2 Samuel 12:1

World English Bible (2000)

Yahweh sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, "There were two men in one city; the 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 certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow by the word of Yahweh, "Please strike me!" The man refused to strike him. 36 Then he said to him, "Because you have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh, behold, as soon as you are departed from me, a lion shall kill you." As soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and killed him. 37 Then he found another man, and said, "Please strike me." The man struck him, smiting and wounding him. 38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes. 39 As the king passed by, he cried to the king; and he said, "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man to me, and said, 'Guard this man! If by any means he be missing, then your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.' 40 As your servant was busy here and there, he was gone." The king of Israel said to him, "So your judgment shall be; yourself have decided it." 41 He hurried, and took the headband away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized that he was of the prophets.
• 2 Kgs 1:3 : 3 But the angel of Yahweh said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and tell them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you go to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron?
• Ps 51:1-9 : 1 Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions. My sin is constantly before me. 4 Against you, and you only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight; that you may be proved right when you speak, and justified when you judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity. In sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. 7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness, That the bones which you have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all of my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. 11 Don't throw me from your presence, and don't take your holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways. Sinners shall be converted to you. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation. My tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 15 Lord, open my lips. My mouth shall declare your praise. 16 For you don't delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 18 Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer bulls on your altar. For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, "David has come to Abimelech's house."
• Isa 5:1-7 : 1 Let me sing for my well beloved a song of my beloved about his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. 2 He dug it up, gathered out its stones, planted it with the choicest vine, built a tower in its midst, and also cut out a winepress therein. He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. 3 "Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, please judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Why, when I looked for it to yield grapes, did it yield wild grapes? 5 Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up. I will break down its wall of it, and it will be trampled down. 6 I will lay it a wasteland. It won't be pruned nor hoed, but it will grow briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it." 7 For the vineyard of Yahweh of Armies is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for justice, but, behold, oppression; for righteousness, but, behold, a cry of distress.
• Isa 57:17-18 : 17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I angry, and struck him; I hid [my face] and was angry; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. 18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.
• Matt 21:33-45 : 33 "Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household, who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country. 34 When the season for the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruit. 35 The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they treated them the same way. 37 But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 38 But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and seize his inheritance.' 39 So they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?" 41 They told him, "He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers, who will give him the fruit in its season." 42 Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes?' 43 "Therefore I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and will be given to a nation bringing forth its fruit. 44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whoever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust." 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them.
• Luke 15:11-32 : 11 He said, "A certain man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of your property.' He divided his livelihood between them. 13 Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. 14 When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. 17 But when he came to himself he said, 'How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare, and I'm dying with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. 19 I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants."' 20 "He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate; 24 for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.' They began to celebrate. 25 "Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants to him, and asked what was going on. 27 He said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.' 28 But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out, and begged him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this, your son, came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.' 31 "He said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.'"
• Judg 9:7-9 : 7 When they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said to them, "Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you. 8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.' 9 "But the olive tree said to them, 'Should I leave my fatness, with which by me they honor God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?' 10 "The trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and reign over us.' 11 "But the fig tree said to them, 'Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?' 12 "The trees said to the vine, 'Come and reign over us.' 13 "The vine said to them, 'Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?' 14 "Then all the trees said to the bramble, 'Come and reign over us.' 15 "The bramble said to the trees, 'If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'
• 2 Sam 7:1-5 : 1 It happened, when the king lived in his house, and Yahweh had given him rest from all his enemies all around, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains." 3 Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart; for Yahweh is with you." 4 It happened the same night, that the word of Yahweh came to Nathan, saying, 5 "Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus says Yahweh, "Shall you build me a house for me to dwell in?
• 2 Sam 7:17 : 17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
• 2 Sam 11:10-17 : 10 When they had told David, saying, "Uriah didn't go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Haven't you come from a journey? Why didn't you go down to your house?" 11 Uriah said to David, "The ark, Israel, and Judah, are staying in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field. Shall I then go into my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing!" 12 David said to Uriah, "Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day, and the next day. 13 When David had called him, he ate and drink before him; and he made him drunk. At evening, he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but didn't go down to his house. 14 It happened in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 He wrote in the letter, saying, "Send Uriah to the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck, and die." 16 It happened, when Joab kept watch on the city, that he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were. 17 The men of the city went out, and fought with Joab. Some of the people fell, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
• 2 Sam 11:25 : 25 Then David said to the messenger, "Thus you shall tell Joab, 'Don't let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it.' Encourage him."
• 2 Sam 14:5-9 : 5 The king said to her, "What ails you?" She answered, "Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead. 6 Your handmaid had two sons, and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other, and killed him. 7 Behold, the whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, 'Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also.' Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the surface of the earth." 8 The king said to the woman, "Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you." 9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, "My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house; and the king and his throne be guiltless." 10 The king said, "Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you any more." 11 Then she said, "Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son." He said, "As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth."
• 2 Sam 14:14 : 14 For we must die, and are as water split on the ground, which can't be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him.
• 2 Sam 24:11-13 : 11 When David rose up in the morning, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, 12 "Go and speak to David, 'Thus says Yahweh, "I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you."'" 13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, "Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now answer, and consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me."
• 1 Kgs 13:1 : 1 Behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of Yahweh to Beth El: and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.
• 1 Kgs 18:1 : 1 It happened after many days, that the word of Yahweh came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth."
• Luke 16:19-31 : 19 "Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. 20 A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 It happened that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. 23 In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. 24 He cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.' 25 "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish. 26 Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' 27 "He said, 'I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house; 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won't also come into this place of torment.' 29 "But Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' 30 "He said, 'No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 "He said to him, 'If they don't listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.'"