And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
Parallel translations
- WEB and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah, for Yahweh’s sake.
- BSB and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah because the LORD loved him.
- NKJV and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.
- NASB and sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah for the Lord’s sake.
- NLT and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means “beloved of the Lord”), as the Lord had commanded.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Through Nathan the prophet, God names the child Jedidiah, meaning 'beloved of Yahweh.' It is a divine token of love and acceptance of David's restored son.
Overview
God's choice to send Nathan, the same prophet who confronted David's sin, now to bestow a name of love underscores the completeness of God's grace toward David. The name Jedidiah ('beloved of the LORD') marks Solomon out as an object of God's special favor for the LORD's own sake. This unmerited love foreshadows the gospel pattern in which God names and claims His people as beloved purely by grace.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 2 Sam 7:4And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,
- Neh 13:26Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.
- 1 Kgs 1:11Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?
- 1 Kgs 1:23And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
- Matt 3:17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
- Matt 17:5While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
- 2 Sam 12:1–14And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 12:25 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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