2 Samuel 12:11

2Sa 12:11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give [them] unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

Ver. 11. Behold, I will raise up evil against thee, &c.] God loveth to retaliate, as were easy to exemplify; take one instance for all. Valentinian the Emperor was slain in Mars’ field at Rome by the instigation of Maximus, whose wife he had defiled. This Maximus thereupon steppeth into the imperial throne, and first ravisheth and then marrieth Eudoxia, late wife to Valentinian. She, thus married, secretly sent for Genserieus, king of Vandals, who seized upon Italy, to the ruin of the Roman empire. Now God hath a holy hand in ordering all these disorders of the world to his own glory and the good of his people.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Sa 12:11-12. I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house — Which was notoriously fulfilled in Absalom’s conspiracy against him. I will take thy wives before thine eyes — Openly, so that thou shalt know it as certainly as if thou didst see it, and yet shalt not be able to prevent it. For Absalom had a tent spread upon the house-top, and there went in unto them. And give them unto thy neighbour — I shall, by my providence, give power over them to one who is very near unto thee. But God expresseth this darkly, that the accomplishment of it might not be hindered. I will do this thing before all Israel — It was made notorious to all, that David fled in haste from his son, and left his wives and concubines behind him. “Whoever,” says Dr. Delaney, “considers the predictions of divine vengeance now denounced against David, must surely find them to be very extraordinary. His family to continue beyond any other regal race in the known world, and yet the sword to continue as long — never to depart from it! A king, the greatest of his time! his dominion thoroughly established, and his enemies under his feet: highly honoured and beloved at home, and as highly awful to all the neighbouring nations! — Such a king threatened to have his wives publicly prostituted before the face of all his people! And, what is yet stranger, more shocking, and more incredible, by one of his own race! and, as a sure proof of this, the darling offspring of his guilt to perish quickly, before his eyes! He alone who fills futurity could foresee this. He alone who sways the world, and knows what evil appetites and dispositions, unrestrained, will attempt and perpetrate, could pronounce it.”

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12:11 I will cause your own household to rebel against you: Absalom’s revolt against David (chs 14–19) fulfilled this promise.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Meaning, openly, as at noon-days.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, &c.--The prophet speaks of God threatening to do what He only permitted to be done. The fact is, that David's loss of character by the discovery of his crimes, tended, in the natural course of things, to diminish the respect of his family, to weaken the authority of his government, and to encourage the prevalence of many disorders throughout his kingdom.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 11. I will take thy wives] That is, In the course of my providence I will permit all this to be done. Had David been faithful, God, by his providence, would have turned all this aside; but now, by his sin, he has made that providence his enemy which before was his friend.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. I will take thy wives] See ch. 2Sa_16:21-22. “Having become the man of blood, of blood he was to drink deep; and having become the man of lust, by that same baneful passion in others was he himself to be scourged for ever.” Blunt’s Undesigned Coincidences, p. 134.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For thou didst it secretly,.... Committed adultery with Bathsheba privately, and endeavoured to conceal it, by getting her husband killed in battle, and then marrying her as soon as he could to hide the shame of it:

but one will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun; as the above fact was; that is, he would suffer it to he done, and so order it in his providence, that everything should concur to the doing of it; as David's leaving his wives behind him, Ahithophel's wicked counsel he was suffered to give, and the lustful inclination Absalom was left unto, and not any of the people of Israel having religion, spirit, and courage enough to remonstrate against it.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

See the marginal references. In both the points of David’s crime the retribution was according to his sin. His adultery was punished by Absalom’s outrage, his murder by the bloodshed of domestic fights, which cost the lives of at least three of his favorite sons, Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

I will raise, &c. All these evils, inasmuch as they were punishments, came upon Daivd by a just judgment of God, for his sin; and therefore God says, I will raise, &c. But inas much as they were sins, on the part of Absalom and his associates, God was not the author of them, but only permitted them. (Challoner) --- God permitted the wicked prince to succeed for some time, that he might punish David. (Calmet) --- Neighbour, most dearly beloved. To be treated ill by such a one, is doubly severe, Psalm liv. 15. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

I will raise up evil, to wit, the evil of punishment.

Out of thine own house; from thy own children and family.

Before thine eyes, i. e. openly, so as thou shalt know it as certainly as if thou didst see it, and yet not be able to hinder it.

Give them, i.e. I shall by my providence give him power over them, which I know he will abuse; and I shall not restrain him from so doing, either by my grace or providence.

Unto thy neighbour; to one who is very near to thee, even thy beloved son Absalom. But God expresseth this here darkly and doubtfully, that the accomplishment of it might not be hindered.

In the sight of the sun; in the open day, and in a public place. The accomplishment hereof, see 2Sa 16:22.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. Evil against thee out of thine own house — This was realized especially in Absalom’s rebellion.

Take thy wives — See how this was fulfilled in 2Sa_16:22.

Thy neighbour — Absalom, who was also his son. 2Sa_3:3. But though a son, he became so bitterly alienated from his father by rebellion as to be significantly called neighbour.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He shall lie with thy wives. Fulfilled for political purposes by Absalom, under the advice of Bathsheba"s grandfather. (2Sa_16:22) The punishment was thus complete. For the murdered Uriah there was fourfold restitution, according to David"s own sentence. First there was Bathsheba"s child lately born, then Amnon, thirdly Absalom, and lastly Adonijah. For the adultery there was open disgrace wrought upon his royal dignity "before the sun," in open daylight. As he had brought shame and dishonour upon the family relations of his neighbour, so were his own family rights violated by his rebellious son. And, as is often the case, the sins which followed were worse than those which prepared the way. Vice begins as a small stream trickling through the opposing dam. but it quickly breaks down all moral restraints, and rushes along like a destroying flood.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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. And give them - I shall by my providence, give him power over them. neighbour - To one who is very near thee. But God expresseth this darkly, that the accomplishment of it might not be hindered.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

out of your own house

Here David's "house" refers to his family. AT: "from among your own family" (See: Metonymy)

Before your own eyes

Here David is referred to by his eyes to emphasize what he would see. AT: "While you are watching" (See: Synecdoche)

in broad daylight

"in full daylight." The idea of doing something "openly" or in a way that people are fully aware of what is happening is often spoken about as being done in the "daylight." AT: "openly" or "and everyone will see what is happening" (See: Metaphor)

committed your sin

"sinned"

before all Israel

This phrase speaks of the people of Israel knowing about what has happened to his wives as if they all actually witnessed it happening. AT: "before all the people of Israel" or "and all the people of Israel will know about it" (See: Metonymy and Metaphor)

passed over

Yahweh has forgiven David of his sin. This is spoken of here as Yahweh passing over his sin as if it were something that he walked by and disregarded. AT: "forgiven" (See: Metaphor)

You will not be killed

This can be stated in active form. Sometimes men died because of their sins, but he will not die because of his sin with the woman. This can be stated clearly. AT: "You will not die" or "you will not die because of this sin" (See: Active or Passive and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

had relations with

sin

Israel

David

Nathan

Yahweh

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.