This is much like in Psalm 2, where the speaker changes from God the Father to God the Son in verse 7 without announcement, and the speaker again changes unannounced in verse 10 from God the Son back to David. So also here, the speaking role changes from David to his unborn child in Bathsheba’s womb here in verse 5, who laments his adulterous conception “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Note how the guilt is not placed on the speaker, but on his mother. His mother sinned, not himself. His mother committed adultery. But seeing that the unborn child speaks to David from the womb by a miracle, why does he not condemn David to his face? He pursues a cautious course before the king, even as Nathan the prophet had done with his parable in 2nd Samuel 12:1-7. So also, as Nathan told a parable about a rich man who stole a poor man’s pet sheep rather than accuse David directly at first, so the unborn child pursues the course of condemning the actions of his mother, and thereby via extension of his father, David the king, as well. We will find in the next verse (6) that it is shown and verified the the speaker in verse 5 is indeed David’s unborn child.

Commentary by rey
Posted on: 9/9/2008 01:12 am