Then Nathan the prophet arose in the days of David.
2 And as the fat taken away from the flesh, so was David chosen from among the children of Israel.
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3 He played with lions as with lambs: and with bears he did in like manner as with the lambs of the flock, in his youth.
4 Did not he kill the giant, and take away reproach from his people?
5 In lifting up his hand, with the stone in the sling he beat down the boasting of Goliath:
6 For he called upon the Lord the Almighty, and he gave strength in his right hand, to take away the mighty warrior, and to set up the horn of his nation.
7 So in ten thousand did he glorify him, and praised him in the blessings of the Lord, in offering to him a crown of glory:
8 For he destroyed the enemies on every side, and extirpated the Philistines the adversaries unto this day: he broke their horn for ever.
9 In all his works he gave thanks to the holy one, and to the most High, with words of glory.
10 With his whole heart he praised the Lord, and loved God that made him: and he gave him power against his enemies:
11 And he set singers before the altar, and by their voices he made sweet melody.
12 And to the festivals he added beauty, and set in order the solemn times even to the end of his life, that they should praise the holy name of the Lord, and magnify the holiness of God in the morning.
13 The Lord took away his sins, and exalted his horn for ever: and he gave him a covenant of the kingdom, and a throne of glory in Israel.
14 After him arose up a wise son, and for his sake he cast down all the power of the enemies.
15 Solomon reigned in days of peace, and God brought all his enemies under him, that he might build a house in his name, and prepare a sanctuary for ever: O how wise wast thou in thy youth!
16 And thou wast filled as a river with wisdom, and thy soul covered the earth.
17 And thou didst multiply riddles in parables: thy name went abroad to the islands far off, and thou wast beloved in thy peace.
18 The countries wondered at thee for thy canticles, and proverbs, and parables, and interpretations,
19 And at the name of the Lord God, whose surname is, God of Israel.
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20 Thou didst gather gold as copper, and didst multiply silver as lead,
21 And thou didst bow thyself to women: and by thy body thou wast brought under subjection.
22 Thou hast stained thy glory, and defiled thy seed so as to bring wrath upon thy children, and to have thy folly kindled,
23 That thou shouldst make the kingdom to be divided, and out of Ephraim a rebellious kingdom to rule.
24 But God will not leave off his mercy, and he will not destroy, nor abolish his own works, neither will he out up by the roots the offspring of his elect: and he will not utterly take away the seed of him that loveth the Lord.
25 Wherefore he gave a remnant to Jacob, and to David of the same stock.
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26 And Solomon had an end with his fathers.
27 And he left behind him of his seed, the folly of the nation,
28 Even Roboam that had little wisdom, who turned away the people through his counsel:
29 And Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who caused Israel to sin, and shewed Ephraim the way of sin, and their sins were multiplied exceedingly.
30 They removed them far away from their land.
31 And they sought out all iniquities, till vengeance came upon them, and put an end to all their sins.
Rabanus Maurus
“When it says that Nathan, like the fat of salvation, was separated from the meat, it indicates that he was full of the grace of the Holy Spirit and that his conduct and his life were far from and foreign to those of carnal and sinful people.”
Origen
“If you reread what is written of Solomon, you will find that he, though being extremely wise, "drew near to many women," whereas the law of God says, "Do not have many wives, that they might make you commit fornication against your God." Even he, though extremely wise and of great merit before God, was nonetheless deceived, because he gave himself to many women. I think that the many women refer to the many dogmas and the various philosophies of the peoples: wanting to know and investigate them, as a man rich in knowledge and wisdom, he could not keep himself within the rule of the divine law. He was seduced by the philosophy of Moab, which persuaded him to sacrifice to the idol of Moab, and likewise to that of the Ammonites and of the other peoples. It is said that he received many women, building temples and sacrificing to their idols. Therefore: it is a great thing and truly a work of God to mix with many dogmas as with women and nevertheless to not deviate from the rule of truth but to say firmly, "There are sixty queens, and eighty concubines and young maidens without number, but one alone is my dove, my perfect one, the only daughter of her mother, the only daughter of the one who bore her."”
Rabanus Maurus
“This wicked innovation was perpetuated among the people of the ten tribes until the Lord enacted his revenge and they were deported to Assyria. When it says, "Until their justification came, and he freed them from all their sins," I think it refers to the justification and freedom of our Savior, who at his coming frees and protects from every enemy those who have turned to faith in him and have been purified from all their sins through baptism in him.”