The Meaning of 2 Samuel 12:4 Explained

2 Samuel 12:4

KJV: And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

YLT: And there cometh a traveller to the rich man, And he spareth to take Of his own flock, and of his own herd, To prepare for the traveller Who hath come to him, And he taketh the ewe-lamb of the poor man, And prepareth it for the man Who hath come unto him.'

Darby: And there came a traveller to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that had come to him; and he took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that had come to him.

ASV: And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him, but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And there came  a traveller  unto the rich  man,  and he spared  to take  of his own flock  and of his own herd,  to dress  for the wayfaring man  that was come  unto him; but took  the poor  man's  lamb,  and dressed  it for the man  that was come  to him. 

What does 2 Samuel 12:4 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 12:4 mean?

And came a traveler to man the rich and 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 - lamb of the man poor and prepared it for the man who had come to him
וַיָּ֣בֹא הֵלֶךְ֮ לְאִ֣ישׁ הֶֽעָשִׁיר֒ וַיַּחְמֹ֗ל לָקַ֤חַת מִצֹּאנוֹ֙ וּמִבְּקָר֔וֹ לַעֲשׂ֕וֹת לָאֹרֵ֖חַ הַבָּא־ ל֑וֹ וַיִּקַּ֗ח אֶת־ כִּבְשַׂת֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הָרָ֔אשׁ וַֽיַּעֲשֶׂ֔הָ לָאִ֖ישׁ הַבָּ֥א אֵלָֽיו

וַיָּ֣בֹא  And  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הֵלֶךְ֮  a  traveler 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֵלֶךְ  
Sense: traveller.
לְאִ֣ישׁ  to  man 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הֶֽעָשִׁיר֒  the  rich 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָשִׁיר  
Sense: rich, wealthy n.
וַיַּחְמֹ֗ל  and  who  refused 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָמַל 
Sense: (Qal) to spare, pity, have compassion on.
לָקַ֤חַת  to  take 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מִצֹּאנוֹ֙  from  his  own  flock 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
וּמִבְּקָר֔וֹ  and  from  his  own  herd 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
לַעֲשׂ֕וֹת  to  prepare  one 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָאֹרֵ֖חַ  for  the  wayfaring  man 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָרַח  
Sense: to wander, journey, go, keep company with.
הַבָּא־  who  had  come 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
ל֑וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
וַיִּקַּ֗ח  but  he  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third 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.
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.
כִּבְשַׂת֙  lamb 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: כִּבְשָׂה  
Sense: ewe-lamb, lamb.
הָאִ֣ישׁ  of  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָרָ֔אשׁ  poor 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רוּשׁ  
Sense: to be poor, be in want, lack.
וַֽיַּעֲשֶׂ֔הָ  and  prepared  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָאִ֖ישׁ  for  the  man 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הַבָּ֥א  who  had  come 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵלָֽיו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).

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