Nathan Rebukes David
(Psalms 51:1–19)
Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. 1Ki 20:35-41Psa 51:1-191Ki 13:11Ki 18:12Ki 1:32Sa 11:10-172Sa 11:252Sa 14:14 The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle, 2Sa 12:82Sa 15:162Sa 3:2-52Sa 5:13-16Job 1:3 but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms 1and was like a daughter to him. 2Sa 11:3Mic 7:5Deu 13:6Pro 5:18-19
Now a traveler came to the rich man, who refrained from taking 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.” Jas 1:142Sa 11:3-4Gen 18:2-7
David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 1Sa 26:16Gen 38:24Rom 2:11Sa 25:21-22Luk 6:41-421Sa 14:391Sa 20:31Luk 9:55 Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.” Exo 22:1Luk 19:8Pro 6:31Jas 2:13
Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 1Sa 16:13Mat 14:142Sa 22:11Ki 18:181Ki 20:421Sa 13:131Sa 15:171Sa 18:21 I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. Psa 84:112Sa 9:7Rom 8:322Sa 12:112Sa 2:42Sa 5:52Sa 7:191Sa 15:19
Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own, for you have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites. 1Sa 15:19Psa 90:81Sa 15:23Amo 2:4Jer 18:10Psa 139:1-22Sa 11:4Exo 20:13-14 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ 2Sa 18:14-15Mat 26:52Rom 2:41Ki 2:23-251Sa 2:301Th 4:82Sa 13:28-292Sa 18:33
This is what the LORD says: ‘I will raise up adversity against you from your own house. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to another, and he will lie with them in broad daylight. 2Sa 16:21-22Deu 28:302Sa 13:1-142Sa 13:28-292Sa 15:102Sa 15:6Ezk 14:9Ezk 20:25-26 You have acted in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’” 1Co 4:52Sa 16:22Ecc 12:14Luk 12:1-22Sa 11:4-15
David’s Loss and Repentance
Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Pro 28:132Sa 24:10Psa 51:4Zec 3:4Luk 15:21Psa 32:1-5Mic 7:18-191Sa 15:30
“The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD, 2 the son born to you will surely die.” Rom 2:24Isa 52:5Psa 89:31-33Heb 12:6Pro 3:11-12Psa 94:12Rev 3:191Co 11:32
After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 1Sa 25:38Psa 104:291Sa 26:102Ch 13:202Ki 15:5Act 12:23Deu 32:39 David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth 3on the ground. 2Sa 13:311Ki 21:272Sa 12:22Act 9:9Est 4:16Isa 22:12Jon 3:9Psa 50:15 The elders of his household stood beside him to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them. 2Sa 3:351Sa 28:23
On the seventh day the child died. But David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Look, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not listen to us. So how can we tell him the child is dead? He may even harm himself.” Num 20:15
When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he perceived that the child was dead. So he asked his servants, “Is the child dead?”
“He is dead,” they replied.
Then David got up from the ground, washed and anointed himself, changed his clothes, and went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they set food before him, and he ate. Job 1:20Rut 3:3Lam 3:39-412Sa 7:18Ecc 9:8Job 2:10Mat 6:172Sa 6:17
“What is this you have done?” his servants asked. “While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate.” 1Co 2:15
David answered, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’ Isa 38:1-3Isa 38:5Jon 3:9-10Jol 1:14Jol 2:14Jon 1:6Amo 5:15Jas 4:9-10 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” Gen 37:35Job 30:23Luk 23:43Job 7:8-10
Solomon’s Birth
Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. So she gave birth to a son, and they 4named him Solomon. Mat 1:61Ch 28:5-61Ch 22:9-101Ch 29:11Ch 3:52Sa 7:12
Now the LORD loved the child and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah because the LORD loved him. 5 2Sa 7:4Neh 13:261Ki 1:111Ki 1:232Sa 12:1-14Mat 17:5Mat 3:17
The Capture of Rabbah
(1 Chronicles 20:1–3)
Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress. 1Ch 20:1-3Deu 3:112Sa 11:25 Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city. 6 2Sa 11:1Deu 3:11Ezk 21:20 Now, therefore, assemble the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city, and it will be named after me.” Jhn 7:18
So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; and he fought against it and captured it. Then he took the crown from the head of their king. 7 It weighed a talent of gold 8and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city. 1Ch 20:2
David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, 9 iron picks, and axes, and he made them work at the brick kilns. 10 He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem. 1Ch 20:32Sa 8:2Amo 1:3Psa 21:8-9