2 Samuel 12:14 (DBY)

Passage

Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of Jehovah to blaspheme, even the child that is born to thee shall certainly 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 to Nathan, I have sinned against Jehovah. And Nathan said to David, Jehovah has also 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 Jehovah to blaspheme, even the child that is born to thee shall certainly die.

2 Samuel 12:15 And Nathan departed to his house. And Jehovah smote the child that Urijah's wife bore to David, and it became very sick.

2 Samuel 12:16 And David besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on 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 to Nathan I have..." into verse 15's "And Nathan departed to 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.