The Meaning of 2 Samuel 12:5 Explained

2 Samuel 12:5

KJV: And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

YLT: And the anger of David burneth against the man exceedingly, and he saith unto Nathan, 'Jehovah liveth, surely a son of death is the man who is doing this,

Darby: Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As Jehovah liveth, the man that hath done this thing is worthy of death;

ASV: And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As Jehovah liveth, the man that hath done this is worthy to die:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And David's  anger  was greatly  kindled  against the man;  and he said  to Nathan,  [As] the LORD  liveth,  the man  that hath done  this [thing] shall surely  die: 

What does 2 Samuel 12:5 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 12:5 mean?

So was aroused anger of David against the man greatly and he said to Nathan [As] lives Yahweh surely - shall surely die the man who has done this
וַיִּֽחַר־ אַ֥ף דָּוִ֛ד בָּאִ֖ישׁ מְאֹ֑ד וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־ נָתָ֔ן חַי־ יְהוָ֕ה כִּ֣י בֶן־ מָ֔וֶת הָאִ֖ישׁ הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה זֹֽאת

וַיִּֽחַר־  So  was  aroused 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָרָה  
Sense: to be hot, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled.
אַ֥ף  anger 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
דָּוִ֛ד  of  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
בָּאִ֖ישׁ  against  the  man 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מְאֹ֑ד  greatly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙  and  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
נָתָ֔ן  Nathan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָתָן  
Sense: a son of David by Bathsheba.
חַי־  [As]  lives 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
יְהוָ֕ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
כִּ֣י  surely 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
בֶן־  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
מָ֔וֶת  shall  surely  die 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָוֶת  
Sense: death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead.
הָאִ֖ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה  who  has  done 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
זֹֽאת  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.