2 Samuel 12:3-5
New English Translation
3 But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children.[a] It used to[b] eat his food,[c] drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms.[d] It was just like a daughter to him.
4 “When a traveler arrived at the rich man’s home,[e] he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feed[f] the traveler who had come to visit him.[g] Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked[h] it for the man who had come to visit him.”
5 Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die![i]
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- 2 Samuel 12:3 tn Heb “his sons.”
- 2 Samuel 12:3 tn The three Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in this sentence have a customary nuance; they describe past actions that were repeated or typical.
- 2 Samuel 12:3 tn Heb “from his morsel.”
- 2 Samuel 12:3 tn Heb “and on his chest [or perhaps, “lap”] it would lie.”
- 2 Samuel 12:4 tn Heb “came to the rich man.” In the translation “arrived at the rich man’s home” has been used for stylistic reasons.
- 2 Samuel 12:4 tn Heb “and he refused to take from his flock and from his herd to prepare [a meal] for.”
- 2 Samuel 12:4 tn Heb “who had come to him” (also a second time later in this verse). The word “visit” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarity.
- 2 Samuel 12:4 tn Heb “and prepared.”
- 2 Samuel 12:5 tn Heb “the man doing this [is] a son of death.” See 1 Sam 20:31 for another use of this expression, which must mean “he is as good as dead” or “he deserves to die,” as 1 Sam 20:32 makes clear.
2 Samuel 12:3-5
New King James Version
3 But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. 4 And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
5 So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this [a]shall surely die!
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- 2 Samuel 12:5 deserves to die, lit. is a son of death
2 Samuel 12:3-5
English Standard Version
3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms,[a] and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, (A)“As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die,
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- 2 Samuel 12:3 Hebrew bosom; also verse 8
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