וַיִּשְׁלַח ה' אֶת נָתָן אֶל דָּוִד וַיָּבֹא אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים הָיוּ בְּעִיר אֶחָת אֶחָד עָשִׁיר וְאֶחָד רָאשׁ

The Lord sent Natan the prophet to David to deliver a harsh rebuke for his deeds. He came to him with a parable through which he hoped that David would realize the severity of his actions by himself, so that the prophet would not have to castigate him directly. And Natan said to him: There were two men in a city, one rich and one poor.

לְעָשִׁיר הָיָה צֹאן וּבָקָר הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד

The rich man had a great deal of flocks and cattle.

וְלָרָשׁ אֵין כֹּל כִּי אִם כִּבְשָׂה אַחַת קְטַנָּה אֲשֶׁר קָנָה וַיְחַיֶּהָ וַתִּגְדַּל עִמּוֹ וְעִם בָּנָיו יַחְדָּו מִפִּתּוֹ תֹאכַל וּמִכֹּסוֹ תִשְׁתֶּה וּבְחֵיקוֹ תִשְׁכָּב וַתְּהִי לוֹ כְּבַת

The poor man had nothing save one little ewe that he had bought; he took care of it, by feeding and caring for it himself, and it grew up together with him and with his children. Since this lamb was the poor man’s only possession, he treated it like an actual member of his household. It would eat from his bread, and it would drink from his cup, and it would lie in his bosom; it became like a daughter to him. The lamb was not merely his property; it was also a beloved, treasured creature.

וַיָּבֹא הֵלֶךְ לְאִישׁ הֶעָשִׁיר וַיַּחְמֹל לָקַחַת מִצֹּאנוֹ וּמִבְּקָרוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת לָאֹרֵחַ הַבָּא לוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת כִּבְשַׂת הָאִישׁ הָרָאשׁ וַיַּעֲשֶׂהָ לָאִישׁ הַבָּא אֵלָיו

A traveler came to the rich man. He, the rich man, was loath to take from his flock or slaughter an animal from his cattle to prepare for the guest who had come to him, and he took the ewe of the poor man and prepared it for the man who had come to him. Natan relates the story of this injustice as though it had occurred in an actual city, and he asked the king to judge the behavior of the rich man.

וַיִּחַר אַף דָּוִד בָּאִישׁ מְאֹד וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל נָתָן חַי ה' כִּי בֶן מָוֶת הָאִישׁ הָעֹשֶׂה זֹאת

David’s wrath was greatly enflamed against the rich man, and he said to Natan: As the Lord lives, I swear that the man who does this is deserving of death. This is not simply an act of robbery; appropriating the poor man’s most precious item is a terrible injustice.

וְאֶת הַכִּבְשָׂה יְשַׁלֵּם אַרְבַּעְתָּיִם עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְעַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא חָמָל

He shall pay fourfold for the ewe, because he performed this matter, and because he had no compassion on the poor man’s only possession, his precious lamb which meant everything to him.

וַיֹּאמֶר נָתָן אֶל דָּוִד אַתָּה הָאִישׁ כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָנֹכִי מְשַׁחְתִּיךָ לְמֶלֶךְ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָנֹכִי הִצַּלְתִּיךָ מִיַּד שָׁאוּל

Natan said to David: You are the man! This is not a hypothetical story; rather, it describes you and your deeds. So said the Lord, God of Israel: I anointed you as king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.

וָאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת בֵּית אֲדֹנֶיךָ וְאֶת נְשֵׁי אֲדֹנֶיךָ בְּחֵיקֶךָ וָאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה וְאִם מְעָט וְאֹסִפָה לְּךָ כָּהֵנָּה וְכָהֵנָּה

I gave you the house of your master, which you inherited from him, and your master’s wives I gave you in your bosom. This does not mean that David married Saul’s wives; rather, the verse is referring to Mikhal, Saul’s daughter. And I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that were not enough, and you wanted more property or wives, I would add for you so much more, you could receive more.

מַדּוּעַ בָּזִיתָ אֶת דְּבַר ה' לַעֲשׂוֹת הָרַע בְּעֵינַי אֵת אוּרִיָּה הַחִתִּי הִכִּיתָ בַחֶרֶב וְאֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ לָקַחְתָּ לְּךָ לְאִשָּׁה וְאֹתוֹ הָרַגְתָּ בְּחֶרֶב בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן

Why did you debase the word of the Lord, to do evil in My eyes? Uriya the Hitite you indirectly smote with the sword, as in effect, you ordered his death, and his wife you took for yourself as a wife, and killed him with the sword of the children of Amon. You did not dare to kill him outright; instead, you cunningly sent him to die at the hand of the enemy.

וְעַתָּה לֹא תָסוּר חֶרֶב מִבֵּיתְךָ עַד עוֹלָם עֵקֶב כִּי בְזִתָנִי וַתִּקַּח אֶת אֵשֶׁת אוּרִיָּה הַחִתִּי לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לְאִשָּׁה

Now, just as you declared with regard to the rich man that he should be executed, the sword will not turn away from your house forever, as death will pursue your household in all generations, because you have debased Me and My commands, and you have taken the wife of Uriya the Hitite to be your wife, thereby showing no self-restraint.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' הִנְנִי מֵקִים עָלֶיךָ רָעָה מִבֵּיתֶךָ וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶת נָשֶׁיךָ לְעֵינֶיךָ וְנָתַתִּי לְרֵעֶיךָ וְשָׁכַב עִם נָשֶׁיךָ לְעֵינֵי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ הַזֹּאת

So said the Lord: Behold, I will arouse harm against you from your house. Your punishment will come from your own family. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, someone else, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun, publicly. This prophecy came to pass with Avshalom’s rebellion against his father (16:22).

כִּי אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ בַסָּתֶר ואֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה נֶגֶד כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנֶגֶד הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

For you acted in secret, but I will do this matter before all Israel, and before the sun.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל נָתָן חָטָאתִי לַה' וַיֹּאמֶר נָתָן אֶל דָּוִד גַּם ה' הֶעֱבִיר חַטָּאתְךָ לֹא תָמוּת

David said to Natan: I have sinned to the Lord. Natan said to David: Since you sincerely regret your misdeeds, the Lord has expunged even your sin; you will not die. The curse of the sword will not fall directly upon you.

אֶפֶס כִּי נִאֵץ נִאַצְתָּ אֶת אֹיְבֵי ה'בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה גַּם הַבֵּן הַיִּלּוֹד לְךָ מוֹת יָמוּת

However, because you have scorned the enemies of the Lord, a euphemism for God, with this matter, therefore verily the child that is born to you from Bathsheba will die.

וַיֵּלֶךְ נָתָן אֶל בֵּיתוֹ וַיִּגֹּף ה' אֶת הַיֶּלֶד אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה אֵשֶׁת אוּרִיָּה לְדָוִד וַיֵּאָנַשׁ

Natan went to his house and the Lord afflicted the child that Uriya’s wife bore to David, and he was gravely ill, to the extent that he was in mortal danger.

וַיְבַקֵּשׁ דָּוִד אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים בְּעַד הַנָּעַר וַיָּצָם דָּוִד צוֹם וּבָא וְלָן וְשָׁכַב אָרְצָה

David entreated God on behalf of the boy; David fasted, and when he would go to sleep in his house, he would lie on the ground, without eating.

וַיָּקֻמוּ זִקְנֵי בֵיתוֹ עָלָיו לַהֲקִימוֹ מִן הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא אָבָה וְלֹא בָרָא אִתָּם לָחֶם

The elders, the dignitaries, of his house accosted him, to raise him from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them. Rather, he continued to lie down and fast.

וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וַיָּמָת הַיָּלֶד וַיִּרְאוּ עַבְדֵי דָוִד לְהַגִּיד לוֹ כִּי מֵת הַיֶּלֶד כִּי אָמְרוּ הִנֵּה בִהְיוֹת הַיֶּלֶד חַי דִּבַּרְנוּ אֵלָיו וְלֹא שָׁמַע בְּקוֹלֵנוּ וְאֵיךְ נֹאמַר אֵלָיו מֵת הַיֶּלֶד וְעָשָׂה רָעָה

It was on the seventh day of David’s prayers to God and his fasting that the child died. The servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child had died, as they said to each other: Behold, when the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he did not heed our voice; how will we tell him that the child is dead, and he will do harm? If we inform him that the child is dead, who knows what he might do to himself?

וַיַּרְא דָּוִד כִּי עֲבָדָיו מִתְלַחֲשִׁים וַיָּבֶן דָּוִד כִּי מֵת הַיָּלֶד וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל עֲבָדָיו הֲמֵת הַיֶּלֶד וַיֹּאמְרוּ מֵת

David saw that his servants were whispering, and David understood that the child had died. David said to his servants: Has the child died? They said: Yes, he is dead.

וַיָּקָם דָּוִד מֵהָאָרֶץ וַיִּרְחַץ וַיָּסֶךְ וַיְחַלֵּף שִׂמְלֹתָיו וַיָּבֹא בֵית ה' וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ וַיָּבֹא אֶל בֵּיתוֹ וַיִּשְׁאַל וַיָּשִׂימוּ לוֹ לֶחֶם וַיֹּאכַל

David rose from the ground, and he bathed, anointed himself with oil, changed his garment, and came to the House of the Lord to pray, and prostrated himself. He entered his house and requested food, and they placed bread before him, and he ate. After hearing the sad news, the king returned to his normal lifestyle and began to act as though the entire matter was behind him.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ עֲבָדָיו אֵלָיו מָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָה בַּעֲבוּר הַיֶּלֶד חַי צַמְתָּ וַתֵּבְךְּ וְכַאֲשֶׁר מֵת הַיֶּלֶד קַמְתָּ וַתֹּאכַל לָחֶם

His servants said to him, after observing his strange reaction to the child’s death: What is this thing that you have done? For the living child you fasted and wept, and when the child died, you rose and ate food, as though nothing is wrong.

וַיֹּאמֶר בְּעוֹד הַיֶּלֶד חַי צַמְתִּי וָאֶבְכֶּה כִּי אָמַרְתִּי מִי יוֹדֵעַ וְחַנַּנִי ה'וְחַי הַיָּלֶד

He said: While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, as I said: Who knows? Perhaps the Lord will favor me, and the child will live. Perhaps God will be kind to me, and the child will be healed. I fasted and wept not only because the child’s illness pained me, but also because I was doing my utmost to help him by requesting of God to cure him from his sickness.

וְעַתָּה מֵת לָמָּה זֶּה אֲנִי צָם הַאוּכַל לַהֲשִׁיבוֹ עוֹד אֲנִי הֹלֵךְ אֵלָיו וְהוּא לֹא יָשׁוּב אֵלָי

But now that he, the child, is dead, why should I fast? The fasting was part of my supplication to God to spare the child; it was not that I was physically unable to eat. Can I now restore him any longer, even if I continue to fast? After all, I am going to him, as the child exists in the World to Come, and I will see him when I pass away; but he will not return to me.

וַיְנַחֵם דָּוִד אֵת בַּת שֶׁבַע אִשְׁתּוֹ וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ וַיִּשְׁכַּב עִמָּהּ וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ שְׁלֹמֹה וַה' אֲהֵבוֹ

David consoled Bathsheba his wife in her mourning for her son. Bathsheba was certainly overcome with emotion following the incident with David and the subsequent death of her child. David therefore wished to raise her spirits. Accordingly, he issued various promises to her, including the assurance that if they had another child, that son would rule after David. Bathsheba later reminded David of this promise. And he, David, came to her and he lay with her. She bore a son and named him Solomon. This name may have symbolized that there would now be peace [shalom]. Unlike the first son who, according to the plain meaning of the text, was born from an adulterous relationship, and entered the world in pain and suffering, this child was born after the matter was apparently resolved. Bathsheba was now David’s lawful wife, and the birth of the new child concluded the episode to a certain extent, both in the heavenly realm as well as on earth. And already from the beginning of this child’s conception, the Lord loved him.

וַיִּשְׁלַח בְּיַד נָתָן הַנָּבִיא וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ יְדִידְיָהּ בַּעֲבוּר ה'

He, God, sent at the hand of Natan the prophet, who this time did not come to rebuke David, but for the opposite reason: And he called his, Solomon’s, name Yedidya, which means beloved of God, for the Lord, as God loved him.

וַיִּלָּחֶם יוֹאָב בְּרַבַּת בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וַיִּלְכֹּד אֶת עִיר הַמְּלוּכָה

Yoav fought against Raba, of the children of Amon, and he captured the royal city, the compound of the king’s palace, which was like its own district, similar to the king’s fortress in Jerusalem. Yoav did not conquer the entire city, but successfully conquered its stronghold.

וַיִּשְׁלַח יוֹאָב מַלְאָכִים אֶל דָּוִד וַיֹּאמֶר נִלְחַמְתִּי בְרַבָּה גַּם לָכַדְתִּי אֶת עִיר הַמָּיִם

Yoav sent messengers to David, and said: I waged war against Raba, and I also captured the water city, the district of the city where the water sources are located.

וְעַתָּה אֱסֹף אֶת יֶתֶר הָעָם וַחֲנֵה עַל הָעִיר וְלָכְדָהּ פֶּן אֶלְכֹּד אֲנִי אֶת הָעִיר וְנִקְרָא שְׁמִי עָלֶיהָ

Now that I have conquered the water source and the city has no chance of holding out, gather the rest of the people in the army, and encamp against the remaining part of the city and capture it, lest I take the city, and it will be called after my name. Yoav’s interest here is David’s honor. He wants David to be credited with the victory despite the fact that he would only be completing a conquest that had mostly been carried out already.

וַיֶּאֱסֹף דָּוִד אֶת כָּל הָעָם וַיֵּלֶךְ רַבָּתָה וַיִּלָּחֶם בָּהּ וַיִּלְכְּדָהּ

David gathered the entire people, went to Raba, fought against it, and captured it.

וַיִּקַּח אֶת עֲטֶרֶת מַלְכָּם מֵעַל רֹאשׁוֹ וּמִשְׁקָלָהּ כִּכַּר זָהָב ואֶבֶן יְקָרָה וַתְּהִי עַל רֹאשׁ דָּוִד וּשְׁלַל הָעִיר הוֹצִיא הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד

He took their king’s [malcam] crown; alternatively, this is the name of a god, as Molekh, or Malcam, was the chief deity of Amon; from upon his head; its weight was one talent of gold, and in it a precious stone was inlaid, and it was set on David’s head every so often; not for significant lengths of time, as it was very heavy. Alternatively, this means that the crown was suspended above David’s head rather than placed directly on it. He removed the spoils of the city, a vast amount.

וְאֶת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ הוֹצִיא וַיָּשֶׂם בַּמְּגֵרָה וּבַחֲרִצֵי הַבַּרְזֶל וּבְמַגְזְרֹת הַבַּרְזֶל וְהֶעֱבִיר אוֹתָם בַּמַּלְבֵּן וְכֵן יַעֲשֶׂה לְכֹל עָרֵי בְנֵי עַמּוֹן וַיָּשָׁב דָּוִד וְכָל הָעָם יְרוּשָׁלִָם

He brought out the people who were in it, in Amon, who opposed him. However, at least one of the prominent residents supported David (see 17:27). Apparently, David left some sort of governmental administration in Amon. And set upon them with saws, with iron picks, and with iron axes. David killed the residents of the city while severely torturing them. His soldiers hacked the people, tore their flesh, and split their bodies. Alternatively, they subjugated the people to hard labor. And passed them through the brick kiln; they trampled them in the location where bricks were produced.Alternatively, they forced them to produce bricks, similar to the labor of the Israelites in Egypt. So he would do, and in fact did, to all the cities of the children of Amon. Since the war broke out as a result of the national insult caused by the humiliation of the Israelite king’s messengers (see 10:4), David exacted brutal punishment that was intended to intimidate the Amonites and surrounding nations and to restore honor to Israel. David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.