The Meaning of 2 Samuel 12:9 Explained

2 Samuel 12:9

KJV: 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 children of Ammon.

YLT: 'Wherefore hast thou despised the word of Jehovah, to do the evil thing in His eyes? Uriah the Hittite thou hast smitten by the sword, and his wife thou hast taken to thee for a wife, and him thou hast slain by the sword of the Bene-Ammon.

Darby: Wherefore hast thou despised the word of Jehovah to do evil in his sight? thou hast smitten Urijah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

ASV: Wherefore hast thou despised the word of Jehovah, to do that which is evil in his sight? thou hast smitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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 children  of Ammon. 

What does 2 Samuel 12:9 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 12:1-14 - Thou Art The Man
A year followed on his sin, but David gave no sign. He describes his condition during that awful time in Psalms 32:3-4. Conscience scourged him incessantly, but he did not return to God until Nathan had been sent to fetch him. The Good Shepherd went after that which was lost until he found it. "He restoreth my soul!" But soul-agony is not enough, keen though it be; there must be confession.
Nathan's parable was the mirror in which the true enormity of the king's sin was held up to his face. He was judged, and he judged himself. By the manifestation of the truth, Nathan commended himself to the king's conscience, as in the sight of God. And finally came the home-thrust-Thou art the man. The words of confession were immediate and deeply sincere. There was no thought of the human wrongs he had done. All were included in the great sin against God. "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned." And the confession was met, as it always is, by an instant assurance of pardon-"The Lord"¦ hath put away thy sin." [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 12

1  Nathan's parable of the ewe lamb causes David to be his own judge
7  David, reproved by Nathan, confesses his sin, and is pardoned
15  David mourns and prays for the child while it lives
24  Solomon is born, and named Jedidiah
26  David takes Rabbah, and tortures the people thereof

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 12:9 mean?

Why have you despised - the commandment of Yahweh to do evil - in His sight - Uriah the Hittite You have killed with the sword and his wife you have taken [to be] your wife and him have killed with the sword of the sons of Ammon
מַדּ֜וּעַ בָּזִ֣יתָ ׀ אֶת־ דְּבַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת הָרַע֮ [בעינו] ؟ (בְּעֵינַי֒) אֵ֣ת אוּרִיָּ֤ה הַֽחִתִּי֙ הִכִּ֣יתָ בַחֶ֔רֶב וְאֶ֨ת־ אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ לָקַ֥חְתָּ לְּךָ֖ לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וְאֹת֣וֹ הָרַ֔גְתָּ בְּחֶ֖רֶב בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן

מַדּ֜וּעַ  Why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מַדּוּעַ  
Sense: why?, on what account?, wherefore?.
בָּזִ֣יתָ ׀  have  you  despised 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּזָה 
Sense: to despise, hold in contempt, disdain.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דְּבַ֣ר  the  commandment 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
יְהוָ֗ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת  to  do 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הָרַע֮  evil 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
[בעינו]  - 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
؟ (בְּעֵינַי֒)  in  His  sight 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, first person common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
אֵ֣ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אוּרִיָּ֤ה  Uriah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אוּרִיָּה 
Sense: Hittite husband of Bathsheba.
הַֽחִתִּי֙  the  Hittite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִתִּי  
Sense: the nation descended from Heth, the 2nd son of Canaan; once inhabitants of central Anatolia (modern Turkey), later in north Lebanon.
הִכִּ֣יתָ  You  have  killed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
בַחֶ֔רֶב  with  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ  his  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
לָקַ֥חְתָּ  you  have  taken  [to  be] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
לְּךָ֖  your 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
לְאִשָּׁ֑ה  wife 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
וְאֹת֣וֹ  and  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָרַ֔גְתָּ  have  killed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
בְּחֶ֖רֶב  with  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
בְּנֵ֥י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּֽוֹן  of  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.