2 Samuel 12:5 kjv
And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
2 Samuel 12:5 nkjv
So David's anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this shall surely die!
2 Samuel 12:5 niv
David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this must die!
2 Samuel 12:5 esv
Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die,
2 Samuel 12:5 nlt
David was furious. "As surely as the LORD lives," he vowed, "any man who would do such a thing deserves to die!
2 Samuel 12 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 22:1 | If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it... | Theft and restitution laws, showing seriousness of taking another's property. |
| Lev 24:17 | Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. | Capital punishment for life-taking, highlighting David's judgment (and his own sin). |
| Deut 6:13 | You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve him, and by his name you shall swear. | Divine allowance of swearing oaths by God's name for solemnity. |
| Judg 9:7-15 | Jotham told them this parable: “One day the trees went out to anoint a king... | Another example of a parable used to confront powerful rulers. |
| 1 Sam 17:26 | ...who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? | David's early zeal and anger for God's honor and justice. |
| 1 Sam 20:31 | For as long as Jesse’s son lives on earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he is worthy of death. | Saul calling David a "son of death," a phrase mirrored by David here. |
| 2 Sam 7:16 | And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever... | God's covenant with David, underscoring the gravity of David's sin against a righteous kingdom. |
| 2 Sam 11:4-17 | ...he sent for her and she came to him... Then he wrote a letter to Joab... | The hidden sin David committed, contrasting with his public declaration of justice. |
| 2 Sam 12:7 | Nathan said to David, “You are the man!..." | The immediate follow-up, revealing the irony of David's self-judgment. |
| Pss 7:16 | The trouble he causes recoils on himself... | Reflects the boomerang effect of judgment, seen in David's reaction. |
| Pss 51:4 | Against you, you only, have I sinned... | David's later realization of his own sin and guilt before God. |
| Prov 14:17 | A quick-tempered man acts foolishly... | Warning about unbridled anger, though David's anger here appears 'righteous' initially. |
| Prov 28:13 | Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. | Principle of confessing sin versus hiding it, which David tried. |
| Isa 5:1-7 | My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill... he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. | Another prophet (Isaiah) uses a vineyard parable to highlight injustice, leading people to self-condemn. |
| Eze 17:1-10 | The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, put forth a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel." | Ezekiel's frequent use of parables and riddles in prophetic discourse. |
| Mat 7:3-5 | Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? | Jesus' teaching on judging others while having greater fault. |
| Lk 6:41-42 | David's judgment here reflects this human tendency. | Jesus' teaching further illustrating hypocritical judgment. |
| Acts 10:43 | ...everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” | Forgiveness is available for grievous sins, foreshadowed by David's eventual repentance. |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death... | Theological truth about sin's consequence, confirmed by David's own pronouncement. |
| Rom 12:19 | Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God... | God's ultimate role as judge, whom David invoked through his oath. |
| Jas 1:20 | For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. | This applies to David's "righteous" anger being ultimately insufficient or misplaced regarding his own sin. |
| Jas 5:12 | But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath... | New Testament teaching about swearing oaths, contrasted with David's practice under Old Covenant. |
2 Samuel 12 verses
2 Samuel 12 5 Meaning
2 Samuel 12:5 captures David's fierce and self-condemning indignation when confronted with Nathan's parable. Unaware the story applies to him, David's anger burns, leading him to swear a solemn oath by the living God that the rich man who unjustly took the poor man's lamb is worthy of death. This immediate and strong declaration sets the stage for Nathan's powerful "You are the man!"
2 Samuel 12 5 Context
Following David's profound sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of Uriah to conceal it (2 Sam 11), the Lord sends the prophet Nathan to confront David. Nathan presents a carefully crafted parable (2 Sam 12:1-4) about a rich man with many flocks who takes a poor man's single beloved lamb to prepare a meal for a traveler. This verse (2 Sam 12:5) records David's indignant and morally outraged response to the rich man's perceived injustice, utterly oblivious that he himself is "the man" being condemned by the parable. David's fiery reaction is a pivot point, leading to Nathan's direct confrontation and David's subsequent repentance. Historically, kings served as chief judges, and David's pronouncement reflects his judicial authority and societal expectation of righteous judgment. Oaths "as the Lord liveth" (chai Yahweh) were legally and morally binding, signifying an unalterable decree made in God's presence.
2 Samuel 12 5 Word analysis
- And David’s anger: (Heb. Aph Dawid) "Aph" signifies the nose, breath, but colloquially denotes fierce, hot anger, showing a sudden, intense visceral reaction. David, known for his passion and zealousness, immediately exhibits a profound sense of injustice.
- was greatly kindled: (Heb. charah lo me'od) "Charah" means to burn, be hot, or incensed. "Me'od" means exceedingly, very much. This phrase indicates his anger was not mild but burned intensely within him, highlighting the emotional weight he placed on the perceived injustice.
- against the man: Refers to the anonymous "rich man" of Nathan's parable. David's focus is outward, projecting his outrage onto the parabolic figure, demonstrating his temporary moral blindness to his own actions.
- and he said to Nathan: David, as the king and ultimate judge, declares his verdict directly to the prophet who delivered the parable. This immediate address underscores his swift and firm judicial pronouncement.
- As the Lord liveth: (Heb. Chai Yahweh) A solemn, binding oath invoking the very existence and power of God. It means "by the life of Yahweh," emphasizing the absolute certainty and serious nature of the speaker's ensuing words. David commits himself before God to ensure justice.
- surely: (Heb. ki) This particle functions as an emphatic affirmative, meaning "indeed," "certainly," or "verily." It reinforces the absolute conviction behind David's declaration of judgment.
- the man that hath done this thing: Refers to the man described in Nathan's parable. David expresses no doubt as to the guilt of the described offender, assuming the story to be true and representative of a real person.
- shall die: (Heb. ben-mavet hu) Literally "a son of death he," or "he is worthy of death." This Hebrew idiom denotes a person who has committed a capital offense or deserves capital punishment. It is a decisive judicial verdict of death, pronounced with all the king's authority. This phrase carries weight, reflecting Mosaic law and divine standards for serious transgressions.
2 Samuel 12 5 Bonus section
- The phrase "son of death" (ben-mavet) is not common in biblical Hebrew, but where it appears, it clearly indicates one who is legally or morally subject to death.
- Nathan's strategy of using a parable is a highly effective, non-confrontational, yet powerfully convicting method, preventing an immediate defensive reaction from David before the truth could land. This contrasts with a direct accusation which a powerful king might simply dismiss.
- David's declaration reflects the severity with which Old Testament law viewed the taking of another's property and life, even in an illustrative form. Though the specific "taking of the lamb" might not by itself constitute a capital crime under all interpretations of Mosaic law, the profound injustice and lack of compassion demonstrated by the rich man provoked David's ultimate judgment.
2 Samuel 12 5 Commentary
David's response in 2 Samuel 12:5 is a remarkable display of human nature and divine wisdom. His righteous anger against the fictional oppressor reveals an inherent moral compass, demonstrating that even after severe sin, some sense of justice remains. The profound irony, however, lies in David's utter unawareness that his impassioned condemnation directly applies to his own actions with Bathsheba and Uriah. Nathan's masterfully delivered parable draws out this judgment from David's own mouth, making him the unwitting executioner of his own condemnation. This sets a trap of self-judgment, proving that David possessed the knowledge of right and wrong, yet had chosen to suppress it for his own desires. His sworn oath by God, “As the Lord liveth…”, highlights the seriousness of his perceived commitment to justice, foreshadowing the gravity of God's impending judgment upon him and his house. This verse underscores the human tendency to see the faults of others clearly while remaining blind to our own, preparing the ground for genuine repentance by external confrontation.