Verse Lens · Concise explanation
2 Samuel 12:11 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 11. 11Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse advances the thought unit through its next reported action, speech, or consequence: “Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and….” Its responsible meaning belongs to the complete movement “The Oracle Names David's Contempt and Consequences.”
Gifts are named so taking and murder can be named as contempt
This verse is one part of that explanation in 2 Samuel 12:8–15. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- 2 Samuel 12:8–15
Read 2 Samuel 12:11 with 12:8–15. The wording “Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and…” supplies one step in the thought unit through its next reported action, speech, or consequence; the surrounding verses supply the causes, responses, and outcome summarized here: Nathan contrasts divine gifts with David's taking and murder, announces household violence and public exposure, and meets David's confession with pardon and consequence.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within “The Oracle Names David's Contempt and Consequences,” 2 Samuel 12:11 advances the thought unit through its next reported action, speech, or consequence through the wording “Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and….” Its placement is governed by this reviewed relationship: Nathan turns David's verdict on the parable into a direct indictment of David's taking and murder, then states pardon and continuing consequence. The oracle interprets the parable rather than merely escalating its plot.
What Remains True
Power remains accountable for the people it exposes, takes, silences, injures, or kills; truthful memory keeps their bodies, testimony, agency, and cost visible. In this unit, that truth is tested by the concrete movement: Nathan contrasts divine gifts with David's taking and murder, announces household violence and public exposure, and meets David's confession with pardon and consequence. In 2 Samuel 12:11, the concrete line “Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and…” keeps that truth accountable to the narrated evidence.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read 2 Samuel 12:8–15 — The Oracle Names David's Contempt and ConsequencesSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing KJV wording, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: 2 Samuel 12:8-15, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: 2 Samuel
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording, morphology, repeated verbs, names, syntax, and the base text behind translation and textual discussion.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/2Sam.xml, 12:8-15
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: 2 Samuel with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Unit-bounded wording, older-English clarification, textual witnesses, syntax, names, numbers, and major historical or literary notes actually printed for these verses.
Exact location: NET Bible 2 Samuel PDF, printed pp. 559–560, translation and all translator notes attached to 12:8-15
Open source ↗