Nathan Reproves David

Artwork by Sister Marie Claire , SMMI (1937–2018) from Bengaluru, India.

For more information about images by Sister Marie Claire and ways to purchase them as lithographs, see here .

For other images of Sister Marie Claire paintings in TIPs, see here.

The following artwork is part of a series of 56 paintings on biblical themes by Kazakh artist Nelly Bube (born 1949):

Copyright by Norwegian Bible Society , used with permission.

For other images of Nelly Bube in TIPs, see here.

complete verse (2 Samuel 12:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 12:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “So, a sword will follow you up to your grandchildren because, you neglected me and took the wife of Uriah.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Because you despised me and because you took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to make her your own wife, your family will never get the chance to take rest from the sword.’"” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Therefore because of what you have-done, from now-on there will-be always war and killings-each-other in your family, because you disobeyed me and you took the wife of Uria.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You have despised me, and have taken Uriah’s wife to be your wife. So for many generations some of your descendants will die violently.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 12:10

Now therefore: literally “And now.” But the temporal adverb is sometimes used to make a logical connection. According to the Revised Standard Version rendering it is because of the contempt David showed for the LORD as described in verse 9 that the consequences in verse 10 will take place. New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, and Revised English Bible are all like Revised Standard Version. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh also has the word “therefore.” Similarly New Jerusalem Bible has “For this….” On the other hand, since the cause is specifically given (or repeated) in the words that follow, you have despised me, some versions consider the adverb here as temporal or at least less strongly logical. Good News Translation is among those who do this.

The sword shall never depart from your house: this expression may be easily misunderstood if translated literally. The meaning is that fighting will continue to claim the lives of David’s house, that is, the members of his family who will follow him. This may be rendered “your family will never again have rest from the sword” (Revised English Bible). But, as in the previous verse, the word sword is not intended literally, even though a surprising number of modern translations retain the word. Here it stands for “violent death” (Good News Translation, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). It will be better in most languages to say something like “people of your family will continue to be killed in war.”

Because you have despised me: this is a brief statement of the reason that David’s descendants will continue to die in battle. It summarizes what is said in question form in verse 9. The real reason is his contempt for the LORD, an attitude that led to adultery and murder. In light of the textual problem in the previous verse, it is worthy of note that the text here does not read “you have despised my word” but rather “you have despised me.”

Uriah the Hittite: if the repetition of the Hittite is considered awkward in the receptor language, it may be omitted here.

In some languages it will be more natural to reverse the order of the two parts of this verse, giving first the reason why God will punish David’s descendants, and then giving the punishment. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente may provide a helpful model:

• Because you have despised me and have taken as wife the wife of Uriah the Hittite, your family will always be struck by violent death.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .