Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

Green's Literal Translation

2 Samuel 12:6

And he shall repay fourfold for the ewe lamb, because he has done this thing, and because he had no pity.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - David;   Minister, Christian;   Nathan;   Parables;   Reproof;   Self-Condemnation;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   David;   Home;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Stories for Children;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Poor, the;   Prophets;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Parable;   Theft;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Bathsheba;   Nathan;   Prophecy, prophet;   Wisdom literature;   Easton Bible Dictionary - David;   Tekoa, Tekoah;   Theft;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Nathan;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Court Systems;   David;   Jonah;   King, Kingship;   Parables;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ammon, Ammonites;   Nathan;   Poverty;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Nathan ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Nathan;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Na'than;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Nathan;   Thief;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fourfold;   Nathan (1);   Pity;   Samuel, Books of;   Sin (1);   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Allegory;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Bath-Sheba;   Judge;   Nathan;   Satire;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb.”
Hebrew Names Version
He shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity!"
King James Version
And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
Lexham English Bible
He shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold because he has done this thing, and because he had no pity."
English Standard Version
and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."
New Century Version
He must pay for the lamb four times for doing such a thing. He had no mercy!"
New English Translation
Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!"
Amplified Bible
"He shall make restitution for the ewe lamb four times as much [as the lamb was worth], because he did this thing and had no compassion."
New American Standard Bible
"So he must make restitution for the lamb four times over, since he did this thing and had no compassion."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he shall restore the lambe foure folde, because he did this thing, and had no pitie thereof.
Legacy Standard Bible
And he must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion."
Contemporary English Version
And because he didn't have any pity on the poor man, he will have to pay four times what the lamb was worth."
Complete Jewish Bible
For doing such a thing, he has to pay back four times the value of the lamb — and also because he had no pity."
Darby Translation
and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
Easy-to-Read Version
He must pay four times the price of the lamb because he did this terrible thing and because he had no mercy."
George Lamsa Translation
And he shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no pity.
Good News Translation
For having done such a cruel thing, he must pay back four times as much as he took."
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The shepe also shal he make good foure folde, because he hath done soch a thinge, and not spared it.
American Standard Version
and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
Bible in Basic English
And he will have to give back four times the value of the lamb, because he has done this and because he had no pity.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He shal restore the lambe foure folde, because he did this thyng and had no pitie.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.'
King James Version (1611)
And he shall restore the Lambe fourefold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pittie.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he shall restore the lamb seven-fold, because he has not spared.
English Revised Version
and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
Berean Standard Bible
Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
he schal yelde the scheep in to foure folde, for he dide this word, and sparide not.
Young's Literal Translation
and the ewe-lamb he doth repay fourfold, because that he hath done this thing, and because that he had no pity.'
Update Bible Version
and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he shall restore the lamb four-fold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
World English Bible
He shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity!"
New King James Version
And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity."
New Living Translation
He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity."
New Life Bible
And he must pay four times the worth of the lamb, because he did this thing without pity."
New Revised Standard
he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and, the lamb, shall he pay back sevenfold, - because he did this thing, and, for that he had no pity.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He shall restore the ewe fourfold, because he did this thing, and had no pity.
Revised Standard Version
and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion."

Contextual Overview

1 And Jehovah sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said to him, There were two men in one city, the one rich, and the other poor. 2 The rich one had flocks and very many herds. 3 But the poor one had nothing except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished. And it grew up with him, and with his sons together, and it ate of his morsel, and it drank from his cup,and it lay in his bosom. And it was like adaughter to him. 4 And a traveler came to the rich one, and he spared to take of his own flock, and of his own herd, to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. And he took the ewe lamb of the poor man, and prepared it for the man who had come to him. 5 And David's anger glowed greatly against the man. And he said to Nathan, As Jehovah lives, surely the man who did this is a son of death. 6 And he shall repay fourfold for the ewe lamb, because he has done this thing, and because he had no pity. 7 And Nathan said to David, You are the man! So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I anointed you as king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. 8 And I gave you the house of your master, and your master's wives into your bosom. And I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if that were too little, then I would have added to you these and those things . 9 Why have you despised the Word of Jehovah, to do the evil in His eyes? You have stricken Uriah the Hittite by the sword, and you have taken his wife to yourself for a wife. And you have killed him by the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10 And now the sword shall not turn aside from your house continually, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be a wife to you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

restore: Exodus 22:1, Proverbs 6:31, Luke 19:8

because: James 2:13

Reciprocal: Leviticus 6:5 - restore 2 Samuel 14:8 - I will give Nehemiah 5:11 - Restore Job 20:10 - his hands Proverbs 19:17 - that hath Proverbs 28:8 - pity Matthew 7:3 - but

Cross-References

Genesis 10:15
And Canaan fathered his first-born Sidon, and Heth,
Genesis 12:18
And Pharaoh called for Abram and said, What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me she is your wife?
Genesis 12:19
Why did you say, She is my sister? And so I took her for my wife. Now, then, see your wife. Take her and go.
Genesis 13:7
And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite lived then in the land.
Genesis 33:18
And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, as he came from Padan-aram. And he camped in front of the city.
Genesis 34:2
And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, and took her, and lay with her, and humbled her.
Genesis 35:4
And they gave all the strange gods in their hand to Jacob, and the earrings which were in their ears. And Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem.
Deuteronomy 11:30
Are they not beyond the Jordan, behind the way of the sunset, in the land of the Canaanites that live in the Arabah, opposite to Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh?
Joshua 20:7
And they set apart Kadesh in Galilee, in the hills of Naphtali; and Shechem in the hills of Ephraim; and Kirjath-arba; (it is Hebron) in the hills of Judah.
Joshua 24:32
And the bones of Joseph which the sons of Israel brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem, in the portion of the field which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem, for a hundred silver pieces. And they were for aninheritance to the sons of Joseph.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he shall restore the lamb fourfold,.... Which was according to the law in Exodus 22:1; but Kimchi thinks, because the word is of the dual number, it signifies double the number, and that the sentence was to restore eight lambs, because he being a rich man stole from the poor man; so Mr. Weemse s renders it, twice four, twice as much as was commanded in the law; for the Hebrews, he observes, double in the dual number till they come to seven:

because he did this thing; committed this theft:

and because he had no pity; on the poor man, but took his all. The Jews observe, that accordingly David was punished with the loss of four of his children, that which was born of Bathsheba, Ammon, Tamar, and Absalom; so most of the commentators, but Ben Gersom, instead of Tamar, has Adonijah.

s Of the Moral Law, l. 2. ch. 10. p. 252. Vid. Gusset. Ebr. Comment. p. 776.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Fourfold - The exact number prescribed by the Law (see the marginal references), and acted upon by Zaccheus. The Septuagint has “sevenfold,” as in Proverbs 6:31.


 
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