, Behold, I will raiſe up evil againſt thee out of thine own houſe, &c.] This is meant of Amnons inceſt, and Abſaloms rebellion, and other abominable wickedneſſe: for though God be not the authour of ſinne, yet his providence concurres in the worſt evils that men do: and ſo it did both in the rebellion and in the inceſt of Abſalom; concerning which, that is meant which followeth in the next words, 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 ſunne: where by his neighbour is meant one that was nigh to him; and who was nigher to him then his own ſonne; and it is ſaid that this ſhould be done before Davids eyes; becauſe it was done whileſt he lived, and he came to know of it; and in the ſight of the ſunne, becauſe Abſalom did it openly, in the ſight of all Iſrael, chap. 16.22. and in a tent which they ſpread for him in Jeruſalem, upon the top of the houſe; perhaps the ſame houſe, from the roof whereof David did firſt caſt a luſtfull eye upon the wife of Uriah, chap. 11.2.
Verſ. 12. For thou didst it ſecretly; but I will do this thing before all Iſrael, and before the ſunne.] And thus God threatned to puniſh him with that, which ſhould be a ſhame and reproch to him amongſt all the people, becauſe he had been more afraid of ſhame amongſt men, then of his diſpleaſure.
Verſ. 13. And David ſaid unto Nathan, I have ſinned againſt the Lord.] If we compare together Sauls confeſſion of his ſinne to Samuel, 1. Sam. 15.24.25. with this of Davids to Nathan, there ſeems better expreſſions of a true penitent in that of Sauls, then in this of Davids: for Saul confeſſed his ſinne in appearance more fully, I have ſinned, ſaith he, for I have tranſgreſſed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words, becauſe I feared the people, and obeyed their voice: beſides, he entreated for pardon, verſ. 25. and deſired Samuel that they might go and worſhip the Lord together, as it were to ſeek atonement with him. But now David onelyonly ſaid, I have ſinned againſt the Lord; which is the ordinary confeſſion of thoſe that moſt ſleight their ſinnes; and yet Saul was rejected, and David had an anſwer of pardon preſently returned to him. But for this we muſt know, that Davids heart was truly humbled, which Sauls was not, and thence was the difference: doubtleſſe David was ſo overwhelmed with ſhame and godly ſorrow, that he could not ſpeak, he could ſay no more, but I have ſinned againſt the Lord, and much ado perhaps he had to ſay that; but afterwards we ſee he confeſſed his ſinne more fully to the whole Church of God: for having penned the 51. Pſalme, (which contains his acknowledgement of this ſinne, and the profeſſion of his repentance) he committed it to the chief muſician to be publiſhed in the ſanctuary, as by the title of the Pſalme we may ſee, To the chief muſician a Pſalme of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathſheba.
And Nathan ſaid unto David, The Lord alſo hath put away thy ſinne, thou ſhalt not die.] That is, neither eternally, nor by any ſudden ſtroke or judgement of God, both which his ſinne had deſerved: even himſelf had ſo judged againſt himſelf, verſ. 5. and he might the rather fear it, becauſe of thoſe words, verſ. 10. 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.
Verſ. 14. Howbeit, becauſe by this deed, thou haſt given great occaſion to the enemies of God to blaſpheme, &c.] Two ſeverall wayes had David given occaſion to the enemies of God to blaſpheme: to wit, firſt, becauſe by cauſing Uriah and others of the people of God to be ſlain by the Ammonites, he gave occaſion to them (who were the enemies of God in regard they were the enemies of Gods people) to inſult and triumph over them; and ſo at leaſt in effect to blaſpheme the Lord God of Iſrael, as not able to defend his people againſt them; as it is ſaid of the Aſſyrians when they oppreſſed grievouſly the people of God whom they carried away captives, Iſaiah 52.5. They that rule over them make them to houl, ſaith the Lord, and my name continually every day is blaſphemed: and ſecondly, becauſe by his groſſe ſinnes he had given occaſion to wicked prophane men (whom God eſteems his enemies) to ſpeak evil of that which God had done for David; yea and of all the godly that walked ſtrictly with God as David had done, and of all ſuch wayes of piety and zeal as David had hitherto walked in. What? might they ſay, is this the man after Gods own heart, of whom Samuel promiſed ſuch great matters? Did Saul ever commit adultery with another mans wife as he hath done? and why then was Saul caſt off, and he anointed in his room? but thus indeed it is with all thoſe that make ſuch a ſhew of religion, and ſeem ſo zealous of religion, there are none ſo bad as they: this is the fruit of their hearing and praying ſo much, &c. Thus wicked and prophane wretches were like to deſcant upon theſe ſinnes of David, and ſo to blaſpheme according to that of the Apoſtle, Rom. 2.24. where having ſpoke much of the great wickedneſſe of the Jews, he addes, For the name of God is blaſphemed amongſt the Gentiles through you; and for this cauſe the prophet tells David here, that the child he had begotten of the wife of Uriah ſhould die; 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. For though it were in ſome regard a benefit both to David and Bathſheba that this child died, (ſo did God temper his diſpleaſure with goodneſſe, for as long as this child had lived it would have been a memoriall of their ſinne and ſhame both to themſelves and others) yet conſidering the affection they bare to their child, and the manifeſtation of Gods diſpleaſure therein; it was indeed a ſharp affliction, and cauſed David a great deal of ſorrow.
Verſ. 16. David therefore beſought God for the child, &c.] For though Nathan had told him that the child ſhould ſurely die, yet he might hope that this was threatned conditionally, and that upon his tears and repentance this ſentence might be reverſed; as was afterward that of Hezekiah his death, and the deſtruction of the Ninivites.
Verſ. 18. And it came to paſſe on the ſeventh day, that the child died.] That is, the ſeventh day after he fell ſick, or (as many take it) the ſeventh day after he was born; and if we thus underſtand the words, then the child died, before he was circumciſed, and yet after he was dead, David cheared up himſelf we ſee, not doubting of the childs ſalvation, yea though he was begot…en in adultery, verſ. 23. 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.
Verſ. 20. Then David aroſe from the earth, and waſhed and anointed himſelf, and changed his apparell, and came into the houſe of the Lord and worſhipped, &c.] There is a law, Num. 10.14. That when one died in a tent, all that came into the tent and all that was in the tent, ſhould be unclean ſeven dayes, yet David preſently after the death of this infant, waſhed himſelf, and went up into the houſe of God: either therefore this law when they came to dwell in houſes, was underſtood to extend no further then to the room where the party died, not to the whole houſe; or elſe, the child died not in the ſame houſe wherein David was, but in ſome other houſe not farre from Davids pallace. Many reaſons may be conceived, why David, his conſcience being now awakened, was ſo eager to worſhip God in his houſe; to wit, partly that he might bleſſe God for calling him to repentance, when he lay in ſuch a dangerous condition, for giving him aſſurance by the prophet that his ſinne was pardoned, and for enabling him to bear with patience the loſſe of his child; and partly that he might further acknowledge and bewail his ſinnes before God, and pray for mercy in regard of thoſe remaining corrections which God had threatned him with, at leaſt that God would ſtrengthen him to bear them, and ſanctifie them to his good. However obſervable it is, that ſo eager he was upon theſe duties of Gods worſhip, that though he had faſted all the time the child lay ſick, yet he would not eat any thing till he had firſt been in the houſe of God, that is, the tabernacle which he had ſet up for the ark; but when once he had been there and had there worſhipped the Lord, Then, as it follows in the next words, he came to his own houſe, and when he required they ſet bread before him, and he did eat.
Verſ. 24. And David comforted Bathſheba his wife.] Both concerning the loſſe of her child, and concerning her adultery with David, for which it is likely ſhe was alſo at preſent much afflicted upon this diſcovery of the Lords diſpleaſure againſt them; and indeed ſome Expoſitours conceive, that Bathſheba was ſo farre troubled about it, that ſhe queſtioned whether ſhe might as yet ſafely live as a wife with David, till he comforted her and ſatisfied her herein; which they gather from the order of the words in this place, And David comforted Bathſheba his wife and went in unto her and lay with her.
And ſhe bare a ſonne and called his name Solomon.] Which ſignifieth peaceable, and it was by expreſſe direction from God, that David gave his new-born ſonne this name as is evident, 1. Chron. 2….9. where David tells Solomon how he had herein received a charge from God. Behold a ſonne ſhall be born unto thee, who ſhall be a man of reſt, and I will give him reſt from all his enemies round about: for his name ſhall be Solomon; and I will give peace and quietneſſe unto Iſrael: where we ſee the reaſon of his name is alſo expreſſed: becauſe of the great peace the Iſraelites ſhould enjoy under his reigne, therefore was his name called Solomon, that is peaceable: and herein was Solomon a type of Chriſt, who is ſtyled, Iſaiah 9.6. The Prince of peace, and partly becauſe his ſubjects do even here in this world enjoy peace with God, to whom he hath reconciled them by the bloud of his croſſe; and peace with their own conſciences, yea and with all the creatures; but eſpecially becauſe in heaven they ſhall enjoy a perfect and ſolid peace unto all eternity.
Verſ. 25. And he ſent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name Jedidiah.] That is, the Lord ſent Nathan to David to tell him, that his child ſhould be called not Solomon onelyonly, but alſo Jedidiah; that is, Beloved of the Lord, to wit, becauſe of Gods ſingular love to him; and thus did the Lord chear David by the ſame prophet; by whom he had humbled him. Nathan it was that told him that his former child born of Bathſheba ſhould ſurely die; and by Nathan now the Lord aſſured him concerning this child that he ſhould be Jedidiah, that is, The beloved of the Lord, and herein alſo was Solomon a type of Chriſt, Matth. 3.17. And ſo a voice from heaven, ſaying, This is my beloved ſonne▪ in whom I am well pleaſed.
Verſ. 26. And Joab fought againſt R…bbah of the children of Ammon and took the royall citie.] Rabbah (it ſeems) conſiſted of two parts, which were as it were two cities joyned together, and one of them was called, both the royall city, becauſe there the king had his palace; and the city of waters, becauſe it was invironed with waters; or at leaſt lay upon the ſide of ſome river, as it is expreſſed, verſ. 27. I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters. Now Joab having continued almoſt a yeare in b…ſ…ging this city (as indeed it was no wonder that God gave him no better ſucceſſe abroad, David having ſo diſpleaſed him by his ſinne at home) at length he took this royall citie, or citie of waters; and knowing that the other could not now long hold out; becauſe this was farre the ſtrongeſt piece, and the other depended upon this; and had happely their water from this which was now cut off; he therefore ſent to David to come thither, that he might have the glory of taking the citie.
Verſ. 29. And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought againſt it, and took it.] It may juſtly ſeem ſtrange, that David ſhould go with a numerous army, out of the land of Iſrael, into the land of the Ammonites, onelyonly to take a citie that was in a manner taken already; and which they were afraid would be wonne before he came; and that for no other end, but that David might have the name of taking the citie. But for this we muſt conſider: firſt, that even the beſt of Gods ſervants are naturally vain-glorious, and too much tranſported with a deſire of having their name famous and renowned; and ſecondly, there might be other occaſions of Davids going thither, as for the proſecuting of their conqueſts in the land of the Ammonites, and for giving directions for the puniſhment of thoſe, that had with ſuch ſcorn abuſed his embaſſadours; and that Joab knowing this, did adviſe him onelyonly, the rather to haſten his coming thither, that the citie might be taken by him; and ſo he might have the glory of this great piece of ſervice.
Verſ 30. And he took the kings crown from off his head; the weight whereof was a talent of gold, with the pretious stones, &c.] There was but a talent of gold in the golden candleſtick of the Sanctuary, Exod, 25.39. which is thought to have been at leaſt an hundred and twenty pound weight; but the common talent, ſome ſay, was but half ſo much as the talent of the Sanctuary, to wit, ſixty pound weight; and ſo much it may be therefore this crown weighed: and if ſo, doubtleſſe it was too maſſie to be uſually worn. Rather it was a crown of ſtate, which was onelyonly ſet upon the heads of their kings, at their coronation; or hung over their heads in ſome chair of ſtate, and ſo happely at this time it was ſet upon their kings head, and then taken off, and ſet upon Davids; to ſhew, that now the royall dignity was tranſferred from him to David: and indeed, becauſe the brother of this king, the ſonne of Nahuſh, ſuccoured David when he fled from Abſalom, chap. 17.27.28. it is moſt probable, that Hanun was now either depoſed, or put to death by David, and his brother made governour of Rabbah, whence it was that he ſhewed ſuch reſpect to David in that time of his troubles.
Verſ. 31. 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 paſſe through the brick-kiln.] Thus ſeverely David puniſhed them (whether by expreſſe direction from God; or otherwiſe we cannot ſay) becauſe they had againſt the law of nations, ſo ſhamefully abuſed Davids meſſengers; withall having perhaps reſpect to their inhumane idolatry, in cauſing their children to paſſe through the fire to Molech; which was their idol, 1. Kings 11.7. Yet it is like that onelyonly, the principall ringleaders in that barbarous uſage of Davids meſſengers, and the ſtirring up of the neighbouring nations againſt him, were thus puniſhed.