2 Samuel 12:14 (KJV)

Passage

Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

Nearby Context

2 Samuel 12:12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

2 Samuel 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

2 Samuel 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

2 Samuel 12:15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

2 Samuel 12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "howbeit", "deed", "thou", "hast", "given", "great", "occasion", and "enemies". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "howbeit" and "deed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "And David said unto Nathan I have..." into verse 15's "And Nathan departed unto his house And...", so "howbeit" and "deed" belong inside that flow. In 2 Samuel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "howbeit" and "deed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.