1 Misit ergo Dominus Nathan ad David: qui cum venisset ad eum, dixit ei: Duo viri erant in civitate una, unus dives, et alter pauper. 2 Dives habebat oves et boves plurimos valde. 3 Pauper autem nihil habebat omnino, præter ovem unam parvulam quam emerat et nutrierat, et quæ creverat apud eum cum filiis ejus simul, de pane illius comedens, et de calice ejus bibens, et in sinu illius dormiens: eratque illi sicut filia. 4 Cum autem peregrinus quidam venisset ad divitem, parcens ille sumere de ovibus et de bobus suis, ut exhiberet convivium peregrino illi qui venerat ad se, tulit ovem viri pauperis, et præparavit cibos homini qui venerat ad se. 5 Iratus autem indignatione David adversus hominem illum nimis, dixit ad Nathan: Vivit Dominus, quoniam filius mortis est vir qui fecit hoc. 6 Ovem reddet in quadruplum, eo quod fecerit verbum istud, et non pepercerit. 7 Dixit autem Nathan ad David: Tu es ille vir. Hæc dicit Dominus Deus Israël: Ego unxi te in regem super Israël, et ego erui te de manu Saul, 8 et dedi tibi domum domini tui, et uxores domini tui in sinu tuo, dedique tibi domum Israël et Juda: et si parva sunt ista, adjiciam tibi multo majora. 9 Quare ergo contempsisti verbum Domini, ut faceres malum in conspectu meo? Uriam Hethæum percussisti gladio, et uxorem illius accepisti in uxorem tibi, et interfecisti eum gladio filiorum Ammon. 10 Quam ob rem non recedet gladius de domo tua usque in sempiternum, eo quod despexeris me, et tuleris uxorem Uriæ Hethæi ut esset uxor tua. 11 Itaque hæc dicit Dominus: Ecce ego suscitabo super te malum de domo tua, et tollam uxores tuas in oculis tuis, et dabo proximo tuo: et dormiet cum uxoribus tuis in oculis solis hujus. 12 Tu enim fecisti abscondite: ego autem faciam verbum istud in conspectu omnis Israël, et in conspectu solis. 13 Et dixit David ad Nathan: Peccavi Domino. Dixitque Nathan ad David: Dominus quoque transtulit peccatum tuum: non morieris. 14 Verumtamen quoniam blasphemare fecisti inimicos Domini, propter verbum hoc, filius qui natus est tibi, morte morietur. 15 Et reversus est Nathan in domum suam. Percussit quoque Dominus parvulum quem pepererat uxor Uriæ David, et desperatus est. 16 Deprecatusque est David Dominum pro parvulo: et jejunavit David jejunio, et ingressus seorsum, jacuit super terram. 17 Venerunt autem seniores domus ejus, cogentes eum ut surgeret de terra: qui noluit, nec comedit cum eis cibum. 18 Accidit autem die septima ut moreretur infans: timueruntque servi David nuntiare ei quod mortuus esset parvulus: dixerunt enim: Ecce cum parvulus adhuc viveret, loquebamur ad eum, et non audiebat vocem nostram: quanto magis si dixerimus: Mortuus est puer, se affliget? 19 Cum ergo David vidisset servos suos mussitantes, intellexit quod mortuus esset infantulus: dixitque ad servos suos: Num mortuus est puer? Qui responderunt ei: Mortuus est. 20 Surrexit ergo David de terra, et lotus unctusque est: cumque mutasset vestem, ingressus est domum Domini: et adoravit, et venit in domum suam, petivitque ut ponerent ei panem, et comedit. 21 Dixerunt autem ei servi sui: Quis est sermo quem fecisti? propter infantem, cum adhuc viveret, jejunasti et flebas: mortuo autem puero, surrexisti, et comedisti panem. 22 Qui ait: Propter infantem, dum adhuc viveret, jejunavi et flevi: dicebam enim: Quis scit si forte donet eum mihi Dominus, et vivat infans? 23 Nunc autem quia mortuus est, quare jejunem? numquid potero revocare eum amplius? ego vadam magis ad eum: ille vero non revertetur ad me. 24 Et consolatus est David Bethsabee uxorem suam, ingressusque ad eam dormivit cum ea: quæ genuit filium, et vocavit nomen ejus Salomon: et Dominus dilexit eum. 25 Misitque in manu Nathan prophetæ, et vocavit nomen ejus, Amabilis Domino, eo quod diligeret eum Dominus. 26 Igitur pugnabat Joab contra Rabbath filiorum Ammon, et expugnabat urbem regiam. 27 Misitque Joab nuntios ad David, dicens: Dimicavi adversum Rabbath, et capienda est Urbs aquarum. 28 Nunc igitur congrega reliquam partem populi, et obside civitatem, et cape eam: ne cum a me vastata fuerit urbs, nomini meo ascribatur victoria. 29 Congregavit itaque David omnem populum, et profectus est adversum Rabbath: cumque dimicasset, cepit eam. 30 Et tulit diadema regis eorum de capite ejus, pondo auri talentum, habens gemmas pretiosissimas: et impositum est super caput David. Sed et prædam civitatis asportavit multam valde: 31 populum quoque ejus adducens serravit, et circumegit super eos ferrata carpenta: divisitque cultris, et traduxit in typo laterum: sic fecit universis civitatibus filiorum Ammon. Et reversus est David et omnis exercitus in Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 12 Clementine Vulgate
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Bathsheba
Wife of David and mother of Solomon, remembered amid both sin and grace.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Kings 1-2; Matthew 1:6
David
The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6
Joab
Son of Zeruiah and commander of David's army, who killed Abner and Amasa, besieged Rabbah, killed Absalom in the oak, and carried out David's census.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 2:13; 2 Samuel 3:27; 2 Samuel 12:26
Nathan
The prophet to whom David confided his wish to build a house for the ark, who carried the LORD's promise of an enduring house to David, rebuked him with the parable of the ewe…
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 7:2; 2 Samuel 7:4; 2 Samuel 12:1
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Psalm 51:1–19; 1 Kings 20:35–41; Judges 9:7–15; Isaiah 5:1–7; 1 Kings 13:1
- 2 2 Samuel 12:8; 2 Samuel 3:2–5; Job 1:3; 2 Samuel 5:13–16; 2 Samuel 15:16
- 3 Micah 7:5; 2 Samuel 11:3; Deuteronomy 13:6; Proverbs 5:18–19
- 4 James 1:14; 2 Samuel 11:3–4; Genesis 18:2–7
- 5 Genesis 38:24; Romans 2:1; 1 Samuel 26:16; Luke 6:41–42; 1 Samuel 25:21–22
- 6 Exodus 22:1; Proverbs 6:31; Luke 19:8; James 2:13
- 7 Matthew 14:14; 1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 22:1; 1 Samuel 18:21; 2 Samuel 22:49
- 8 Psalm 84:11; 2 Samuel 9:7; 2 Samuel 12:11; 2 Samuel 5:5; 2 Samuel 2:4
- 9 1 Samuel 15:19; Psalm 90:8; Amos 2:4; Jeremiah 18:10; Psalm 139:1–2
- 10 2 Samuel 18:14–15; Matthew 26:52; Romans 2:4; 2 Samuel 13:28–29; Genesis 20:3
- 11 2 Samuel 16:21–22; Deuteronomy 28:30; 2 Samuel 13:1–14; 2 Samuel 15:10; 2 Samuel 13:28–29
- 12 2 Samuel 16:22; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Luke 12:1–2; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Samuel 11:4–15
- 13 Proverbs 28:13; 2 Samuel 24:10; Zechariah 3:4; Psalm 51:4; Micah 7:18–19
- 14 Romans 2:24; Isaiah 52:5; Psalm 89:31–33; Psalm 94:12; Proverbs 3:11–12
- 15 1 Samuel 25:38; Psalm 104:29; Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 26:10; 2 Kings 15:5
- 16 2 Samuel 13:31; Jonah 3:9; Esther 4:16; 1 Kings 21:27; 2 Samuel 12:22
- 17 2 Samuel 3:35; 1 Samuel 28:23
- 18 Numbers 20:15
- 20 Job 1:20; Ruth 3:3; Lamentations 3:39–41; Job 2:10; Ecclesiastes 9:8
- 21 1 Corinthians 2:15
- 22 Isaiah 38:5; Isaiah 38:1–3; Jonah 3:9–10; Joel 1:14; Jonah 1:6
- 23 Genesis 37:35; Job 30:23; Luke 23:43; Job 7:8–10
- 24 Matthew 1:6; 1 Chronicles 28:5–6; 1 Chronicles 29:1; 1 Chronicles 22:9–10; 2 Samuel 7:12
- 25 2 Samuel 7:4; Nehemiah 13:26; 1 Kings 1:11; 1 Kings 1:23; 2 Samuel 12:1–14
- 26 1 Chronicles 20:1–3; Deuteronomy 3:11; 2 Samuel 11:25
- 27 Ezekiel 21:20; Deuteronomy 3:11; 2 Samuel 11:1
- 28 John 7:18
- 30 1 Chronicles 20:2
- 31 1 Chronicles 20:3; Amos 1:3; 2 Samuel 8:2; Psalm 21:8–9
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
And David's anger being kindled against the man, he commanded that he should be put to death, and the lamb restored fourfold to the poor man; thus unwittingly condemning the sin he had wittingly committed. And when he had been shown this, and God's punishment had been denounced against him, he wiped out his sin in deep penitence.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… Saul, and give thee all that pertained to thy master, and all the house of Israel and Judah, and if it had been little for thee, I would have added thus and thus; and wherefore hast thou done that which was evil in my sight?" For not for all sins are there the same punishments, but many and diverse, according …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… standing round: for he had seen in thought the angel-host of the Lord, and he trembled as seeing Him who is invisible; and to the messenger, or rather by him in answer to God who sent him, he said, I have sinned against the Lord.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
Luke ascends through Nathan another son of the same David, through whom he was purged from his sin. For we read, that Nathan was sent to him to reprove him, and that he might through repentance be healed.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
Moreover her husband in war he caused to be killed: and after this deed there was sent to him Nathan the prophet; sent by the Lord, to reprove him for so great an outrage.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)