EasyEnglish Bible 2018
2 Samuel 12:1
1The Lord sent Nathan to go and speak to David. Nathan told this story to David, ‘There were two men who lived in the same town. One man was rich and the other man was poor.
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
The Lord sent Nathan to go and speak to David. Nathan told this story to David, ‘There were two men who lived in the same town. One man was rich and the other man was poor. 2The rich man had very many sheep, goats and cows. 3But the poor man had only one little female lamb. He had bought it and he had taken care of it. It had grown up with his own children. It ate his bits of food and it drank water from his cup. It even slept while he held it. It was like a daughter for him.
Read all of 2 Samuel 122 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 7:1The king was living in his palace. The Lord kept him safe from all his enemies everywhere.
- 2 Samuel 24:11While David slept that night, the Lord gave a message to Gad, David's prophet.
- 1 Kings 13:1King Jeroboam was standing in front of the altar at Bethel. He was ready to make an offering. At that time, the Lord told one of his servants to go from Judah to Bethel.
- 1 Kings 18:1When there had been no rain for three years, the Lord told Elijah, ‘Go and meet King Ahab. After that, I will send rain to make the ground wet again.’
- 2 Kings 1:3Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah. He was a prophet who came from Tishbe. The angel said, ‘Go and meet the men that the king of Samaria has sent. Say to them, “Do you think that there is no God in Israel? Is that why you are going to Ekron's god, Baal-Zebub, to ask if the king will be well again?”
- 2 Samuel 11:10David's servants told him, ‘Uriah did not go to his house last night.’ So David said to Uriah, ‘You have just arrived after a long journey. Why did you not go to your house?’
- 2 Samuel 14:14We must all die one day. When that happens, we are like water that is poured on the ground. We cannot pick it up again. But God does not remove our lives from us. Instead, he finds a way to bring us back to him when we have gone far away.
- Isaiah 57:17I was angry with them because they were greedy, which was a sin. So I punished them. I was angry and I turned away from them. But they still refused to obey me. They continued to do what they wanted to do.
- Psalms 51:1Please forgive me, God, because of your faithful love. Because you are so kind, please clean away my sins.
- 2 Samuel 14:5The king asked her, ‘What is your trouble?’ She said, ‘My husband is dead, sir, and I am a widow.
- Judges 9:7When Jotham heard the news of what had happened, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim. He stood there and he shouted to the people, ‘Leaders of Shechem, listen to me! Then perhaps God will listen to you.
- 1 Kings 20:25Bring together enough men to make an army as big as the one that lost the battle. There must be the same number of horses and chariots. Then we will fight the Israelites on the low ground. If we do that, we will surely be stronger than them.’ Ben-Hadad agreed with them. He did what they had suggested.
- Isaiah 5:1Now I will sing a song for the person that I love. I will sing to him about his vineyard. ‘The one that I love had a vineyard. It was on a hill where the soil is good.
- Matthew 21:22So when you pray to ask God for something, believe in him. Then God will give you whatever you ask for.’
- Luke 15:11Jesus then told another story: ‘There was a man that had two sons.
- Luke 16:19Jesus then said, ‘At one time, there was a rich man who wore very expensive clothes. This rich man ate big meals 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
In the dictionaries
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
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