2 Samuel 12:6 (GNV)

Passage

And he shall restore the lambe foure folde, because he did this thing, and had no pitie thereof.

Nearby Context

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.

2 Samuel 12:5 Then Dauid was exceeding wroth with the man, and sayde to Nathan, As the Lord liueth, the man that hath done this thing, shall surely dye,

2 Samuel 12:6 And he shall restore the lambe foure folde, because he did this thing, and had no pitie thereof.

2 Samuel 12:7 Then Nathan sayd to Dauid, Thou art the man. Thus sayth the Lord God of Israel, I anoynted thee King ouer Israel, and deliuered thee out of the hand of Saul,

2 Samuel 12:8 And gaue thee thy lordes house, and thy lords wiues into thy bosome, and gaue thee the house of Israel, and of Iudah, and would moreouer (if that had bene too litle) haue giuen thee such and such things.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "restore", "lambe", "foure", "folde", "pitie", and "thereof". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "restore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "Then Dauid was exceeding wroth with the..." into verse 7's "Then Nathan sayd to Dauid Thou art...", so "shall" and "restore" 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 "shall" and "restore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.