2 Samuel — Chapter 12

The Lord sent Nathan to David. Lapide: after nine months David had made no penance; God in mercy sent Nathan, who \"used a parable to sharpen the sword from the tongue of David himself against David\" (Augustine). The wise physician concealed the lancet under a parable.

The parable of the poor man's one little ewe lamb. Lapide explains the application: David is the rich man; Uriah the poor man; Bathsheba the single ewe lamb. \"The parable is festive, proposed by Nathan to arouse from sleep the king's soul stupefied by passion and pride.\"

David, being very angry against that man, said to Nathan: As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this is a child of death. Lapide: David condemned himself by his own judgment — he \"was not aware he was holding a sword against his own neck\" (Augustine).

And Nathan said to David: Thou art the man. Lapide calls these \"the most terrible and salutary three words in Holy Scripture\" for a sinner suddenly confronted by his conscience.

Therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Urias the Hethite to be thy wife. Lapide interprets this as relative: as long as David's royal line endures, the sword shall be a constant companion — four of David's sons died violently: this infant, Amnon, Absalom, Adonijah.

For thou didst it secretly, but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel, and in the sight of the sun. Lapide: Absalom publicly violated David's concubines on the rooftop — \"the rooftop of punishment corresponded to the rooftop of adultery, from which David had spied Bathsheba; and the midday sun of punishment answered to the evening hour of sin.\" Thus God exposes what was done in secret.

And David said to Nathan: I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David: The Lord also hath taken away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Lapide: this two-word confession (\"Peccavi Domino\") is examined by five Fathers. S. Ambrose: \"He sinned as kings sin; but he did penance, wept, groaned — as kings do not. He confessed his guilt, implored indulgence, which he who is bound by no human laws sought.\" S. Augustine: \"The maturity of pardon declared how deep was the king's penance, which expiated so great an offence.\"

Nevertheless, because thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, for this thing, the child that is born to thee shall surely die. Lapide cites Salvian: \"Of all sins, there is none greater than to give occasion to the Gentiles to blaspheme. Whoever sins without causing others to blaspheme brings damnation upon himself alone; but whoever causes others to blaspheme drags many with him into death.\"

I fasted and wept while the child was yet alive; for I said: Who knoweth whether the Lord may not give him to me, and the child may live? But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Shall I be able to bring him back any more? Lapide: David fasted to win pardon for the innocent child; once dead in innocence the child was saved. He contrasts this with David's inconsolable weeping over Absalom (18:33), who died in the act of parricide — hence likely damned.

And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and slept with her; and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon; and the Lord loved him. Lapide: Solomon means \"peaceful\" — a sign that God had been reconciled to David through penance; Solomon was given as a pledge of peace and as a type of Christ, \"who is our peace\" (Eph. 2:14).

And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and called his name Amiable to the Lord (Jedidiah), because the Lord loved him. Lapide: God gave Solomon a second name through Nathan, showing His special love; He had destined Solomon to build the Temple and to be the type of Christ — the great Peaceful King.