New English Translation
2 Samuel 12:8
8I gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your arms. I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well!
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
6Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!” 7Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I chose you to be king over Israel and I rescued you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your arms. I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well! 9Why have you shown contempt for the word of the Lord by doing evil in my sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and you have taken his wife as your own! You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10So now the sword will never depart from your house. For you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own!’
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 12:11This is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to bring disaster on you from inside your own household! Right before your eyes I will take your wives and hand them over to your companion. He will have sexual relations with your wives in broad daylight!
- 1 Kings 2:22King Solomon answered his mother, “Why just request Abishag the Shunammite for him? Since he is my older brother, you should also request the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”
- 2 Samuel 2:4The men of Judah came and there they anointed David as king over the people of Judah. David was told, “The people of Jabesh Gilead are the ones who buried Saul.”
- 2 Samuel 5:5In Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
- 1 Samuel 15:19Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? Instead you have greedily rushed upon the plunder! You have done what is wrong in the Lord’s estimation.”
- 2 Samuel 7:19And you didn’t stop there, O Lord God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family. Is this your usual way of dealing with men, O Lord God?
- Psalms 84:11For the Lord God is our sovereign protector. The Lord bestows favor and honor; he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity.
- Psalms 86:15But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God. You are patient and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness.
- Romans 8:32Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, freely 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
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries