Wesley Corpus

Chapter XII Nathan delivers and applies his parable, ver. 1 - 12. David repents and is forgiven, but punished, ver. 13. 14. The sickness and death of the child, with David's behaviour on the occasion, ver. 15 - 23. The birth of Solomon, ver. 24 - 25. The taking of Rabbah, ver. 26 - 31. The Lord sent - When the ordinary means did not awaken David to repentance, God takes an extraordinary course. Thus the merciful God pities and prevents him who had so horribly forsaken God. He said - He prudently ushers in his reproof with a parable, after the manner of the eastern nations, that so he might surprize David, and cause him unawares to give sentence against himself. Many flocks - Noting David's many wives and concubines. Bought - As men then used to buy their wives: or, had procured. Is worthy to die - This seems to be more than the fact deserved, or than he had commission to inflict for it, Exod 22:1. But it is observable, that David now when he was most indulgent to himself, and to his own sin, was most severe and even unjust to others; as appears by this passage, and the following relation, ver.31, which was done in the time of David's impenitent continuance in his sin. Thus saith the Lord God - Nathan now speaks, not as a petitioner for a poor man, but as an ambassador from the great God. To be thy wife - To marry her whom he had defiled, and whose husband he had slain, was an affront upon the ordinance of marriage, making that not only to palliate, but in a manner to consecrate such villainies. In all this he despised the word of the Lord; (so it is in the Hebrew.) Not only his commandment in general, but the particular word of promise, which God had before sent him by Nathan, that he would build him an house: which sacred promise if he had had a due value for, he would not have polluted his house with lust and blood. Never depart - During the residue of thy life. Own house - From thy own children and family. Thine eyes - Openly, so that thou shalt know it as certainly as if thou didst see it, and yet not be able to hinder it.