2 Samuel 12 · Verse 8

2 Samuel 12:8

And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
2 Samuel 12:8, King James Version

2 Samuel 12:8 in other translations

BSBI gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more.
WEBI gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that would have been too little, I would have added to you many more such things.
ASVand I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added unto thee such and such things.
YLTand I give to thee the house of thy lord, and the wives of thy lord, into thy bosom, and I give to thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if little, then I add to thee such and such things.
DARBYand I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
BBEI gave you your master's daughter and your master's wives for yourself, and I gave you the daughters of Israel and Judah; and if that had not been enough, I would have given you such and such things.
WebsterAnd I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given to thee such and such things.

What does 2 Samuel 12:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives--The phraseology means nothing more than that God in His providence had given David, as king of Israel, everything that was Saul's. The history furnishes conclusive evidence that he never actually married any of the wives of Saul. But the harem of the preceding king belongs, according to Oriental notions, as a part of the regalia to his successor.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 Thy master's wives into thy bosom - Perhaps this means no more than that he had given him absolute power over every thing possessed by Saul; and as it was the custom for the new king to succeed even to the wives and concubines, the whole harem of the deceased king, so it was in this case; and the possession of the wives was a sure proof that he had got all regal rights. But could David, as the son-in-law of Saul, take the wives of his father-in-law? However, we find delicacy was seldom consulted in these cases; and Absalom lay with his own father's wives in the most public manner, to show that he had seized on the kingdom, because the wives of the preceding belonged to the succeeding king, and to none other.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 12:1-14

Chapter Outline Nathan's parable--David confesses his sin. (1-14) The birth of Solomon. (15-25) David's severity to the Ammonites. (26-31) Verses 1-14 God will not suffer his people to lie still in sin. By this parable Nathan drew from David a sentence against himself. Great need there is of prudence in giving reproofs. In his application, he was faithful. He says in plain terms, Thou art the man. God shows how much…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 12:1-14 →

2 Samuel 12:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וָאֶתְּנָ֨הva.'e.te.Nahand I gave !H5414
לְךָ֜le.Khato <the> you
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
בֵּ֣יתbeit[the] house ofH1004
אֲדֹנֶ֗יךָ'a.do.Nei.khamaster<s> yourH113
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
נְשֵׁ֤יne.Shei[the] wives ofH802
אֲדֹנֶ֙יךָ֙'a.do.Nei.khamaster<s> yourH113
בְּחֵיקֶ֔ךָbe.chei.Ke.chain bosom yourH2436
וָאֶתְּנָ֣הva.'e.te.Nahand I gave !H5414
לְךָ֔le.Khato <the> you
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
בֵּ֥יתbeit[the] house ofH1004
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וִֽיהוּדָ֑הvi.hu.Dahand JudahH3063
וְאִ֨ם\־ve.'Im-and ifH518
מְעָ֔טme.'AtlittleH4592
וְאֹסִ֥פָהve.'o.Si.fahand I will addH3254
לְּךָ֖le.Khato <the> you
כָּהֵ֥נָּהka.He.nahlike those
וְכָהֵֽנָּה\׃ve.kha.He.nahand like those

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 12:8

  • Psalms 84:11

    For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

  • 2 Samuel 9:7

    And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

  • 2 Samuel 12:11

    Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

  • 2 Samuel 5:5

    In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

  • 2 Samuel 2:4

    And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabesh–gilead were they that buried Saul.

  • Romans 8:32

    He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

  • 2 Samuel 7:19

    And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God?

  • 1 Samuel 15:19

    Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?

  • Psalms 86:15

    But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

  • 1 Kings 2:22

    And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
thy master's wives.
11; 1Ki 2:22
gave thee.
2:4; 5:5; 1Sa 15:19
I would.
7:19; Ps 84:11; 86:15; Ro 8:32

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Samuel 12:7

    And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

  • 2 Samuel 12:8

    And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

  • 2 Samuel 12:9

    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.

Read all of 2 Samuel 12

2 Samuel 12:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Yo te dí la casa de tu señor, y las mujeres de tu señor en tu seno: demás de esto te dí la casa de Israel y de Judá; y si esto es poco, yo te añadiré tales y tales cosas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
et je t’ai donné la maison de ton seigneur, et les femmes de ton seigneur dans ton sein, et je t’ai donné la maison d’Israël et de Juda; et si c’était peu, je t’aurais ajouté telle et telle chose.
German
Elberfelder 1871
und ich habe dir das Haus deines Herrn gegeben und die Weiber deines Herrn in deinen Schoß, und habe dir das Haus Israel und Juda gegeben; und wenn es zu wenig war, so hätte ich dir noch dies und das hinzugefügt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et dedi tibi domum domini tui, et uxores domini tui in sinu tuo, dedique tibi domum Israël et Juda: et si parva sunt ista, adjiciam tibi multo majora.