2 Samuel 12:7

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:1-14

It seems to have been a great while after David had been guilty of adultery with Bath-sheba before he was brought to repentance for it. For, when Nathan was sent to him, the child was born (2 Sam. 12:14), so that it was about nine months that David lay under the guilt of that sin, and, for aught that appears, unrepented of. What shall we think of David's state all this while? Can we imagine that his heart never smote him for it, or that he never lamented it in secret before God? I would... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:7

And Nathan said to David, thou art the man ,.... The rich man, or who is designed by him in the parable, and answers to him F20 "----- mutato nomine, de te Fabula narratur -----". Horat. Sermon. l. 1. Satyr. 1. ver. 69,70. : thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel ; that is, ordered Samuel to anoint him, who did, 1 Samuel 16:1 ; to which this chiefly refers; and after that he was anointed first by the tribe of Judah, and then by all the tribes of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 12:7

Thou art the man - What a terrible word! And by it David appears to have been transfixed, and brought into the dust before the messenger of God. Thou Art this son of death, and thou shalt restore this lamb Fourfold. It is indulging fancy too much to say David was called, in the course of a just Providence to pay this fourfold debt? to lose four sons by untimely deaths, viz., this son of Bath-sheba, on whom David had set his heart, was slain by the Lord; Amnon, murdered by his brother... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:1-14

The facts are: 1. God sends Nathan the prophet to David, who tells him a story of the greed of a wicked rich man, who, to satisfy his avarice, took away and slew the pot ewe lamb of a poor man. 2 . David, accepting the story as a matter of fact, is very angry with this man, and swears that for his deed and lack of compassion he ought to die and restore fourfold. 3 . Nathan thereupon reveals the parabolic character of his narrative, by saying unto David, "Thou art the man !" 4 ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:5-7

Unconscious self-condemnation. Great sinners are generally able to discern and condemn in others wickedness similar to their own. This gives an advantage to those who would convince them of their sins. Nathan made use of it in dealing with David, and with good effect. I. NATHAN 'S PARABLE . It presents a picture of conduct sufficiently like that of David to prepare the way for his self-condemnation, and yet so far different that its drift should not be at once detected. It is a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:7

Thou art the man! Abruptly and with sudden vehemence comes the application to David himself. So skilfully had the parable been contrived, that up to this point David had had no suspicion that he was the rich man who had acted so meanly by his poorer neighbour Uriah. And now he stood self-condemned. Yet even so self-love might have made his indignation break forth against Nathan; but probably the reproof only completed a work that had long been secretly in progress, and brushed away the last... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:7-10

( THE PALACE .) Thou art the man! The proper purpose of reproof is conviction of sin. This purpose was accomplished by the words of the prophet. They were like a "two-edged sword" ( Hebrews 4:12 ), the point of which was, "Thou art the man!" "If ever a word from human lips fell with crushing weight and with the illuminating power of a gleam of lightning, it was this" (Krummacher). "His indignation against the rich man of the parable showed that the moral sense was not wholly... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 2 Samuel 12:7

2 Samuel 12:7. Nathan said to David, Thou art the man Though he took such a mild, gentle, and prudent manner to bring David to a proper view and just sense of his sin, yet he deals faithfully with him at the last, and sets his iniquity before him in all its aggravations. Thus, in a similar way, by most appropriate and striking parables, our Lord set the sin which the Jews were about to commit in crucifying him before them in so clear a light, and showed it to be so inexcusable, that they... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:1-31

11:1-20:26 CONFLICTS IN DAVID’S FAMILYDavid takes Bathsheba as wife (11:1-12:31)While the Israelite army was out fighting another battle against Ammon, David, back in Jerusalem, committed a series of sins that brought him sorrow and trouble for the rest of his life. To begin with, he was guilty of sexual immorality with Bathsheba, wife of Uriah, one of David’s top soldiers (11:1-5; cf. 23:39).On discovering that Bathsheba was pregnant, David thought of a plan to cover up his sin. He recalled... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 2 Samuel 12:7

Thou art the man . Many means used to produce conviction: God's greatness (Job 42:1-6 ); God's glory (Isaiah 6:5 ); God's power (Luke 5:8 ); a famine (Luke 15:14 , Luke 15:18 ); a parable (2 Samuel 12:1-13 ), &c. God . Hebrew. Elohim . App-4 . anointed thee . 1 Samuel 16:13 . read more

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