2 Samuel 12:1

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Nathan the Prophet Confronts David So the LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to David, Nathan said,“There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיִּשְׁלַ֧ח יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־נָתָ֖ן אֶל־דָּוִ֑ד וַיָּבֹ֣א אֵלָ֗יו וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ שְׁנֵ֣י אֲנָשִׁ֗ים הָיוּ֙ בְּעִ֣יר אֶחָ֔ת אֶחָ֥ד עָשִׁ֖יר וְאֶחָ֥ד רָֽאשׁ

Transliteration

wə-yišlaḥ YHWH ʾet-nātān ʾel-dāwid wə-yābōʾ to-him wə-yōʾmer to-him, šənê ʾănāšîm hāyû in-ʿîr one, one ʿāšîr wə-ʾeḥād rāʾš

Grammar Details

• *wə-yišlaḥ*: conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he sent
• *YHWH*: proper noun - Yahweh, the LORD
• *ʾet-nātān*: direct object marker + proper noun - Nathan (literally: 'the one who gives')
• *ʾel-dāwid*: preposition + proper noun - to David
• *wə-yābōʾ*: conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he came
• *wə-yōʾmer*: conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he said
• *šənê*: cardinal number, construct state - two of
• *ʾănāšîm*: common noun, masculine plural - men
• *hāyû*: Qal perfect 3rd common plural - they were
• *ʿîr*: common noun, feminine singular - city
• *ʿāšîr*: adjective, masculine singular - rich
• *wə-ʾeḥād*: conjunction + cardinal number - and one
• *rāʾš*: adjective, masculine singular - poor

Word Meanings

• *ʾet-nātān*: Nathan (lit: 'gift', 'the one who gives')
• *rāʾš*: poor/impoverished/destitute

Referenced Verses

• 1 Kgs 20:35-41 : 35 A Prophet Denounces Ahab’s Actions One of the members of the prophetic guild, told his companion a message from the LORD,“Please wound me!” But the man refused to wound him. 36 So the prophet said to him,“Because you have disobeyed the LORD, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.” When he left him, a lion attacked and killed him. 37 He found another man and said,“Wound me!” So the man wounded him severely. 38 The prophet then went and stood by the road, waiting for the king. He also disguised himself by putting a bandage down over his eyes. 39 When the king passed by, he called out to the king,“Your servant went out into the heat of the battle, and then a man turned aside and brought me a prisoner. He told me,‘Guard this prisoner. If he ends up missing for any reason, you will pay with your life or with a talent of silver.’ 40 Well, it just so happened that while your servant was doing this and that, he disappeared.” The king of Israel said to him,“Your punishment is already determined by your own testimony.” 41 The prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes and the king of Israel recognized he was one of the prophets.
• 2 Kgs 1:3 : 3 But the LORD’s angel told Elijah the Tishbite,“Get up, go to meet the messengers from the king of Samaria. Say this to them:‘You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are on your way to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub the god of Ekron.
• Ps 51:1-9 : 1 For the music director; a psalm of David, written when Nathan the prophet confronted him after David’s affair with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, because of your loyal love! Because of your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts! 2 Wash away my wrongdoing! Cleanse me of my sin! 3 For I am aware of my rebellious acts; I am forever conscious of my sin. 4 Against you– you above all– I have sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. So you are just when you confront me; you are right when you condemn me. 5 Look, I was guilty of sin from birth, a sinner the moment my mother conceived me. 6 Look, you desire integrity in the inner man; you want me to possess wisdom. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be pure; wash me and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Grant me the ultimate joy of being forgiven! May the bones you crushed rejoice! 9 Hide your face from my sins! Wipe away all my guilt! 10 Create for me a pure heart, O God! Renew a resolute spirit within me! 11 Do not reject me! Do not take your holy Spirit away from me! 12 Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance! Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey! 13 Then I will teach rebels your merciful ways, and sinners will turn to you. 14 Rescue me from the guilt of murder, O God, the God who delivers me! Then my tongue will shout for joy because of your righteousness. 15 O Lord, give me the words! Then my mouth will praise you. 16 Certainly you do not want a sacrifice, or else I would offer it; you do not desire a burnt sacrifice. 17 The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit– O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject. 18 Because you favor Zion, do what is good for her! Fortify the walls of Jerusalem! 19 Then you will accept the proper sacrifices, burnt sacrifices and whole offerings; then bulls will be sacrificed on your altar.
• Isa 5:1-7 : 1 A Love Song Gone Sour I will sing to my love– a song to my lover about his vineyard. My love had a vineyard on a fertile hill. 2 He built a hedge around it, removed its stones, and planted a vine. He built a tower in the middle of it, and constructed a winepress. He waited for it to produce edible grapes, but it produced sour ones instead. 3 So now, residents of Jerusalem, people of Judah, you decide between me and my vineyard! 4 What more can I do for my vineyard beyond what I have already done? When I waited for it to produce edible grapes, why did it produce sour ones instead? 5 Now I will inform you what I am about to do to my vineyard: I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture, I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there. 6 I will make it a wasteland; no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, and thorns and briers will grow there. I will order the clouds not to drop any rain on it. 7 Indeed Israel is the vineyard of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the people of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight. He waited for justice, but look what he got– disobedience! He waited for fairness, but look what he got– cries for help!
• Isa 57:17-18 : 17 I was angry because of their sinful greed; I attacked them and angrily rejected them, yet they remained disobedient and stubborn. 18 I have seen their behavior, but I will heal them. I will lead them, and I will provide comfort to them and those who mourn with them.
• Matt 21:33-45 : 33 The Parable of the Tenants“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey. 34 When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop. 35 But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying,‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves,‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’ 39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him,“He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.” 42 Jesus said to them,“Have you never read in the scriptures:‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.
• Luke 15:11-32 : 11 The Parable of the Compassionate Father Then Jesus said,“A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father,‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will belong to me.’ So he divided his assets between them. 13 After a few days, the younger son gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth with a wild lifestyle. 14 Then after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to his senses he said,‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father and say to him,“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.”’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him. 21 Then his son said to him,‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves,‘Hurry! Bring the best robe, and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let us eat and celebrate, 24 because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again– he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate. 25 “Now his older son was in the field. As he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the slaves and asked what was happening. 27 The slave replied,‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he got his son back safe and sound.’ 28 But the older son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and appealed to him, 29 but he answered his father,‘Look! These many years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet you never gave me even a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends! 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 Then the father said to him,‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me is yours. 32 It was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’”
• Judg 9:7-9 : 7 Jotham’s Parable When Jotham heard the news, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below,“Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you! 8 “The trees were determined to go out and choose a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree,‘Be our king!’ 9 But the olive tree said to them,‘I am not going to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor gods and men, just to sway above the other trees!’ 10 “So the trees said to the fig tree,‘You come and be our king!’ 11 But the fig tree said to them,‘I am not going to stop producing my sweet figs, my excellent fruit, just to sway above the other trees!’ 12 “So the trees said to the grapevine,‘You come and be our king!’ 13 But the grapevine said to them,‘I am not going to stop producing my wine, which makes gods and men so happy, just to sway above the other trees!’ 14 “So all the trees said to the thornbush,‘You come and be our king!’ 15 The thornbush said to the trees,‘If you really want to choose me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! Otherwise may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’
• 2 Sam 7:1-5 : 1 The Lord Establishes a Covenant with David The king settled into his palace, for the LORD gave him relief from all his enemies on all sides. 2 The king said to Nathan the prophet,“Look! I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of God sits in the middle of a tent.” 3 Nathan replied to the king,“You should go and do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you.” 4 That night the LORD’s message came to Nathan, 5 “Go, tell my servant David:‘This is what the LORD has said: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in?
• 2 Sam 7:17 : 17 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him.
• 2 Sam 11:10-17 : 10 So they informed David,“Uriah has not gone down to his house.” So David said to Uriah,“Haven’t you just arrived from a journey? Why haven’t you gone down to your house?” 11 Uriah replied to David,“The ark and Israel and Judah reside in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and my lord’s soldiers are camping in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and go to bed with my wife? As surely as you are alive, I will not do this thing!” 12 So David said to Uriah,“Stay here another day. Tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem both that day and the following one. 13 Then David summoned him. He ate and drank with him, and got him drunk. But in the evening he went out to sleep on his bed with the servants of his lord; he did not go down to his own house. 14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In the letter he wrote:“Station Uriah at the front in the thick of the battle and then withdraw from him so he will be cut down and killed.” 16 So as Joab kept watch on the city, he stationed Uriah at the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers were. 17 When the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, some of David’s soldiers fell in battle. Uriah the Hittite also died.
• 2 Sam 11:25 : 25 David said to the messenger,“Tell Joab,‘Don’t let this thing upset you. There is no way to anticipate whom the sword will cut down. Press the battle against the city and conquer it.’ Encourage him with these words.”
• 2 Sam 14:5-9 : 5 The king replied to her,“What do you want?” She answered,“I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 Your servant has two sons. When the two of them got into a fight in the field, there was no one present who could intervene. One of them struck the other and killed him. 7 Now the entire family has risen up against your servant, saying,‘Turn over the one who struck down his brother, so that we can execute him and avenge the death of his brother whom he killed. In so doing we will also destroy the heir.’ They want to extinguish my remaining coal, leaving no one on the face of the earth to carry on the name of my husband.” 8 Then the king told the woman,“Go to your home. I will give instructions concerning your situation.” 9 The Tekoan woman said to the king,“My lord the king, let any blame fall on me and on the house of my father. But let the king and his throne be innocent!” 10 The king said,“Bring to me whoever speaks to you, and he won’t bother you again!” 11 She replied,“In that case, let the king invoke the name of the LORD your God so that the avenger of blood may not add to the killing! Then they will not destroy my son!” He replied,“As surely as the LORD lives, not a single hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
• 2 Sam 14:14 : 14 Certainly we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up again. But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways for the banished to be restored.
• 2 Sam 24:11-13 : 11 When David got up the next morning, the LORD’s message had already come to the prophet Gad, David’s seer: 12 “Go, tell David,‘This is what the LORD has said: I am offering you three forms of judgment. Pick one of them and I will carry it out against you.’” 13 Gad went to David and told him,“Shall seven years of famine come upon your land? Or shall you flee for three months from your enemy with him in hot pursuit? Or shall there be three days of plague in your land? Now decide what I should tell the one who sent me.”
• 1 Kgs 13:1 : 1 Just then a prophet arrived from Judah with the LORD’s message for Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing near the altar ready to offer a sacrifice.
• 1 Kgs 18:1 : 1 Elijah Meets the King’s Servant Some time later, in the third year of the famine, the LORD’S message came to Elijah,“Go, make an appearance before Ahab, so I may send rain on the surface of the ground.”
• Luke 16:19-31 : 19 The Rich Man and Lazarus“There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 But at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus whose body was covered with sores, 21 who longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “Now the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And in Hades, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. 24 So he called out,‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in this fire.’ 25 But Abraham said,‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. 26 Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27 So the rich man said,‘Then I beg you, father– send Lazarus to my father’s house 28 (for I have five brothers) to warn them so that they don’t come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said,‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to them.’ 30 Then the rich man said,‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 He replied to him,‘If they do not respond to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”