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The foregoing chapter gave us the account of David's sin; this gives us the account of his repentance. Though he fell, he was not utterly cast down, but, by the grace of God, recovered himself, and found mercy with God. Here is, I. His conviction, by a message Nathan brought him from God, which was a parable that obliged him to condemn himself (2Sa 12:1-6), and the application of the parable, in which Nathan charged him with the sin (2Sa 12:7-9) and pronounced sentence upon him, 2Sa 12:10-12. II. His repentance and remission, with a proviso, 2Sa 12:13,14. III. The sickness and death of the child, and his behaviour while it was sick and when it was dead (2Sa 12:15-23), in both which David gave evidence of his repentance. IV. The birth of Solomon, and God's gracious message concerning him, in which God gave an evidence of his reconciliation to David, 2Sa 12:24,25. V. The taking of Rabbah (2Sa 12:26-31), which is mentioned as a further instance that God did not deal with David according to his sins.
1-14
Nathan's Parable; David's Repentance (1036 BC)
简体中文
拿单的比喻；大卫的悔改（主前1036年）
¹ 耶和华差遣拿单到大卫那里。拿单到了他那里，对他说："在一座城里有两个人：一个富足，一个贫穷。 ² 富足的人有极多的牛群羊群； ³ 那穷人除了一只所买来所养活的小母羊羔之外，什么也没有。羊羔在他和他儿女身旁一同长大，吃他自己的食物，喝他自己杯中的饮料，睡在他怀中，在他看如女儿一样。 ⁴ 有一客人来到这富户那里，富户舍不得从自己的牛群羊群中取一只预备给那来到的旅客吃，却取了那穷人的羊羔，预备给来到他那里的人吃。" ⁵ 大卫就甚恼怒那人，对拿单说："我指着永生的耶和华起誓，行这事的人该死！ ⁶ 他必偿还羊羔四倍；因为他行这事，没有怜恤的心。" ⁷ 拿单对大卫说："你就是那人！耶和华以色列的神如此说：'我膏你作以色列的王，救你脱离扫罗的手； ⁸ 我将你主人的家业赐给你，把你主人的妻交在你怀中，又将以色列和犹大家赐给你；你若还以为不够，我本会如此如此加添给你。 ⁹ 你为什么藐视耶和华的命令，行他眼中看为恶的事呢？你用刀击杀了赫人乌利亚，又娶了他的妻作你的妻，借亚扪人的刀杀了他。 ¹⁰ 现在刀剑必永不离开你的家；因为你藐视我，娶了赫人乌利亚的妻为妻。' ¹¹ 耶和华如此说：'看哪，我必从你家中兴起祸患攻击你；我必在你眼前把你的妃嫔赐给你的邻舍，他必在你眼前的这日头之下与你的妃嫔同寝。 ¹² 你在暗中行了这事，我却要在全以色列面前和日头之下行这事。'" ¹³ 大卫对拿单说："我得罪耶和华了。"拿单对大卫说："耶和华也除掉了你的罪，你必不至于死。 ¹⁴ 只是你行这事，叫耶和华的仇敌大得亵渎的机会，故此你所生的孩子必定要死。"
大卫犯了与拔示巴通奸之罪以后，似乎过了许久才被领到悔改之地。因为拿单被差到他那里时，孩子已经出生（撒下12:14），可见大卫在这罪的重担之下躺卧了约九个月之久，而且据我们所知，毫无悔改的迹象。这整段时间大卫的光景如何呢？我们能否设想，他的心从来不因这事自责，或从来未曾在神面前暗中为此哀痛？我倒情愿盼望他确曾如此，而拿单被差到他那里，正是在孩子出生之时——那时这事因此被众人知晓谈论——为要引导他公开承认此罪，以荣耀神、警戒他人，并使他借拿单领受有条件限制的赦罪之恩。然而在这九个月中，我们大可设想他的安慰与恩典的操练已经搁置，他与神的相交也被打断；在那整段时间内，他确实没有撰写任何诗篇，他的琴瑟走调，他的心灵如冬天之树，只在根部尚存生命。所以，在拿单见过他之后，他才祷告说："求你使我仍得救恩之乐……我就把你的道指教有过犯的人"（诗51:12,15）。让我们观察，
I. 神所差遣到他那里去的使者。上一章末尾已经告诉我们，大卫所行的事耶和华甚不喜悦；既如此，有人或想接着该是：耶和华差遣仇敌入侵，惊恐将他抓住，死亡的使者来逮捕他。不，他差遣一位先知到他那里——拿单，他忠诚的朋友与亲信——来教导劝诫他（撒下12:1）。大卫并未差人去请拿单（虽然他此时比任何时候都更需要这位听忏悔者），是神差遣拿单到大卫那里。当记，神虽任凭他的百姓陷入罪中，却不任凭他们安卧其中。"他随自己顽梗的心而行"，若任凭他自己，必无尽地流荡；但（神说）"我看见他所行的道，也要医治他"（赛57:17,18）。他在我们寻求他之前就追赶我们，否则我们必永远沉沦。拿单正是那位先知，神曾借他向大卫宣告施恩的心意（撒下7:4），如今又借同一只手，送达这审判的信息。神的话在使者口中，无论说的是威吓还是安慰，都当领受。拿单顺服了那属天的异象，奉神的差遣到大卫那里去。他并没有说："大卫已经犯罪了，我不愿亲近他。"不；"不要以他为仇人，乃要劝他如弟兄"（帖后3:15）。他也没有说："大卫是君王，我不敢责备他。"不；神既差遣他，他便硬着脸面好像坚石（赛50:7）。
II. 拿单所传给他的信息，为要使他知罪。
1. 他借一个比喻绕道而行。这比喻在大卫看来，仿佛是拿单向他所呈控告——控告他的一个臣民欺压了贫穷的邻舍——为要他伸冤雪屈、惩罚恶人。拿单往常或许就是为这样的差事来见他，这使这次的来访少了几分可疑。凡在君王面前有势力、能自由出入的人，理当为受屈之人代求，使他们得着公道。(1.) 拿单向大卫陈明一桩冤情：一个富人对一个诚实却无力与他相争的邻舍行了极不义的事。"富户有许多牛群羊群"（撒下12:2）；穷人只有一只羊羔——世间的分派如此不均；然而无限的智慧、公义与良善作此分配，为叫富人学习怜恤，穷人学习知足。这穷人只有一只羊羔，是一只母羊羔，是一只小母羊羔，因他无力买也无力养更多。但它是只"代养"的羊羔（如我们所说的）；"它同他的儿女一同长大"（撒下12:3）。他宠爱它，它与他也时常亲近。那富人因要款待一位朋友需要一只羊，便强行夺了那穷人的羊羔用来招待（撒下12:4），或是出于吝啬，因为他舍不得用自己的；或更可能是出于奢华，因为他以为这样被娇养、像孩子一样吃喝长大的羊羔，必是比自己任何一只都更可口的美味，滋味更佳。(2.) 借此他向他指明了他玷污拔示巴之罪的邪恶。他有许多妻妾，远离在别处安置，正如富人把牛羊放在自己的田间。他若只有一位，且她对他如羊羔之于其主人那般宝贵，他若视她"如可爱的麀鹿，可喜的母鹿，她的胸怀使你时时知足"，他便不再外求（箴5:19）。婚姻原是防避淫乱的良方，但多娶却不然；因为一旦破坏了合一的法则，纵容的私欲便难以自限。乌利亚正如那穷人，只有一位妻子，她对他如同自己的灵魂，常睡在他怀中，因为他没有别的，也不愿有别的睡在那里。那"客人"或"旅客"，照帕特里克主教引自犹太学者的解释，乃是指进入大卫心中的那恶念、邪情或私欲——这本可以他自己的妻妾来满足，却非要乌利亚的珍宝不可。他们注意到，这恶性情被称为"旅客"，因为起初它只是如此，日久却成了客人，终则成为一家之主。因为同节开头被称为"旅客"的，到了节末便被称为"人"（ish——丈夫）。但也有人观察到，在大卫胸中，私欲不过如只过一夜的过客，并未长久居住掌权。(3.) 借这比喻他从大卫口中引出了一句定自己罪的判语。因为大卫以为这是实情，又是从拿单亲口听来，便不疑其真，立即对那犯罪者下判，并以起誓为证（撒下12:5,6）。[1.] 因他夺人羊羔的不义，必按律法四倍偿还（出22:1），"四只羊还一只羊"。[2.] 因他的暴虐残忍，以及他虐待穷人所存的快感，当被治死。穷人因饥饿偷富人之物以充饥，虽要"赔还他家中所有的全部财物"（箴6:30）（所罗门在那里将淫乱之罪与之相比，箴6:32）；但富人偷窃只为偷窃，不是因为缺乏，乃是出于放纵，只为逞威风、行暴虐，便当治死，因为对他而言，赔偿并非刑罚，或几乎不是。这判语若被认为过于严厉，当归因于大卫此时在罪中刚硬粗暴的性情——他正落在罪咎之下，尚未蒙怜悯。
2. 至终他在比喻的应用上直击其要。他以比喻开始，显出他的智慧；责备人实在极需智慧。若能如这里一样，使犯罪者在不知不觉中被引到自己定罪、自己责备自己，便是处置得当。但在此处的应用中，他显出他的忠心，对君王大卫本人直率坦白，如同对待平民一般。明明白白地说："你就是那人——行了这恶事，且行了更大的恶事于你的邻舍；故此按你自己的判语，你当死，必从你口中被定罪。夺邻舍羊羔的尚且该死，夺邻舍妻子的你岂不更该死吗？他虽夺了羊羔，却没有害及羊主的性命，像你所行的那样；所以你更该死。"如今他直接从神发言，奉他的名。他开场便说："耶和华以色列的神如此说"——这名称在大卫眼中是神圣可畏的，足以唤起他的注意。此时拿单不是为一个穷人求情，而是作为至高神的大使发言；在神并不徇情面。
(1.) 神借拿单提醒大卫，他曾为他所成就、所计划的大事——膏他作王、保守他得国（撒下12:7），赐他掌管前主的家业和眷属，以及其他曾管辖他的人，拿八便是其中之一。又将以色列和犹大家赐给他。王国的财富任他使用，人人都愿讨好他。不但如此，神还随时预备赐他一切使他安逸之物："我本会如此如此加添给你"（撒下12:8）。请看神在恩赐上是何等慷慨；我们在他里面毫不狭窄。他既赐得多，还要赐得更多。神向我们所施的厚恩，正是我们不知足、贪求禁果之大加重情节。我们既有特权为神所应许的祈求，却去贪恋神所禁止的，这实在是忘恩——而所应许的已经够了。
(2.) 他指控他在所犯的罪上对神的威严极其藐视："你为什么（仗着你的王权与势力）藐视耶和华的命令呢？"（撒下12:9）。这正是罪的源头，也是罪的毒害所在——轻看神的律法与立法者；仿佛律法的约束力薄弱，诫命琐碎，威吓毫不可畏。虽无人比大卫更尊崇地论到神的律法，但在这一件事上，他被公正地指控为藐视律法。他与拔示巴的淫乱虽是祸患的开端，却未被提及，或许因为他已经知罪；但[1.] 谋害乌利亚被两次提及："你用刀杀了乌利亚"，虽非你的刀，却与你亲手同样可憎，因你是借笔下令把他派到阵前最凶险之处。"策划恶事、下令行恶的人，与执行的人同样有罪。这话带着加重情节重复说了一遍："你借亚扪人的刀杀了他"——那些未受割礼的神与以色列的仇敌。[2.] 娶拔示巴为妻也两次被提及，因他以为这事并无不妥（撒下12:9）："你娶了他的妻作你的妻"，又说一遍（撒下12:10）。娶他先前所玷污、又杀其丈夫的女子为妻，是对婚姻制度的侮辱，使婚姻不但成为遮掩恶行的幌子，简直近乎将这种恶行奉为圣礼。这一切之中，他"藐视耶和华的言语"（希伯来文如此）——不但是指一般性禁止这类事的诫命，更是指神不久前借拿单传给他的那应许之言，说要建立他的家室。他若对这圣洁的应许心存应有的敬重，便不至于如此以淫乱和血腥玷污自己的家。
(3.) 他威胁因这罪将审判延及他的全家（撒下12:10）："刀剑必永不离开你的家"——无论在你活着之时或以后都不离开；你和你的后裔大多要卷入战乱。或它指向他众子中的杀戮——暗嫩、押沙龙、亚多尼雅都死于刀下。神曾应许他的怜悯必不离开他和他的家（撒下7:15），此处却威胁刀剑必不离开。怜悯与刀剑能并存吗？能——人可能落在极大、极久的苦难之中，却仍不至被排除在圣约的恩典之外。其理由是："因为你藐视我。"当记，凡藐视神的话语和律法的，就是藐视神自己，必被轻看。特别威胁说，[1.] 他的众子要成为他的忧愁："我必从你家中兴起祸患攻击你。"罪把祸患带入家庭，一罪常常成为另一罪的刑罚。[2.] 他的妻妾要成为他的羞辱：因一桩空前绝后的恶行，她们要在全以色列眼前被公开玷辱（撒下12:11,12）。经上没有明说这事要由他亲生的儿子所作，免得预言太过直白反而妨碍了应验；但此事果然由押沙龙照亚希多弗的计谋行了（撒下16:21,22）。"玷污邻舍之妻的，自己的妻也必被玷污"，因为这罪向来如此受罚，可见约伯的咒诅（伯31:10）"就愿我的妻子给别人推磨"，以及何西阿的警告（何4:14）。这罪是暗中行的，竭力遮掩；刑罚却是公开的，竭力宣扬，使大卫蒙羞——他在乌利亚之事上所犯的罪，虽是多年以前所行，那时却要被想起，并在这场合上被人广为谈论。如镜子里的脸与脸相对，刑罚常常对应罪行：此处是"以血还血，以污秽还污秽"。如此神便显明他何等恨恶罪恶，连自己百姓身上也不例外；无论何处寻见，必不任其不受罚。
3. 大卫随之痛悔认罪。他不说一句话为自己开脱或减轻罪过，只是坦然承认："我得罪耶和华了"（撒下12:13）。大概他还说了更多相同意思的话；但这已足以表明他因拿单的话真已自卑，顺服了知罪的责备。他承认己罪——"我犯了罪"，并加重情节——这罪是"得罪耶和华的"：他在为此事所写的诗篇中反复弹奏这根弦。诗51:1，"我向你犯罪，惟独得罪了你。"
4. 在这痛悔认罪之上宣告赦免，却附带着一个条件。当大卫说"我犯了罪"，拿单见他是真心悔改的，
(1.) 他便奉神的名向他保证他的罪已蒙赦免："耶和华也除掉了你的罪"——从神那报应之眼眼前除掉了；"你必不至于死"，意思是"不至于永远灭亡，不至于被神永远弃绝，若非神已除掉了这罪，你本该如此"。罪债到此被注销撤销。"他不至于定罪"——这就是赦免的本质。"你的罪孽不至于成为你永远的毁灭。刀剑必不离开你的家；但[1.] 它必不将你剪除，你必平平安安归到坟墓。"大卫本该作淫乱者和杀人犯被处死，但神没有像他本可公义而行的那样将他剪除。[2.] "你虽终身被耶和华管教，却不至和世界一同被定罪。"请看神何等乐于赦罪。大卫或许正是指着这事说（诗32:5）："我说，我要承认，你就赦免了。"大罪人若真心悔改，不可绝望，以为在神那里找不到怜悯；因为像他这样赦免罪孽的神，还有谁呢？
(2.) 然而他对那孩子宣告了死刑（撒下12:14）。请看神的主权！有罪的父母活着，无辜的婴孩却死了；但所有灵魂都是他的，他可以随己意在受造之物身上荣耀自己。[1.] 大卫因他的罪损害了神的尊荣；他"给了耶和华的仇敌大得亵渎的机会"。那一代的恶人——无神论者、拜偶像者、亵渎者——必因大卫的跌倒而得意，并借此毁谤神和他的律法，因为他们看见一个行如此污秽大恶的人，竟如此尊荣神和律法。"这就是你们所谓敬虔的人！这就是那个祷告唱诗、如此虔诚的人！这样的操练若不能约束人远离淫乱和凶杀，其中还有什么好处？"他们必说："扫罗岂不是因更小的事被弃吗？为何大卫却仍可活着掌权？"全不考虑"耶和华不像人看人，人是看外貌，耶和华是看内心"。直到今日，仍有人因大卫的榜样而毁谤神，在罪中刚硬。虽然确实没有人因大卫的缘故而有正当理由毁谤神，或毁谤他的话语与道路，他们如此行乃是他们的罪；然而那将绊脚石放在他们路上，虽不是因由，却给了口实使他们毁谤的，必被追讨。当记，自称信教、与神有关之人的丑闻之罪有这极大的恶处——它为神和宗教的仇敌提供了毁谤亵渎的把柄（罗2:24）。[2.] 神因此要藉着向大卫在这罪上显明他的不悦来维护自己的尊荣，让世人看见：他虽爱大卫，却恨恶他的罪；他选择以那孩子的死亡来成就此事。房东可以在产业的任何部分随意扣押财物。在那些日子，婴孩的疾病与死亡或许不如今日普遍，这就使这事作为不寻常的事件更显明为神不悦的证据；正如他常说的话，他必"追讨父亲的罪在孩子身上"。
영문 원문
Nathan's Parable; David's Repentance (1036 BC)
¹ And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
² The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
³ But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
⁴ And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
⁵ 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:
⁶ And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
⁷ And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
⁸ And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
⁹ Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
¹⁰ Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
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.
¹² For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
¹³ And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
¹⁴ Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
It seems to have been a great while after David had been guilty of adultery with Bath-sheba before he was brought to repentance for it. For, when Nathan was sent to him, the child was born (2Sa 12:14), so that it was about nine months that David lay under the guilt of that sin, and, for aught that appears, unrepented of. What shall we think of David's state all this while? Can we imagine that his heart never smote him for it, or that he never lamented it in secret before God? I would willingly hope that he did, and that Nathan was sent to him, immediately upon the birth of the child, when the thing by that means came to be publicly known and talked of, to draw from him an open confession of the sin, to the glory of God, the admonition of others, and that he might receive, by Nathan, absolution with certain limitations. But, during these nine months, we may well suppose his comforts and the exercises of his graces suspended, and his communion with God interrupted; during all that time, it is certain, he penned no psalms, his harp was out of tune, and his soul like a tree in winter, that has life in the root only. Therefore, after Nathan had been with him, he prays, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and open thou my lips, Ps 51:12,15. Let us observe,
I. The messenger God sent to him. We were told by the last words of the foregoing chapter that the thing David had done displeased the Lord, upon which, one would think, it should have followed that the Lord sent enemies to invade him, terrors to take hold on him, and the messengers of death to arrest him. No, he sent a prophet to him—Nathan, his faithful friend and confidant, to instruct and counsel him, 2Sa 12:1. David did not send for Nathan (though he had never had so much occasion as he had now for his confessor), but God sent Nathan to David. Note, Though God may suffer his people to fall into sin, he will not suffer them to lie still in it. He went on frowardly in the way of his heart, and if left to himself, would have wandered endlessly, but (saith God) I have seen his ways, and will heal him, Isa 57:17,18. He sends after us before we seek after him, else we should certainly be lost. Nathan was the prophet by whom God had sent him notice of his kind intentions towards him (2Sa 7:4), and now, by the same hand, he sends him this message of wrath. God's word in the mouth of his ministers must be received, whether it speak terror or comfort. Nathan was obedient to the heavenly vision, and went on God's errand to David. He did not say, "David has sinned, I will not come near him." No; count him not an enemy, but admonish him as a brother, 2Th 3:15. He did not say, "David is a king, I dare not reprove him." No; if God sends him, he sets his face like a flint, Isa 50:7.
II. The message Nathan delivered to him, in order to his conviction.
1. He fetched a compass with a parable, which seemed to David as a complaint made to him by Nathan against one of his subjects that had wronged his poor neighbour, in order to his redressing the injury and punishing the injurious. Nathan, it is likely, used to come to him upon such errands, which made this the less suspected. It becomes those who have interest in princes, and have free access to them, to intercede for those that are wronged, that they may have justice done them. (1.) Nathan represented to David a grievous injury which a rich man had done to an honest neighbour that was not able to contend with him: The rich man had many flocks and herds (2Sa 12:2); the poor man had one lamb only; so unequally is the world divided; and yet infinite wisdom, righteousness, and goodness, make the distribution, that the rich may learn charity and the poor contentment. This poor man had but one lamb, a ewe-lamb, a little ewe-lamb, having not wherewithal to buy or keep more. But it was a cade—lamb (as we call it); it grew up with his children, 2Sa 12:3. He was fond of it, and it was familiar with him at all times. The rich man, having occasion for a lamb to entertain a friend with, took the poor man's lamb from him by violence and made use of that (2Sa 12:4), either out of covetousness, because he grudged to make use of his own, or rather out of luxury, because he fancied the lamb that was thus tenderly kept, and ate and drank like a child, must needs be more delicate food than any of his own and have a better relish. (2.) In this he showed him the evil of the sin he had been guilty of in defiling Bath-sheba. He had many wives and concubines, whom he kept at a distance, as rich men keep their flocks in their fields. Had he had but one, and had she been dear to him, as the ewe-lamb was to its owner, had she been dear to him as the loving hind and the pleasant roe, her breasts would have satisfied him at all times, and he would have looked no further, Pr 5:19. Marriage is a remedy against fornication, but marrying many is not; for, when once the law of unity is transgressed, the indulged lust will hardly stint itself. Uriah, like the poor man, had only one wife, who was to him as his own soul, and always lay in his bosom, for he had no other, he desired no other, to lie there. The traveller or wayfaring man was, as bishop Patrick explains it from the Jewish writers, the evil imagination, disposition, or desire, which came into David's heart, which he might have satisfied with some of his own, yet nothing would serve but Uriah's darling. They observe that this evil disposition is called a traveller, for in the beginning it is only so, but, in time, it becomes a guest, and, in conclusion, is master of the house. For he that is called a traveller in the beginning of the verse is called a man (ish—a husband) in the close of it. Yet some observe that in David's breast lust was but as a wayfaring man that tarries only for a night; it did not constantly dwell and rule there. (3.) By this parable he drew from David a sentence against himself. For David supposing it to be a case in fact, and not doubting the truth of it when he had it from Nathan himself, gave judgment immediately against the offender, and confirmed it with an oath, 2Sa 12:5,6. [1.] That, for his injustice in taking away the lamb, he should restore four-fold, according to the law (Ex 22:1), four sheep for a sheep. [2.] That for his tyranny and cruelty, and the pleasure he took in abusing a poor man, he should be put to death. If a poor man steal from a rich man, to satisfy his soul when he is hungry, he shall make restitution, though it cost him all the substance of his house, Pr 6:30 (and Solomon there compares the sin of adultery with that, Pr 6:32); but if a rich man steal for stealing sake, not for want but wantonness, merely that he may be imperious and vexatious, he deserves to die for it, for to him the making of restitution is no punishment, or next to none. If the sentence be thought too severe, it must be imputed to the present roughness of David's temper, being under guilt, and not having himself as yet received mercy.
2. He closed in with him, at length, in the application of the parable. In beginning with a parable he showed his prudence, and great need there is of prudence in giving reproofs. It is well managed if, as here, the offender can be brought ere he is aware, to convict and condemn himself. But here, in his application, he shows his faithfulness, and deals as plainly and roundly with king David himself as if he had been a common person. In plain terms, "Thou art the man who hast done this wrong, and a much greater, to thy neighbour; and therefore, by thy own sentence, thou deservest to die, and shalt be judged out of thy own mouth. Did he deserve to die who took his neighbour's lamb? and dost not thou who hast taken thy neighbour's wife? Though he took the lamb, he did not cause the owner thereof to lose his life, as thou hast done, and therefore much more art thou worthy to die." Now he speaks immediately from God, and in his name. He begins with, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, a name sacred and venerable to David, and which commanded his attention. Nathan now speaks, not as a petitioner for a poor man, but as an ambassador from the great God, with whom is no respect of persons.
(1.) God, by Nathan, reminds David of the great things he had done and designed for him, anointing him to be king, and preserving him to the kingdom (2Sa 12:7), giving him power over the house and household of his predecessor, and of others that had been his masters, Nabal for one. He had given him the house of Israel and Judah. The wealth of the kingdom was at his service and every body was willing to oblige him. Nay, he was ready to bestow any thing upon him to make him easy: I would have given thee such and such things, 2Sa 12:8. See how liberal God is in his gifts; we are not straitened in him. Where he has given much, yet he gives more. And God's bounty to us is a great aggravation of our discontent and desire of forbidden fruit. It is ungrateful to covet what God has prohibited, while we have liberty to pray for what God has promised, and that is enough.
(2.) He charges him with a high contempt of the divine authority, in the sins he had been guilty of: Wherefore hast thou (presuming upon thy royal dignity and power) despised the commandment of the Lord? 2Sa 12:9. This is the spring and this is the malignity of sin, that it is making light of the divine law and the law-maker; as if the obligation of it were weak, the precepts of it trifling, and the threats not at all formidable. Though no man ever wrote more honourably of the law of God than David did, yet, in this instance, he is justly charged with a contempt of it. His adultery with Bath-sheba, which began the mischief, is not mentioned, perhaps because he was already convinced of that, but, [1.] The murder of Uriah is twice mentioned: "Thou hast killed Uriah with the sword, though not with thy sword, yet, which is equally heinous, with thy pen, by ordering him to be set in the forefront of the battle." Those that contrive wickedness and command it are as truly guilty of it as those that execute it. It is repeated with an aggravation: Thou hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon, those uncircumcised enemies of God and Israel. [2.] The marrying of Bath-sheba is likewise twice mentioned, because he thought there was no harm in that (2Sa 12:9): Thou hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and again, 2Sa 12:10. To marry her whom he had before defiled, and whose husband he had slain, was an affront upon the ordinance of marriage, making that not only to palliate, but in a manner to consecrate, such villanies. In all this he despised the word of the Lord (so it is in the Hebrew), not only his commandment in general which forbade such things, but the particular word of promise which God had, by Nathan, sent to him some time before, that he would build him a house. If he had had a due value and veneration for this sacred promise, he would not thus have polluted his house with lust and blood.
(3.) He threatens an entail of judgements upon his family for this sin (2Sa 12:10): "The sword shall never depart from thy house, not in thy time nor afterwards, but, for the most part, thou and thy posterity shall be engaged in war." Or it points at the slaughters that should be among his children, Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah, all falling by the sword. God had promised that his mercy should not depart from him and his house (2Sa 7:15), yet here threatens that the sword should not depart. Can the mercy and the sword consist with each other? Yes, those may lie under great and long afflictions who yet shall not be excluded from the grace of the covenant. The reason given is, Because thou hast despised me. Note, Those who despise the word and law of God despise God himself and shall be lightly esteemed. It is particularly threatened, [1.] That his children should be his grief: I will raise up evil against thee out of thy own house. Sin brings trouble into a family, and one sin is often made the punishment of another. [2.] That his wives should be his shame, that by an unparalleled piece of villany they should be publicly debauched before all Israel, 2Sa 12:11,12. It is not said that this should be done by his own son, lest the accomplishment should have been hindered by the prediction being too plain; but it was done by Absalom, at the counsel of Ahithophel, 2Sa 16:21,22. He that defiled his neighbour's wife should have his own defiled, for thus that sin used to be punished, as appears by Job's imprecation, Job 31:10, Then let my wife grind unto another, and that threatening, Ho 4:14. The sin was secret, and industriously concealed, but the punishment should be open, and industriously proclaimed, to the shame of David, whose sin in the matter of Uriah, though committed many years before, would then be called to mind and commonly talked of upon that occasion. As face answers to face in a glass, so does the punishment often answer to the sin; here is blood for blood and uncleanness for uncleanness. And thus God would show how much he hates sin, even in his own people, and that, wherever he find it, he will not let it go unpunished.
3. David's penitent confession of his sin hereupon. He says not a word to excuse himself or extenuate his sin, but freely owns it: I have sinned against the Lord, 2Sa 12:13. It is probable that he said more to this purport; but this is enough to show that he was truly humbled by what Nathan said, and submitted to the conviction. He owns his guilt—I have sinned, and aggravates it—It was against the Lord: on this string he harps in the psalm he penned on this occasion. Ps 51:1, Against thee, thee only, have I sinned.
4. His pardon declared, upon this penitent confession, but with a proviso. When David said I have sinned, and Nathan perceived that he was a true penitent,
(1.) He did, in God's name, assure him that his sin was forgiven: "The Lord also has put away thy sin out of the sight of his avenging eye; thou shalt not die," that is, "not die eternally, nor be for ever put away from God, as thou wouldest have been if he had not put away the sin." The obligation to punishment is hereby cancelled and vacated. He shall not come into condemnation: that is the nature of forgiveness. "Thy iniquity shall not be thy everlasting ruin. The sword shall not depart from thy house, but, [1.] It shall not cut thee off, thou shalt come to thy grave in peace." David deserved to die as an adulterer and murderer, but God would not cut him off as he might justly have done. [2.] "Though thou shalt all thy days be chastened of the Lord, yet thou shalt not be condemned with the world." See how ready God is to forgive sin. To this instance, perhaps, David refers, Ps 32:5, I said, I will confess, and thou forgavest. Let not great sinners despair of finding mercy with God if they truly repent; for who is a God like unto him, pardoning iniquity?
(2.) Yet he pronounces a sentence of death upon the child, 2Sa 12:14. Behold the sovereignty of God! The guilty parent lives, and the guiltless infant dies; but all souls are his, and he may, in what way he pleases, glorify himself in his creatures. [1.] David had, by his sin, wronged God in his honour; he had given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. The wicked people of that generation, the infidels, idolaters, and profane, would triumph in David's fall, and speak ill of God and of his law, when they saw one guilty of such foul enormities that professed such an honour both for him and it. "These are your professors! This is he that prays and sings psalms, and is so very devout! What good can there be in such exercises, if they will not restrain men from adultery and murder?" They would say, "Was not Saul rejected for a less matter? why then must David live and reign still?" not considering that God sees not as man sees, but searches the heart. To this day there are those who reproach God, and are hardened in sin, through the example of David. Now, though it is true that none have any just reason to speak ill of God, or of his word and ways, for David's sake, and it is their sin that do so, yet he shall be reckoned with that laid the stumbling-block in their way, and gave, though not cause, yet colour, for the reproach. Note, There is this great evil in the scandalous sins of those that profess religion, and relation to God, that they furnish the enemies of God and religion with matter for reproach and blasphemy, Ro 2:24. [2.] God will therefore vindicate his honour by showing his displeasure against David for this sin, and letting the world see that though he loves David he hates his sin; and he chooses to do it by the death of the child. The landlord may distrain on any part of the premises where he pleases. Perhaps the diseases and deaths of infants were not so common in those days as they are now, which might make this, as an unusual thing, the more evident token of God's displeasure; according to the word he had often said, that he would visit the sins of the fathers upon the children.
15-25
David's Humiliation; Birth of Solomon (1036 BC)
简体中文
大卫的痛悔；所罗门的出生（公元前1036年）
¹⁵ 拿单就回家去了。耶和华击打乌利亚的妻给大卫所生的孩子，使他患重病。
¹⁶ 大卫便为这孩子恳求神，而且禁食，进入内室，终夜躺在地上。
¹⁷ 他家中的老臣起来，到他旁边，要把他从地上扶起来，他却不肯，也不与他们同吃饭。
¹⁸ 到第七日，孩子死了。大卫的臣仆不敢告诉他孩子死了，因他们说：孩子还活着的时候，我们劝他，他尚且不肯听我们的话；若告诉我们孩子死了，他岂不要更加苦恼么？
¹⁹ 大卫见臣仆彼此低声交谈，就察觉孩子死了，于是问臣仆说：孩子死了么？他们说：死了。
²⁰ 大卫就从地上起来，沐浴，抹膏，更换衣裳，进了耶和华的殿敬拜；然后回宫，叫人摆饭，他便吃了。
²¹ 臣仆问他说：你这样做是什么意思？孩子活着的时候，你禁食哭泣；孩子死了，你倒起来吃饭。
²² 他说：孩子还活着的时候，我禁食哭泣，因为我说：谁知耶和华是否还要恩待我，使孩子存活呢？
²³ 如今孩子既已死了，我何必禁食呢？我岂能叫他再回来呢？我必往他那里去，他却不能回我这里来。
²⁴ 大卫安慰他的妻拔示巴，与她同寝，她就生了一个儿子，给他起名叫所罗门；耶和华也喜爱他。
²⁵ 他藉先知拿单给他取了一个名字，叫耶底底亚，因为耶和华的缘故。
拿单传完了他的信息，并没有留在宫廷，而是回到家里，大概是为大卫祷告——他刚向大卫讲过道。神使用他作工具使大卫悔改，又作恩典与审判两者的传令官，便这样尊荣了职事，并叫他的话语在一切之上为大。大卫给拔示巴所生的一个儿子起名叫拿单，以记念这位先知（代上3:5），而基督这位大先知，正是由这一个儿子按肉身谱系出来的（路3:31）。当拿单退去时，大卫大概也退下了，并写下了诗51:1-19；在这篇诗中（虽然他已蒙保证罪已得赦），他仍恳切祈求赦免，大大为自己的罪忧伤；因为当神向他们止息了怒气（结16:63）之时，真正的悔改者必为他们所做的羞愧。
这里有：I. 这孩子的病：耶和华击打他，他便患了重病，也许是抽搐，或是别的可怕的急症（撒下12:15）。婴孩没有像亚当那样犯罪的样式，他们的疾病与死亡——尤其有时情形十分可悲——正是他们受孕时所带着的原罪的有力明证。
II. 大卫在这神不悦的记号下痛悔自卑，并为孩子的性命向神代求（撒下12:16,17）：他禁食，终夜躺在地上，也不容任何侍从喂他，或扶他起来。这是他悔改之真诚的凭据。因为，1. 由此可见他甘愿承当他罪的羞辱，要它常在自己眼前，并不断被它提醒；因为这孩子若活下来，必成为他自己和别人长久的记念：所以他没有像多数人在这种情形下那样盼望孩子死去，反而恳切为孩子求存活。真正的悔改者忍耐地担当幼年的羞辱，就是年少私欲的羞辱（耶31:19）。2. 这其中显出极温柔怜悯的心肠，大有仁爱，远超常人——尤其是军人——对自己幼童通常所有的体恤；这正是破碎痛悔之心的另一个记号。悔改的人必满有怜悯。3. 他在其中流露出对另一个世界的深切关切，这正是悔改的凭据。拿单已告诉他这孩子必定要死；然而只要还在祷告可达的范围之内，他便向神恳切代求，主要是（我们可以这样推测）为着孩子的灵魂在另一个世界能安全蒙福，愿他的罪不致追上这孩子，愿这孩子在来世不致因此受害。4. 他在其中流露出对神与神不悦的神圣敬畏。他所以恳求免去孩子的死，主要是因这死正是神向他和他家发怒的记号，是照着警告施行的；所以他才如此恳切祷告，若是神的旨意，孩子可以存活，因为那就要成为神已与他复和的记号。耶和华啊，求你不要在怒中责备我（诗6:1）。
III. 孩子的死：到了第七日他就死了（撒下12:18），那时他才生下来七天，所以还未受割礼；大卫也许会把这也看作神不悦的进一步记号，因为孩子在受了圣约的印记之前就死了；然而他并不因此怀疑孩子能享圣约的福分，因为圣约的福分并不依赖乎印记。大卫的臣仆按着自己度量大卫的心，便不敢告诉他孩子死了，以为那时他更要心烦意乱；所以他直等到问起才知道（撒下12:19）。
IV. 大卫既知道孩子死了，便显出惊人的平静安稳。请看，
1. 他所行的。（1）他放下了忧伤的种种表现，洗浴抹膏，换上洁白细麻衣，为要在神的殿中端庄朝见神。（2）他上到会幕敬拜，如同约伯听见儿女死讯之时。他去承认神在这次苦难中的作为，在其中自卑，顺服神圣的旨意；去感谢神自己得蒙保全、罪已得赦，并去求神不要再在他争辩的事上追讨，不要兴起他一切的烈怒。*有人受苦么？让他祷告。*哀哭绝不可阻挡敬拜。（3）然后他回自己的家去，重新得力，如同一个在受苦之日从自己的宗教得了益处的人；因为他敬拜了，便吃了，面上不再愁烦。
2. 他对自己所行之举所给的理由。臣仆见他为孩子病时这样刻苦，孩子死了反倒安然，觉得希奇，就问他缘故（撒下12:21）；他回答时对自己所行的作了这样坦白的说明：（1）孩子还活着的时候，他认为自己有本分恳求神的恩待（撒下12:22）。拿单虽说过孩子必死，但就他所知，这警告也可能是附条件的，像论到希西家那样；既经他如此大大自卑恳切祷告，那听过他哭泣之声的神也许肯收回判语，存留孩子：*谁知神是否还要恩待我呢？*神允许我们凭着对他权能与一般怜悯的信靠，为他个别的祝福恳切祈求，即使我们并没有特定的应许可作根据；我们不能确定，但仍要祷告，因为谁知神不会恩待我们，在这事或那事上呢？当我们的亲友病了之时，信心的祷告已大有功效；只要有一口气就有指望，只要还有指望，就有祷告的余地。（2）孩子既死，他认为安于神对这事的处置，也是自己当尽的本分（撒下12:23）：*如今，我何必禁食呢？*有两件事抑制了他的忧愁：——[1] 我不能叫他再回来；又说，他不能回我这里来。已死的人已在祷告达不到的地方；我们的眼泪也不能使他们得益。我们既不能哭着也不能祷告着把他们带回今生。那么何必禁食呢？*这样浪费有何益处呢？*然而大卫在约拿单死后仍为他禁食哀哭，是为着尊敬他。[2] 我必往他那里去。第一，往他那里去，到坟墓去。要知道，想到我们自己的死，应当减轻我们因亲人死亡而生的忧伤。这是众人共同的分；我们与其为他们的死哀哭，倒不如想到自己的死；无论我们现在怎样失去他们，不久我们自己也必死去，往他们那里去。第二，往他那里去，到天堂去，到蒙福的境地——这一点连旧约的圣徒也多少有所期盼。敬虔的父母有极大的理由，可以为着在婴孩时期夭折的儿女抱这样的盼望：他们的灵魂在另一个世界是好的；因为应许是赐给我们和我们的后裔的，这应许必成就在那些不为自己关门的人身上，婴孩并不会关这扇门。*所得的恩惠当引发更多的盼望——领受的恩惠当使人盼望更大的恩惠。*神称那些生给他的为他的儿女；他们若是属他的，他必拯救他们。当我们儿女被死取去的时候，这事可以安慰我们：他们在另一个世界，无论在工作与财富上都比在这世上得了更好的预备。我们不久也必到他们那里去，永不再分离。
V. 所罗门的出生。大卫虽然娶拔示巴得罪了耶和华，神却并没有因此吩咐他休她；不但如此，神还藉她赐他一个儿子，王权的圣约要传承在这儿子身上。拔示巴无疑因自己罪的自觉以及神不悦的记号大受煎熬。但是神既恢复了大卫救恩之乐，他就用自己从神受过的安慰去安慰她（撒下12:24）：他安慰拔示巴。在大卫和拔示巴两方面，都有理由因神与他们复和的记号得着安慰：1. 神藉着护理赐他们一个儿子——不是头一个那样在怒中赐下、在烈怒中取去的，而是恩惠地赐下、记在耶路撒冷活人中的孩子。他们给他起名叫所罗门——平安的，因为他的出生是神与他们和好的记号，因为传给他的昌盛，又因为他要作基督——和平之君——的预表。神既从他们取去一个儿子，如今又赐他们另一个代替他，如同塞特代替亚伯（创4:25）。神常常这样在所降罚的同一件事上，用安慰来平衡他百姓的忧伤，使两者相对。大卫在头一个孩子之死上极其顺服神的旨意，如今神就在这孩子的出生上，以极丰盛的好处补偿了那损失。要使我们受造之物得安慰的事得以延续、恢复，或那损失用别样方式得着补足，途径就是甘心把这一切交托给神。2. 神藉着恩典特别地眷顾并喜爱这个儿子：耶和华喜爱他（撒下12:24,25），并藉先知拿单吩咐给他起名叫耶底底亚——为耶和华所爱的；他们虽是作恶之人的后裔（大卫和拔示巴正是如此），然而圣约安排得如此妥善，所传的王权之约竟涂抹了一切的公权褫夺与血统的玷污，表明那些本为可怒之子、悖逆之子的，要因恩典之约不但得以和好，更成为蒙爱的人。在这名字里，他预表了耶稣基督——那蒙爱的耶底底亚、神的爱子；关于他，神一再宣告：这是我的爱子，我所喜悦的。
영문 원문
David's Humiliation; Birth of Solomon (1036 BC)
¹⁵ And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
¹⁶ David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
¹⁷ And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
¹⁸ And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
¹⁹ But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
²⁰ Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
²¹ Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
²² And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
²³ But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
²⁴ And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
²⁵ And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
Nathan, having delivered his message, staid not at court, but went home, probably to pray for David, to whom he had been preaching. God, in making use of him as an instrument to bring David to repentance, and as the herald both of mercy and judgment, put an honour upon the ministry, and magnified his word above all his name. David named one of his sons by Bath-sheba Nathan, in honour of this prophet (1Ch 3:5), and it was that son of whom Christ, the great prophet, lineally descended, Lu 3:31. When Nathan retired, David, it is probable, retired likewise, and penned the Ps 51:1-19, in which (though he had been assured that his sin was pardoned) he prays earnestly for pardon, and greatly laments his sin; for then will true penitents be ashamed of what they have done when God is pacified towards them, Eze 16:63.
Here is, I. The child's illness: The Lord struck it, and it was very sick, perhaps with convulsions, or some other dreadful distemper, 2Sa 12:15. The diseases and death of infants that have not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, especially as they are sometimes sadly circumstanced, are sensible proofs of the original sin in which they are conceived.
II. David's humiliation under this token of God's displeasure, and the intercession he made with God for the life of the child (2Sa 12:16,17): He fasted, and lay all night upon the earth, and would not suffer any of his attendants either to feed him or help him up. This was an evidence of the truth of his repentance. For, 1. Hereby it appeared that he was willing to bear the shame of his sin, to have it ever before him, and to be continually upbraided with it; for this child would be a continual memorandum of it, both to himself and others, if he lived: and therefore he was so far from desiring its death, as most in such circumstances do, that he prayed earnestly for its life. True penitents patiently bear the reproach of their youth, and of their youthful lusts, Jer 31:19. 2. A very tender compassionate spirit appeared in this, and great humanity, above what is commonly found in men, especially men of war, towards little children, even their own; and this was another sign of a broken contrite spirit. Those that are penitent will be pitiful. 3. He discovered, in this, a great concern for another world, which is an evidence of repentance. Nathan had told him that certainly the child should die; yet, while it is in the reach of prayer, he earnestly intercedes with God for it, chiefly (as we may suppose) that its soul might be safe and happy in another world, and that his sin might not come against the child, and that it might not fare the worse for that in the future state. 4. He discovered, in this, a holy dread of God and of his displeasure. He deprecated the death of the child chiefly as it was a token of God's anger against him and his house, and was inflicted in performance of a threatening; therefore he prayed thus earnestly that, if it were the will of God, the child might live, because that would be to him a token of God's being reconciled to him. Lord, chasten me not in thy hot displeasure. Ps 6:1.
III. The death of the child: It died on the seventh day (2Sa 12:18), when it was seven days old, and therefore not circumcised, which David might perhaps interpret as a further token of God's displeasure, that it died before it was brought under the seal of the covenant; yet he does not therefore doubt of its being happy for the benefits of the covenant do not depend upon the seals. David's servants, judging of him by themselves, were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, concluding that then he would disquiet himself most of all; so that he knew not till he asked, 2Sa 12:19.
IV. David's wonderful calmness and composure of mind when he understood the child was dead. Observe,
1. What he did. (1.) He laid aside the expressions of his sorrow, washed and anointed himself, and called for clean linen, that he might decently appear before God in his house. (2.) He went up to the tabernacle and worshipped, like Job when he heard of the death of his children. He went to acknowledge the hand of God in the affliction, and to humble himself under it, and to submit to his holy will in it, to thank God that he himself was spared and his sin pardoned, and to pray that God would not proceed in his controversy with him, nor stir up all his wrath. Is any afflicted? Let him pray. Weeping must never hinder worshipping. (3.) Then he went to his own house and refreshed himself, as one who found benefit by his religion in the day of his affliction; for, having worshipped, he did eat, and his countenance was no more sad.
2. The reason he gave for what he did. His servants thought it strange that he should afflict himself so for the sickness of the child and yet take the death of it so easily, and asked him the reason of it (2Sa 12:21), in answer to which he gives this plain account of his conduct, (1.) That while the child was alive he thought it his duty to importune the divine favour towards it, 2Sa 12:22. Nathan had indeed said the child should die, but, for aught that he knew, the threatening might be conditional, as that concerning Hezekiah: upon his great humiliation and earnest prayer, he that had so often heard the voice of his weeping might be pleased to reverse the sentence, and spare the child: Who can tell whether God will yet be gracious to me? God gives us leave to be earnest with him in prayer for particular blessings, from a confidence in his power and general mercy, though we have no particular promise to build upon: we cannot be sure, yet let us pray, for who can tell but God will be gracious to us, in this or that particular? When our relations and friends have fallen sick, the prayer of faith has prevailed much; while there is life there is hope, and, while there is hope, there is room for prayer. (2.) That now the child was dead he thought it as much his duty to be satisfied in the divine disposal concerning it (2Sa 12:23): Now, wherefore should I fast? Two things checked his grief:—[1.] I cannot bring him back again; and again, He shall not return to me. Those that are dead are out of the reach of prayer; nor can our tears profit them. We can neither weep nor pray them back to this life. Wherefore then should we fast? To what purpose is this waste? Yet David fasted and wept for Jonathan when he was dead, in honour to him. [2.] I shall go to him. First, To him to the grave. Note, The consideration of our own death should moderate our sorrow at the death of our relations. It is the common lot; instead of mourning for their death, we should think of our own: and, whatever loss we have of them now, we shall die shortly, and go to them. Secondly, To him to heaven, to a state of blessedness, which even the Old Testament saints had some expectation of. Godly parents have great reason to hope concerning their children that die in infancy that it is well with their souls in the other world; for the promise is to us and to our seed, which shall be performed to those that do not put a bar in their own door, as infants do not. Favores sunt ampliandi—Favours received should produce the hope of more. God calls those his children that are born unto him; and, if they be his, he will save them. This may comfort us when our children are removed from us by death, they are better provided for, both in work and wealth, than they could have been in this world. We shall be with them shortly, to part no more.
V. The birth of Solomon. Though David's marrying Bath-sheba had displeased the Lord, yet he was not therefore commanded to divorce her; so far from this that God gave him that son by her on whom the covenant of royalty should be entailed. Bath-sheba, no doubt, was greatly afflicted with the sense of her sin and the tokens of God's displeasure. But, God having restored to David the joys of his salvation, he comforted her with the same comforts with which he himself was comforted of God (2Sa 12:24): He comforted Bath-sheba. And both he and she had reason to be comforted in the tokens of God's reconciliation to them, 1. Inasmuch as, by his providence, he gave them a son, not as the former, who was given in anger and taken away in wrath, but a child graciously given, and written among the living in Jerusalem. They called him Solomon—peaceful, because his birth was a token of God's being at peace with them, because of the prosperity which was entailed upon him, and because he was to be a type of Christ, the prince of peace. God had removed one son from them, but now gave them another instead of him, like Seth instead of Abel, Ge 4:25. Thus God often balances the griefs of his people with comforts in the same thing wherein he hath afflicted them, setting the one over-against the other. David had very patiently submitted to the will of God in the death of the other child, and now God made up the loss of that, abundantly to his advantage, in the birth of this. The way to have our creature-comforts either continued or restored, or the loss of them made up some other way, is cheerfully to resign them to God. 2. Inasmuch as, by his grace, he particularly owned and favoured that son: The Lord loved him (2Sa 12:24,25), ordered him, by the prophet Nathan, to be called Jedidiah—Beloved of the Lord: though a seed of evil-doers (for such David and Bath-sheba were), yet so well ordered was the covenant, and the crown entailed by it, that it took away all attainders and corruption of blood, signifying that those who were by nature children of wrath and disobedience should, by the covenant of grace, not only be reconciled, but made favourites. And, in this name, he typified Jesus Christ, that blessed Jedidiah, the son of God's love, concerning whom God declared again and again, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
26-31
The Conquest of Rabbah (1036 BC)
简体中文
攻取拉巴（主前1036年）
²⁶ 约押攻取亚扪人的京城拉巴。
²⁷ 约押差遣使者去见大卫，说：「我攻打拉巴，已经取了水城。
²⁸ 现在你要聚集其余的军兵来，安营围攻这城，恐怕我取了这城，人就以我的名叫这城。」
²⁹ 于是大卫聚集众军，往拉巴去攻城，就取了这城。
³⁰ 夺了亚扪人之王所戴的金冠冕，其上的金子重一他连得，又嵌着宝石；人将这冠冕戴在大卫头上。他又从城里夺了许多财物。
³¹ 又将城里的人拉出来，放在锯下，或用铁耙、铁斧，或叫他们在砖窑里干活；大卫向亚扪人各城都是如此行。其后，大卫和众民都回耶路撒冷去了。
此处记载了攻取拉巴以及亚扪人其他城邑的经过。这事虽记在大卫孩子出生之后，但极有可能早在许久以前、乌利亚死后不久就已成事，或许正是在拔示巴为他哀悼的那些日子。注意：1. 尽管大卫正参与这场争战时就犯了那罪，又恶用地将亚扪人的刀剑用于谋杀乌利亚，神却仍然恩待他，赐他这场对仇敌的大胜。神本可公义地使那刀剑从此成为大卫及其国度的灾祸，然而他却折断了它，使大卫的刀剑得胜——甚至在大卫悔改之前——为要叫「他的恩慈是领他悔改」。大卫实在有充足理由承认神「没有按我们的罪过待他」（诗103:10）。2. 约押行得十分诚实可敬：当他攻取了「水城」，也就是那建有宫殿的王城、全城水源的供给者（因此一旦切断水源，全城必速速投降）之后，他便差人去请大卫亲自前来完成这一大事，好使大卫得着此事的尊荣（撒下12:26-28）。在此他显明自己是个忠仆，专求他主人的尊荣，而将自己的尊荣置于其下、隶属于其之下，并给主耶稣的仆人们留下了榜样——在一切所行的事上都当顾念他的尊荣。「不是归与我们，而是归与你的名，愿荣耀归与。」3. 大卫在此事上既过于骄傲，又过于严厉，既不如他当有的谦卑，也不如他当有的怜悯。（1）他似乎过于贪恋亚扪王的冠冕（撒下12:30）。因那冠冕因所嵌的宝石而价值非凡，大卫便要人将它戴在自己头上，尽管他本应将冠冕掷于神脚前，而在身负重罪之际，将自己的口贴于尘土之中。一颗真正为罪而谦卑的心，对属世的荣耀是死的，并以圣洁的轻蔑看待它。（2）他似乎对战俘过于严苛（撒下12:31）。这城在顽抗了漫长而耗费巨大的围攻之后被攻取；若他在战火炽烈之际将所有持械之人都尽行杀戮，那已足够严厉；但事后竟在冷血中、以锯与铁耙等酷刑将他们撕裂致死，这实在不合于一位初登国位时就许愿要歌唱「慈爱与公平」（诗101:1）之君王。若他只惩治那些凌辱他使臣的人，或其同谋、从犯——因那是对万国公法的违背——尚可视为以必要之公义儆戒列国；但他对亚扪人各城（即各城的驻军或兵丁）一律如此严酷，便是极度的苛刻，表明大卫的心尚未因悔改而柔软，否则他的怜悯之肠不会如此闭塞——这也是他尚未蒙怜悯的标记，否则他会更乐意施怜悯。
영문 원문
The Conquest of Rabbah (1036 BC)
²⁶ And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
²⁷ And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.
²⁸ Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.
²⁹ And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
³⁰ And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
³¹ And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
We have here an account of the conquest of Rabbah, and other cities of the Ammonites. Though this comes in here after the birth of David's child, yet it is most probable that it was effected a good while before, and soon after the death of Uriah, perhaps during the days of Bath-sheba's mourning for him. Observe, 1. That God was very gracious in giving David this great success against his enemies, notwithstanding the sin he had been guilty of just at that time when he was engaged in this war, and the wicked use he had made of the sword of the children of Ammon in the murder of Uriah. Justly might he have made that sword, thenceforward, a plague to David and his kingdom; yet he breaks it, and makes David's sword victorious, even before he repents, that this goodness of God might lead him to repentance. Good reason had David to own that God dealt not with him according to his sins, Ps 103:10. 2. That Joab acted very honestly and honourably; for when he had taken the city of waters, the royal city, where the palace was, and from which the rest of the city was supplied with water (and therefore, upon the cutting off of that, would be obliged speedily to surrender), he sent to David to come in person to complete this great action, that he might have the praise of it, 2Sa 12:26-28. Herein he showed himself a faithful servant, that sought his master's honour, and his own only in subordination to his, and left an example to the servants of the Lord Jesus, in every thing they do, to consult his honour. Not unto us, but to thy name, give glory. 3. That David was both too haughty and too severe upon this occasion, and neither so humble nor so tender as he should have been. (1.) He seems to have been too fond of the crown of the king of Ammon, 2Sa 12:30. Because it was of extraordinary value, by reason of the precious stones with which it was set, David would have it set upon his head, though it would have been better to have cast it at God's feet, and at this time to have put his own mouth in the dust, under guilt. The heart that is truly humbled for sin is dead to worldly glory and looks upon it with a holy contempt. (2.) He seems to have been too harsh with his prisoners of war, 2Sa 12:31. Taking the city by storm, after it had obstinately held out against a long and expensive siege, if he had put all whom he found in arms to the sword in the heat of battle, it would have been severe enough; but to kill them afterwards in cold blood, and by cruel tortures, with saws and harrows, tearing them to pieces, did not become him who, when he entered upon the government, promised to sing of mercy as well as judgment, Ps 101:1. Had he made examples of those only who had abused his ambassadors, or advised or assisted in it, that being a violation of the law of nations, it might have been looked upon as a piece of necessary justice for terror to other nations; but to be thus severe with all the cities of the children of Ammon (that is, the garrisons or soldiers of the cities) was extremely rigorous, and a sign that David's heart was not yet made soft by repentance, else the bowels of his compassion would not have been thus shut up—a sign that he had not yet found mercy, else he would have been more ready to show mercy.
前一章记述了大卫的犯罪；本章则记述了他的悔改。他虽跌倒，却没有被全然弃绝，而是靠着神的恩典重新站立，在神面前寻得了怜悯。本章所记如下：I. 他的被定罪——借着拿单从神那里带来的信息，那是一则比喻，迫使大卫自己定自己的罪（撒下 12:1-6），以及这比喻的应用，拿单在其中指控了大卫的罪（撒下 12:7-9），并向他宣告了判决，撒下 12:10-12。II. 他的悔改与罪得赦免，但附带条件，撒下 12:13,14。III. 那孩子的病与死，以及大卫在孩子患病时和死后所持的态度（撒下 12:15-23），在这两种情形中，大卫都显出了悔改的凭据。IV. 所罗门的出生，以及神关于他所赐的恩典信息，在其中神显明了祂已与大卫和好的凭据，撒下 12:24,25。V. 攻取拉巴（撒下 12:26-31），此处被记下，是神并未按大卫的罪过待他的进一步明证。