2 Samuel 12:2

2 Samuel 12:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
• New International Version (NIV)The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle,
• English Standard Version (ESV)The rich man had very many flocks and herds,
• New King James Version (NKJV)The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds.

Context of 2 Samuel 12:2

1So the Lord sent Nathan to David. When he arrived, he said to him: There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very large flocks and herds, 3but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised her, and she grew up with him and with his children. From his meager food she would eat, from his cup she would drink, and in his arms she would sleep. She was like a daughter to him. 4Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man could not bring himself to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.

2 Samuel 12:2 word by word

לְעָשִׁ֗יר הָיָ֛ה צֹ֥אן וּבָקָ֖ר הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The richעָשִׁיר‛âshîyr · richH6223
• had exceedingמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• manyרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• flocksצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
• and herdsבָּקָרbâqâr · cattleH1241

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 12:2

• 2 Samuel 12:8I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more.
• 2 Samuel 3:2Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite;
• 2 Samuel 5:13After he arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.
• 2 Samuel 15:16Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.
• Job 1:3His estate included seven thousand sheep and goats, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man among all the people of the east.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 12:2

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-31Chapter 12 expands on the final part of 2 Samuel 11:27.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 12:2

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

In the dictionaries

• Allegory
• Cattle
• David
• 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