God’s Word Translation
2 Samuel 12:8
8I gave you your master Saul’s house and his wives. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if this weren’t enough, I would have given you even more.
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
6And he must pay back four times the price of the lamb because he did this and had no pity.” 7“You are the man!” Nathan told David. “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I anointed you king over Israel and rescued you from Saul. I gave you your master Saul’s house and his wives. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if this weren’t enough, I would have given you even more. 9Why did you despise my word by doing what I considered evil? You had Uriah the Hittite killed in battle. You took his wife as your wife. You used the Ammonites to kill him. 10So warfare will never leave your house because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.
Read all of 2 Samuel 122 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 12:11“This is what the Lord says: I will stir up trouble against you within your own household, and before your own eyes I will take your wives and give them to someone close to you. He will go to bed with your wives in broad daylight.
- 1 Kings 2:22King Solomon then said, “Why do you ask that Abishag from Shunem be given to Adonijah? That would be the same as giving him the kingship. After all, he is my older brother. The priest Abiathar and Joab (Zeruiah’s son) are supporting him.”
- 2 Samuel 2:4Then the people of Judah came to Hebron and anointed David to be king over the tribe of Judah. They told David, “The people of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.”
- 2 Samuel 5:5In Hebron he ruled Judah for seven years and six months. In Jerusalem he ruled for 33 years over all Israel and Judah.
- 1 Samuel 15:19Why didn’t you obey the Lord? Why have you taken their belongings and done what the Lord considers evil?”
- 2 Samuel 7:19And even this you consider to be a small act, Almighty Lord. You’ve also spoken about the distant future of my house. Almighty Lord, this is the teaching about the man.
- Psalms 84:11The Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord grants favor and honor. He does not hold back any blessing from those who live innocently.
- Psalms 86:15But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God. You are patient, always faithful and ready to forgive.
- Romans 8:32God didn’t spare his own Son but handed him over ⌞to death⌟ for all of us. So he will also give us everything along with him.
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
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries