2 Samuel 12:6

2 Samuel 12:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
• New International Version (NIV)He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”

Context of 2 Samuel 12:6

4One day, the rich man had a visitor to his home. The rich man needed to make a meal for his visitor. But he did not want to kill one of his own animals. Instead, he took the poor man's lamb away from him. He cooked the lamb to feed his visitor.’ 5When David heard what the rich man had done, he became very angry. He said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, that man deserves to die. He did that cruel thing and he was not sorry for the poor man. So he must pay the poor man enough money to buy four lambs.’ 7Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are that man! This is what the Lord, Israel's God, says: “I chose you as king to rule over Israel. I saved you from Saul's power. 8I gave your master's palace to you, and his wives as well. I gave the kingdoms of Israel and Judah to you. And if that was not enough for you, I would have given you even more than that.

2 Samuel 12:6 word by word

וְאֶת־הַכִּבְשָׂ֖ה יְשַׁלֵּ֣ם אַרְבַּעְתָּ֑יִם עֵ֗קֶב אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשָׂה֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה וְעַ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־חָמָֽל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he shall restoreשָׁלֵםshâlam · to completeH7999
• the lambכִּבְשָׂהkibώâh kabώâh · ewe-lambH3535
• fourfoldאַרְבַּעְתַּיִם'arba‛tayim · fourfoldH706
• becauseעֵ֫קֶב‛êqeb · consequenceH6118
• he didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• this thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• and becauseאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• he had no pityחָמַלchâmal · to spareH2550

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 12:6

• Exodus 22:1Perhaps someone may take another person's cow or sheep for himself. He may kill it or he may sell it. As punishment, he must pay the owner five cows for each cow that he has taken. He must pay four sheep for each sheep that he has taken.
• Proverbs 6:31But if someone catches him, he must pay back seven times what he took. He may lose everything that he has in his house.
• Luke 19:8Later, Zacchaeus stood up in front of everyone. He said to the Lord Jesus, ‘Listen, Master! I will give half of all the things that I have to poor people. I may have taken too much money from some people. I will give back to them four times as much as I took from them wrongly.’
• James 2:13God will not forgive anyone who has not forgiven other people. But God is kind! He judges us, but even more than that, he forgives us!

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 12:6

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Fourfold - The exact number prescribed by the Law (see the marginal references), and acted upon by Zaccheus. The Septuagint has “sevenfold,” as in Proverbs 6:31.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-6The rich man of the parable did not deserve to die according to the law; instead, he must repay four lambs (compare Exodus 22:1). Interestingly, David later lost four of his sons: Bathsheba’s first child (2 Samuel 12:18) Amnon (2 Samuel 13:29) Absalom (2 Samuel 18:14–15) Adonijah (1 Kings 2:25)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 12:6

• David
• Minister, Christian
• Nathan
• Parables
• Reproof
• Self-Condemnation

In the dictionaries

• David
• Fast
• Fourfold
• Parable
• Samuel, Books of
• Solomon
• Tekoa, Tekoah
• Theft
• Uriah
• Bible, the

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