Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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2 Samuel
Book: 2 Samuel
Chapter: 12
Overview:
Nathan's
Parable-
David confesses his
Sin.
(1-14) The
Birth of
Solomon.
(15-25) David's severity to the Ammonites.
(26-31)
1-14 God will not suffer his people to
Lie still in
Sin.
By
this
Parable Nathan drew from
David a sentence against himself.
Great need there is of prudence in giving reproofs. In his
application, he was
Faithful. He says in
Plain terms, Thou art
the
Man.
God shows how much he hates
Sin, even in his own
people; and wherever he finds it, he will not let it go
unpunished.
David says not a
Word to excuse himself or make
Light of his
Sin, but freely owns it. When
David said, I have
sinned, and
Nathan perceived that he was a true penitent, he
assured him his
Sin was forgiven. Thou shalt not die: that is,
not die eternally, nor be for ever
Put away from
God, as thou
wouldest have been, if thou hadst not
Put away the
Sin. Though
thou shalt all thy days be chastened of the
Lord, yet thou shalt
not be condemned with the world. There is this great evil in the
sins of those who profess religion and relation to
God, that
they furnish the enemies of
God and religion with matter for
reproach and
Blasphemy. And it appears from
David's case, that
even where
Pardon is obtained, the
Lord will visit the
transgression of his people with the rod, and their iniquity
with
Stripes. For one momentary gratification of a vile
Lust,
David had to endure many days and years of extreme distress.
15-25 David now penned the 51st Psalm, in which, though he had
been assured that his
Sin was pardoned, he prays earnestly for
Pardon, and greatly laments his
Sin. He was willing to
Bear the
shame of it, to have it ever before him, to be continually
upbraided with it.
God gives us leave to be
Earnest with him in
Prayer for particular blessings, from trust in his power and
general
Mercy, though we have
No particular promise to build
upon.
David patiently submitted to the will of
God in the
Death
of one
Child, and
God made up the loss to his advantage, in the
Birth of another. The way to have
Creature comforts continued or
restored, or the loss made up some other way, is cheerfully to
resign them to
God.
God,
By his
Grace, particularly owned and
favoured that son, and ordered him to be called
Jedidiah,
Beloved of the
Lord. Our prayers for our children are graciously
and as fully answered when some of them die in their infancy,
for they are
Well taken care of, and when others live, "beloved
of the
Lord."
26-31 To be thus severe in putting the children of
Ammon to
slavery was a sign that
David's
Heart was not yet made soft
By
Repentance, at the time when this took place. We shall be most
compassionate, kind, and forgiving to others, when we most feel
our need of the
Lord's forgiving
Love, and taste the sweetness
of it in our own souls.