2 Samuel 12:1

2 Samuel 12:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
• New International Version (NIV)The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor.

Context of 2 Samuel 12:1

And the Lord sent Nathan [the prophet] to David. He came and said to him, “There were two men in a city, one rich and the other poor. 2The rich man had a very large number of flocks and herds, 3But the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb Which he had purchased and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children. It ate his food, drank from his cup, it lay in his arms, And was like a daughter to him.

2 Samuel 12:1 word by word

וַיִּשְׁלַ֧ח יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־נָתָ֖ן אֶל־דָּוִ֑ד וַיָּבֹ֣א אֵלָ֗יו וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ שְׁנֵ֣י אֲנָשִׁ֗ים הָיוּ֙ בְּעִ֣יר אֶחָ֔ת אֶחָ֥ד עָשִׁ֖יר וְאֶחָ֥ד רָֽאשׁ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• Nathanנָתָןnâthân · NathanH5416
• unto Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• And he cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• unto him, and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto him, There were twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• in oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• richעָשִׁיר‛âshîyr · richH6223
• poorרוּשׁrûsh · be poorH7326

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 12:1

• 2 Samuel 7:1When King David lived in his house (palace) and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,
• 2 Samuel 24:11When David got up in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,
• 1 Kings 13:1Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word (command) of the Lord, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar [which he had built] to burn incense.
• 1 Kings 18:1Now it happened after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”
• 2 Kings 1:3But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’
• 2 Samuel 11:10When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Have you not [just] come from a [long] journey? Why did you not go to your house?”
• 2 Samuel 14:14For we will certainly die and are like water that is spilled on the ground and cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not [simply] take away life, but devises plans so that the one who is banished is not driven away from Him.
• Isaiah 57:17Because of the wickedness of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid My face and was angry, And he went on turning away and backsliding, in the way of his [own willful] heart.
• Psalms 51:1Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
• 2 Samuel 14:5The king asked her, “What is the matter?” She said, “Truly I am a widow; my husband is dead.
• Judges 9:7When they told Jotham, he went and stood at the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, “Hear me, O men of Shechem, so that God may hear you.
• 1 Kings 20:25and assemble an army like the army that you have lost in battle, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.” And he listened to their words and did so.
• Isaiah 5:1Now let me sing for my greatly Beloved [Lord] A song of my Beloved about His vineyard (His chosen people). My greatly Beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile slope (the promised land, Canaan).
• Matthew 21:22And whatever you ask for in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
• Luke 15:11Then He said, “A certain man had two sons.
• Luke 16:19“Now there was a certain rich man who was habitually dressed in expensive purple and fine linen, and celebrated and lived joyously in splendor every day.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 12:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1There were two men in one city - See a discourse on fables at the end of Judges 9:56; (note), and a discourse on parabolic writing at the end of the thirteenth chapter of Matthew. There is nothing in this parable that requires illustration; its bent is evident; and it was construed to make David, unwittingly, pass sentence on himself. It was in David's hand, what his own letters were in the hands of the brave but unfortunate Uriah.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Nathan came to David as if to ask his judicial decision on the case about to be submitted to him (compare 2 Samuel 14:2-11; 1 Kings 20:35-41). The circumstances of the story are exquisitely contrived to heighten the pity of David for the oppressed, and his indignation against the oppressor 1 Samuel 25:13, 1 Samuel 25:22.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Nathan's parable--David confesses his sin. (1-14) The birth of Solomon. (15-25) David's severity to the Ammonites. (26-31) Verses 1-14 God will not suffer his people to lie still in sin. By this parable Nathan drew from David a sentence against himself. Great need there is of prudence in giving reproofs. In his application, he was faithful. He says in plain terms, Thou art the man. God shows how much he hates sin, even in his own people; and wherever he…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1The Lord sent Nathan to David at least nine months after David committed adultery. This account is one of the few places in the Old Testament that uses a parable (a short story that teaches a moral truth; see also Judges 9:8–15). Parables can communicate truth in a powerful and indirect way. David was rich in many ways. He possessed royal wealth, had many wives, and held God’s promises for his future. By contrast, Uriah was poor. He had one wife, one…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-62Sa 12:1-6. Nathan's Parable. 1. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 12:1

• David
• Minister, Christian
• Nathan
• Parables
• Prophets
• Reproof

In the dictionaries

• David
• Nathan
• Allegory
• Fast
• Fourfold
• Parable
• Samuel, Books of
• Solomon
• Tekoa, Tekoah
• Uriah

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings