2 Samuel 12:11, commentary and pictures

The Lord spoke this sentence after David tried to hide adultery by having Uriah set in the fiercest battle and abandoned to be killed by the Ammonites. He declared that trouble would rise against David from within his own family and that his wives would be taken openly by another, so that secret sin would be answered with open shame. That evil came through Amnon's crime, Absalom's revenge and rebellion, and Absalom's taking of his father's concubines at Ahithophel's counsel to claim the throne and cut off reconciliation. God did not instigate that rebellion and defilement but withdrew His shielding hand and let David's wrongdoing bear its natural course as severe chastisement, even making Absalom's wrongdoing the means of punishment. David did not kill the faithful reprover but accepted the rebuke as just, humbled himself, confessed openly, entreated forgiveness and trusted in mercy for pardon. His former favor did not excuse his transgression, warning that even one once blessed with light who takes another's wife must repent bitterly and not repeat the offense if he would receive compassion.

David's Sin and Sentence

The sentence belongs to God's reckoning with David after he tried to conceal adultery by adding murder. He made Uriah the bearer of his own death warrant, sending by his hand a letter commanding Joab to set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle and then retire from him so that he might be struck down and die. Joab obeyed the order, and Uriah fell by the sword of the Ammonites.

The sentence stands in the account where that death was reported to David in language carefully chosen not to implicate Joab or the king. Joab instructed the messenger that if David showed anger at the conduct of the battle, he was to answer it by announcing that Uriah the Hittite was dead also. David then replied that the sword devours one as well as another, and ordered Joab to strengthen the battle against the city and overthrow it.

At that time David had departed from God and yielded himself to evil, becoming for the time an agent of Satan, while still holding the position and authority God had given him. That power had been given to be exercised only in harmony with divine law, so when the king commanded what was contrary to God's law it became sin to obey. Joab therefore transgressed God's law in obeying because the king had commanded it.

The sentence declared that God would raise up evil against David out of his own house, and would take his wives before his eyes and give them to his neighbor, who would lie with them in the sight of the sun. The open shame would answer secret sin, for God would no longer shield David from the results as He had shielded him from Saul, but would let evil take its natural course as severe chastisement. God did not instigate the rebellion and defilement, but because of David's sin He declined to exercise His power to prevent them. It was fulfilled when Ahithophel counseled Absalom to take his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel, according to the custom for declaring succession to the throne and in order to make reconciliation between Absalom and David impossible, and Absalom did so.

The withdrawal of that protection broke David in spirit and humbled him before his subjects and weakened his influence, since his prosperity had been attributed to obedience and now his known sin would lead others to sin more freely. In his household his authority and claim to respect and obedience from his sons were weakened, his guilt kept him silent when he should have condemned sin and made his arm feeble to execute justice in his house, and his evil example exerted its influence upon his sons, which God would not interpose to prevent. The judgment came because he transgressed God's commandments in the injustice done to Uriah and Bath-sheba and in taking many wives. It illustrates the retribution that follows turning from God's teachings, by which David sullied his reputation though he had been secure while upholding God's word. It shows God's displeasure resting upon the transgression without excuse or justification despite former faithfulness and favor, for the guilty are punished when they turn from righteousness and do evil.

Judgment in His Household

The evil foretold to rise out of his own house came first as Amnon's great crime and Absalom's revenge in slaying him, and then as Absalom's rebellion. Absalom was the son David loved above all his children, yet he stole the hearts of the people by beauty, winning manners and pretended kindness while ambitious and willing to use intrigue and crime, had himself proclaimed king at Hebron, and led his followers to pursue his father to take his kingdom and life. David's sons thus acted out the pattern of wrongdoing, and these events made him feel the consequences of his injustice to Uriah and Bath-sheba and brought the prophecy to mind.

The word concerning the wives was fulfilled when Ahithophel counseled Absalom to take his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel, and Absalom did so. The act followed the custom for declaring succession to the throne and was intended to make reconciliation between Absalom and David impossible.

That fulfillment kept David's sin continually before him with continual grief, made him feel bitterly the fruits of wrongdoing and the full weight of his sin, humbled him, confused and weakened his calm judgment, and destroyed his former skill, wisdom, unequaled courage and confidence in military ability. His authority and claim to respect and obedience from his sons were weakened, his guilt kept him silent when he should have condemned sin and made his arm feeble to execute justice in his house, while his evil example exerted its influence upon his sons. The unnatural warfare brought distress unlike any other war and drove him to flee Jerusalem to save his life, going up the Mount of Olives with covered head, barefoot and weeping. Bearing conscious guilt, feeling he had forfeited love and loyalty, weakened physically and morally, with lost self-respect and self-confidence and scarcely daring to trust his old advisers, he left his throne in humbled and mournful flight when his own son sought his life.

The evil raised up from his own house by which judgment was visited upon him was Absalom's wrongdoing, which was made the means of punishing David. In the same way afterward the error in numbering the people was used to punish the sins of Israel. The abuse suffered from Shimei in that distress belonged to the foretold family punishment. It was accepted humbly without repining, rage, resentment or revenge, allowing the cursing as permitted by the Lord and trusting that God could lessen the affliction and turn it to blessing.

Reproof, Repentance, and Warning

This sentence of judgment belongs to Nathan's faithful portrayal of David's true sinful state and of God's dealings with him. God sent the prophet to confront David with his sin through a story that led David to condemn his own conduct before being told that he was the man in the story. The warning and counsel laid the crime before him in its truly abominable character. That reproof and chastisement helped David recognize his sins, put them away, and learn wisdom from God's dealings with him.

David feared and trembled at the word of the Lord. Though lofty on his throne with unlimited power, he did not show the spirit of an unconverted man or of the rulers of the nations around him by taking the life of the faithful reprover. He accepted the stern rebuke and its declared calamity from his own household as just and merciful, received the counsel meekly, humbled himself before God under it, and did not turn against the prophet who delivered it. His response shows that he was not sinless, but that he sincerely repented and trusted in mercy.

He repented in dust and ashes and entreated forgiveness. He repented of breaking God's law and relied on Christ's blood for pardon. He kept his transgression ever before him with bitter repentance and humiliating confession with despairing cries, and did not conceal his repentance from the great men and even servants of his kingdom. He composed a penitential psalm recounting his sin and repentance, presenting his case and showing in whom was his trust and hope for pardon, pleading loving-kindness and multitude of tender mercies to blot out transgressions, wash him thoroughly from iniquity, cleanse him from sin, and deliver him from bloodguiltiness as the God of his salvation. He knew the psalm would be sung by all Israel, especially before the assembled court, priests, elders and lords, and by after generations, so others would be instructed by the sad history of his life and his confession would bring his sins to the notice of other generations.

The calamity from within his own household showed God's displeasure and that He did not excuse or justify David's transgression, despite his former faithfulness and favor. Even a person once favored for following God cannot rely on past righteousness to escape punishment after turning to evil, for the guilty are punished when they turn from righteousness and do evil.

When a man blessed with light covets and takes another man's wife, God sends reproof through His messenger declaring judgment against him, and the sinner must repent bitterly to receive compassion. David did not repeat the offense after reproof but repented bitterly, and the Lord had compassion upon him and put away his sin. To repeat the same offense after reproof would forfeit that compassion and leave the man ruined without genuine conversion. His great crime recoiled terribly upon him.