2 Samuel 12:6 Meaning and Explanation
“And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →David rules that the man must restore the lamb fourfold for acting without pity.
What Does 2 Samuel 12:6 Mean?
David applies the law, which required fourfold restitution for a stolen sheep, and adds his own indictment: the man had no pity. The king names the deepest fault, not merely theft but the hardness of a heart that felt nothing for the poor.
Pity is the thread David cannot see in himself, for he showed Uriah none. His own sentence of fourfold loss will echo through his house in the deaths of four of his children. God's justice is exact, yet it moves through David's own mouth, teaching that the measure we pronounce can return upon us.
2 Samuel 12:6 in the Original Language
hamal (חָמַל), 'pity' -- to spare or have compassion; its absence is what David condemns, and what he himself had withheld.
Frequently Asked Questions About 2 Samuel 12:6
What does 2 Samuel 12:6 mean?
David rules that the man must restore the lamb fourfold for acting without pity.