2Sa 12:1
12:1 And the LORD sent {a} 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.

     (a) Because David lay now drowned in sin, the loving mercy
         of God which does not allow his own to perish, wakes
         his conscience by this story and brings him to
         repentance.

2Sa 12:8
12:8 And I gave thee thy master's {b} house, and thy master's
     {c} 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 {d} such and such things.

     (b) For David succeeded Saul in his kingdom.
     (c) The Jews take this to be Eglah and Michal, or Rizpah
         and Michal.
     (d) That is, greater things than these: for God's love and
         benefits increase toward his own, if they do not hinder
         him by their ingratitude.

2Sa 12:9
12:9 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 {e} children of
     Ammon.

     (e) You have most cruelly given him into the hands of God's
         enemies.

2Sa 12:11
12:11 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 {f} sun.

      (f) Meaning openly, at noon.

2Sa 12:13
12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the
      LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath {g}
      put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

      (g) For the Lord seeks the sinner to turn to him.

2Sa 12:14
12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great
      occasion to the enemies of the LORD to {h} blaspheme, the
      child also [that is] born unto thee shall surely die.

      (h) In saying, that the Lord has appointed a wicked man to
          reign over his people.

2Sa 12:16
12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David
      fasted, and {i} went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

      (i) That is, to his private chamber.

2Sa 12:17
12:17 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 {k} bread with them.

      (k) Thinking by his constant prayer that God would have
          restored his child, but God had determined otherwise.

2Sa 12:20
12:20 Then David {l} 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.

      (l) Showing that our lamentations should not be excessive,
          but moderate: and that we must praise God in all his
          doings.

2Sa 12:21
12:21 Then {m} 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.

      (m) As they who did not consider that God grants many
          things to the sobs and tears of the faithful.

2Sa 12:23
12:23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? {n} can I
      bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not
      return to me.

      (n) By this consideration he appeased his sorrow.

2Sa 12:24
12:24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto
      her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and {o} he
      called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.

      (o) That is, the Lord, 1Ch 22:9.

2Sa 12:25
12:25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the {p} prophet; and {q}
      he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.

      (p) To call him Solomon.
      (q) Meaning, David.

2Sa 12:27
12:27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought
      against Rabbah, and have taken the city of {r} waters.

      (r) That is, the chief city and where all the water pipes
          are, is as good as taken.

2Sa 12:30
12:30 And he took their king's crown from off his head, the
      weight whereof [was] a {s} 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.

      (s) That is, 60 pounds after the weight of the common
          talent.

2Sa 12:31
12:31 And he brought forth the people that [were] therein, and
      put [them] under {t} 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.

      (t) Signifying that as they were malicious enemies of God,
          so he put them to cruel death.