2 Samuel 12:8

2 Samuel 12:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
• New International Version (NIV)I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more!

Context of 2 Samuel 12:8

6He shall make restitution for the ewe lamb four times as much [as the lamb was worth], because he did this thing and had no compassion.” 7Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you as king over Israel, and I spared you from the hand of Saul. I also gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your care and under your protection, and I gave you the house (royal dynasty) of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have given you much more! 9Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife. You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’

2 Samuel 12:8 word by word

וָאֶתְּנָ֨ה לְךָ֜ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית אֲדֹנֶ֗יךָ וְאֶת־נְשֵׁ֤י אֲדֹנֶ֙יךָ֙ בְּחֵיקֶ֔ךָ וָאֶתְּנָ֣ה לְךָ֔ אֶת־בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וִֽיהוּדָ֑ה וְאִ֨ם־מְעָ֔ט וְאֹסִ֥פָה לְּךָ֖ כָּהֵ֥נָּה וְכָהֵֽנָּה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And I gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• thee thy master’sאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• wivesאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• into thy bosomחֵיקchêyq chêq chôq · bosom: embraceH2436
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• too littleמְעַטme‛aţ me‛âţ · littleH4592
• I would moreover have givenיָסַףyâsaph · to addH3254
• unto thee suchהֵנָּהhênnâh · they(fem.)H2007

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 12:8

• 2 Samuel 12:11Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will stir up evil against you from your own household; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.
• 1 Kings 2:22King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why are you asking for Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask the kingdom for him also—since he is my older brother—[ask it] for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah [his supporters]!”
• 2 Samuel 2:4Then the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. Then they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”
• 2 Samuel 5:5In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
• 1 Samuel 15:19Why did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but [instead] swooped down on the plunder [with shouts of victory] and did evil in the sight of the Lord?”
• 2 Samuel 7:19Yet this was very insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord God, for You have spoken also of Your servant’s house (royal dynasty) in the distant future. And this is the law and custom of man, O Lord God.
• Psalms 84:11For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord bestows grace and favor and honor; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
• Psalms 86:15But You, O Lord, are a God [who protects and is] merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.
• Romans 8:32He who did not spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 12:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Thy master's wives into thy bosom - Perhaps this means no more than that he had given him absolute power over every thing possessed by Saul; and as it was the custom for the new king to succeed even to the wives and concubines, the whole harem of the deceased king, so it was in this case; and the possession of the wives was a sure proof that he had got all regal rights. But could David, as the son-in-law of Saul, take the wives of his father-in-law?…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8And thy master‘s wives … - According to Eastern custom, the royal harem was a part of the royal inheritance. The prophets spoke in such matters according to the received opinions of their day, and not always according to the abstract rule of right. (Compare Matthew 19:4-9.)Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8His wives were likely concubines from Saul’s harem (see 2 Samuel 3:7). The phrase might refer to Saul’s wife Ahinoam, but David probably married another woman with the same name (see 1 Samuel 14:50; 25:43).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. 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.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 12:8

• David
• Ingratitude
• Minister, Christian
• Nathan
• Polygamy
• Repentance
• Reproof

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Judah
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Judah, kingdom of Judah
• Judea, Judah
• Bosom
• David
• Fast
• Fourfold

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