2 Samuel 12:6

6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

2 Samuel 12:6 in Other Translations

6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."

6 He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”

6 He must repay for the lamb four times over for his crime and his stinginess!"

6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

6 And he must pay back four times the price of the lamb because he did this and had no pity."

6 Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb."

6 The man must pay back four times as much as that lamb was worth. How could he do such a thing? And he wasn't even sorry he had done it."

2 Samuel 12:6 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 12:6

And he shall restore the lamb fourfold
Which was according to the law in ( Exodus 22:1 ) ; but Kimchi thinks, because the word is of the dual number, it signifies double the number, and that the sentence was to restore eight lambs, because he being a rich man stole from the poor man; so Mr. Weemse ^F19 renders it, twice four, twice as much as was commanded in the law; for the Hebrews, he observes, double in the dual number till they come to seven:

because he did this thing;
committed this theft:

and because he had no pity;
on the poor man, but took his all. The Jews observe, that accordingly David was punished with the loss of four of his children, that which was born of Bathsheba, Ammon, Tamar, and Absalom; so most of the commentators, but Ben Gersom, instead of Tamar, has Adonijah.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 Of the Moral Law, l. 2. ch. 10. p. 252. Vid. Gusset. Ebr. Comment. p. 776.

2 Samuel 12:6 In-Context

4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this must die!

6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.

8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 22:1; Luke 19:8