2 Samuel 12:2 (GNV)

Passage

The rich man had exceeding many sheepe and oxen:

Nearby Context

2 Samuel 12:1 Then the Lord sent Nathan vnto Dauid, who came to him, and sayd vnto him, There were two men in one citie, the one riche, and the other poore.

2 Samuel 12:2 The rich man had exceeding many sheepe and oxen:

2 Samuel 12:3 But the poore had none at all, saue one litle sheepe which he had bought, and nourished vp: and it grew vp with him, and with his children also, and did eate of his owne morsels, and dranke of his owne cup, and slept in his bosome, and was vnto him as his daughter.

2 Samuel 12:4 Now there came a stranger vnto the rich man, who refused to take of his owne sheepe, and of his owne oxen to dresse for the stranger that was come vnto him, but tooke the poore mans sheepe, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sheep", "rich", "exceeding", "sheepe", and "oxen". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sheep" and "rich", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Then the Lord sent Nathan vnto Dauid..." into verse 3's "But the poore had none at all...", so "sheep" and "rich" 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 "sheep" and "rich" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.