"The Sword Shall Never Depart" - 2 Samuel 12:10 Meaning

greyhawk.444

Active Member
Jul 30, 2017
48
4
58
Swindon
✟2,719.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
2 Samuel 12

10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.

"The sword shall never depart from your house..."

This is how God declared that he would punish David for the sin of killing Uriah the Hittite in order to take his wife to be his own wife.

But what was this punishment?

Did it mean that David's countrymen would be perpetually at war with its neighbours - So that Israel would be constantly dogged by warfare - Never to know peace for many generations after David due to the iniquity of one person who effectively condemned the rest of his people to such a predicament?
 

Eryk

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Jun 29, 2005
5,113
2,377
58
Maryland
✟109,945.00
Country
United States
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Democrat
I looked this up in David Guzik's commentary:

The sword shall never depart from your house: God promised that from this day forward David would know violence and bloodshed among his own family members.​

David demanded fourfold restitution for the man in Nathan’s parable. God exacted fourfold restitution for Uriah from four of David’s sons: Bathsheba’s child, Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah.​
 
Upvote 0

sdowney717

Newbie
Apr 20, 2013
8,712
2,021
✟102,588.00
Faith
Christian
That violence would be a part of the life of all David's descendants. A sword implies killing and maiming.
So of David's house would be unending strife, not peace, but violence against them and also committed by them for his descendants to all generations down to the present day.
If you read, all the kings after David had serious issues with warfare.
And David had Absalom his son to contend with and others in his immediate family were problems.

Christ was also of the house of David.
We in the church also have spiritual warfare in the heavenlies against Satan and evil forces of wickedness to deal with on this earth.
 
  • Like
Reactions: YCGP
Upvote 0

mark kennedy

Natura non facit saltum
Supporter
Mar 16, 2004
22,024
7,364
60
Indianapolis, IN
✟549,630.00
Faith
Calvinist
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Democrat
2 Samuel 12

10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.

"The sword shall never depart from your house..."

This is how God declared that he would punish David for the sin of killing Uriah the Hittite in order to take his wife to be his own wife.

But what was this punishment?

Did it mean that David's countrymen would be perpetually at war with its neighbours - So that Israel would be constantly dogged by warfare - Never to know peace for many generations after David due to the iniquity of one person who effectively condemned the rest of his people to such a predicament?
As David's time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, "I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.…(1 Kings 2:1,2)​

David would tell Solomon that he needs to look into something, he would know then what to do. Apparently Joab had committed at least two murders and the kingdom was in strife because of them.

“Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed. And he shed the blood of war in peacetime, and put the blood of war on his belt that was around his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet. Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace. (1 Kings 2:5,6)
Joab was loyal to David but not so much to Solomon. Joab thought David's oldest son should be king but David had decided otherwise. Solomon uncovers the plot of Joab and found that it involved the High Priest. Joab fled to the Temple and put his hands on the horns of the alter, when there was an altercation and someone died the family would pursue the man. He could flee to one of the cities of refuge and would be protected until the High Priest died. This did not apply to murder, he was slain holding the horns of the alter and the High Priest was exiled.

There was more going on then the betrayal with a woman married to one of his generals. The intrigue was epic and the united kingdom was not fully realized until Solomon took the throne and disposed of this murderer. They were important leaders and it was probable known in these tribes what Joab had done and there was conflict as a result.

David had never taken care of this, he left it to his son. There is more then one reason David never really lived in peace, the adulterous affair that led to this was only symptomatic of a much deeper problem.

Grace and peace,
Mark
 
Upvote 0

inquiring mind

and a discerning heart
Supporter
Dec 31, 2016
7,222
3,311
U.S.
✟652,664.00
Country
United States
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
I agree there was more going on, but when you consider the fourfold punishment David demanded when he heard the parable of the lamb given to him by Nathan, it would seem that from the context of that passage, and after David learned he was the man in the parable, the Lord’s punishment for that particular sin of David would’ve been fourfold as well. As such, it seems to me the relating punishment may have been limited to the four immediate household members Eryk mentions, and not a continuation for all the generations thereafter.
 
Upvote 0