Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 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.
8. thy master’s house ] His household and property. Cp. ch. 2Sa 9:7. thy master’s wives ] It was lawful for the King, and for him only, to marry his predecessor’s wives. See note on ch. 2Sa 3:7. That David actually married any of Saul’s wives does not appear. Only one wife (1Sa 14:50) and one concubine (2Sa 3:7) of Saul’s are mentioned.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And thy masters wives … – According to Eastern custom, the royal harem was a part of the royal inheritance. The prophets spoke in such matters according to the received opinions of their day, and not always according to the abstract rule of right. (Compare Mat 19:4-9.)
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thy masters wives, or, women, as that word is elsewhere used; as Num 31:18. And though we read not a word of Gods giving, or of Davids taking, any of Sauls wives into his bosom; or, which is all one, into his bed; yet (which I think to be aimed at here) it might be according to the manner of that time, that the wives and concubines of the precedent king belonged to the successor, to be at least at his dispose. And to pretend to them, was interpreted little less than pretending to the crown; which made it fatal to Adonijah to ask Abishag, 1Ki 2:23; and to Abner to be suspected for Rizpah, 2Sa 3:8. And Absalom, usurping the crown, usurped the concubines also; which is looked on as a crime unpardonable, 2Sa 16:21. Nor would this have been reckoned amongst the mercies and blessings which God here is said to give him, and which are opposed to that which he sinfully took. But we do read, that Merab, Sauls daughter, was given to him for his wife by Sauls promise, and consequently by Gods grant; though afterwards Saul perfidiously gave her to another man; and that Michal, the other daughter, was actually given to him, 1Sa 18. And it is very possible that some other of Davids wives were nearly related to the house of Saul; whereby David might design to enlarge and strengthen his interest in the kingdom; although there is no absolute necessity of restraining this to Saul, seeing the word is plural, masters, and may belong to others also, who sometimes were owned by David as his masters, lords, or superiors, such as Nabal was, and some others not elsewhere named might be, whose houses and wives, or, at least, women, God might give to David. Such and such things; such other things as thou hadst wanted, or in reason desired.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. I gave thee thy master’s house,and thy master’s wivesThe phraseology means nothing more thanthat God in His providence had given David, as king of Israel,everything that was Saul’s. The history furnishes conclusive evidencethat he never actually married any of the wives of Saul. But theharem of the preceding king belongs, according to Oriental notions,as a part of the regalia to his successor.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And I gave thee thy master’s house,…. Not his palace at Gibeah, but rather his family, his wives, servants, wealth, and riches, all being confiscated through the rebellion of Ishbosheth; or rather his kingdom he succeeded him in:
and thy master’s wives into thy bosom; though we read of no more than one that belonged to Saul, if he is meant by his master, excepting Rizpah his concubine, nor ever of David taking them into his bosom and bed; wherefore this can be understood only of his having them at his disposal, to give them to whom he pleased; the word may be rendered his “women”, as well as his “wives”, and may design his daughters, Merab and Michal, who were both given to David, though taken again and given to others: the Jews say, that Eglah, David’s sixth wife, was the wife of Saul, [See comments on 2Sa 3:5];
and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; the kingdom of both; gave him to be king over all the tribes of Israel:
and if [that had been] too little; either his wives too few, as the Jews interpret it, or his kingdom too small:
I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things; more and greater favours; and indeed such he had promised him, as a firm or stable house or kingdom, and that the Messiah should spring from him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(8) Thy masters wives.In 2Sa. 12:7-8 the prophet enumerates the chief favours and blessings shown to David, and these are so brought out as to show not only his base ingratitude, but also the unreasonableness of this particular sin. We are told of only one wife of Saul (1Sa. 14:50) and of one concubine (2Sa. 3:7) who was taken by Abner. If he had others, David certainly could not have taken them until more than seven and a half years after Sauls death. The prophet refers to the Oriental custom that the new king had a right to the harem of his predecessor.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Thy master’s wives In the East, when the king died or was superseded by another, his successor received his wives and concubines together with the kingdom. Hence for Absalom to go in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel (2Sa 16:21-22) was to be a proof to Israel that he had taken possession of all the prerogatives of the kingdom. Thus David had succeeded Saul in all the rights of the kingdom, though we have no record of his touching any of his wives or concubines.
Such and such things Literally, according to these and according to those; that is, whatsoever thou mightest have desired.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Sa 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.
Ver. 8. And I gave thee thy master’s house.] What! to hire thee hereby to be thus wicked? Shouldst thou again, after such deliverances and benefices, break my commandments, Ezr 9:13-14 kick against my bowels, fight against me with mine own weapons, &c.
And thy master’s wives into thy bosom.] That is, Into thy subjection: for David could never have married the wives of Saul, since that had been incest: though some think that he might lawfully have married any of them save Michal’s mother; but yet never actually did, because they were too old.
And gave thee the house of Israel.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
thy master’s wives: 2Sa 12:11, 1Ki 2:22
gave thee: 2Sa 2:4, 2Sa 5:5, 1Sa 15:19
I would: 2Sa 7:19, Psa 84:11, Psa 86:15, Rom 8:32
Reciprocal: 2Sa 3:7 – gone in 2Sa 12:2 – exceeding 1Ki 2:17 – Abishag 1Ki 3:6 – great 1Ki 14:7 – Forasmuch 1Ch 17:17 – a small thing 2Ch 1:8 – Thou has showed
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Sa 12:8. I gave thee thy masters house All that pertained to him as a king, which came, of course, to David, as his successor. Thy masters wives into thy bosom For the wives of a king went along with his lands and goods unto his successor, it being unlawful for the widow of a king to be wife to any but a king, as appears by the story of Adonijah. The expression in the text, however, does not necessarily signify that David married any of them; nor have we any proof that he did. Indeed, it is doubtful whether he could consistently with the law of God. See Lev 18:8; Lev 18:15. The meaning seems only to be, that God put them into Davids power, together with Sauls house and other property. And gave thee the house of Israel Dominion over the twelve tribes. And if that had been too little, &c. He needed but have asked, and God would have given him all he could have reasonably desired.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
12:8 And I gave thee thy master’s {b} house, and thy master’s {c} 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 {d} such and such things.
(b) For David succeeded Saul in his kingdom.
(c) The Jews take this to be Eglah and Michal, or Rizpah and Michal.
(d) That is, greater things than these: for God’s love and benefits increase toward his own, if they do not hinder him by their ingratitude.