And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
Ver. 13. I have sinned against the Lord.] He saith not Perii, but Peccavi; not I am undone, but I have done amiss. A short word, but passionate. The greatest griefs are not always the most verbal. Saul confessed his sin more largely, but less effectually; because his confession of sin was not joined with confusion of sin, as Proverbs 28:13. "I have sinned," said he; "yet honour me before the people": and he sped accordingly, a as shall be showed.
And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin.] Dominus transtulit, b The Lord hath translated thy sin upon Christ's back, as Mr Bradford translateth it; thou shalt not die. This was the voice of the gospel, awarding life to repentance for sin; and this was David's comfort: like as David, He shall surely die, 2Sa 12:5 was the voice of the law, awarding death to sin; and this was Saul's doom. It is wittily and pithily observed by Bernard, that Saul repented, and his word was Peccavi, I have sinned: David likewise repented, and his word is the same. The answer to Saul was Dominus transtulit, "the Lord hath taken away": the answer to David was the very same, "the Lord hath taken away." They were both kings and sinned, both were warned by prophets, both repented, both confessed, both were answered. Both their words were alike to the prophet, both their answers alike in part from the prophet, Dominus transtulit: yet never so much difference betwixt words as betwixt these two answers; for to David the answer was Transtulit peccatum, the Lord hath taken away thy sin: but to Saul a double Transtulit, but a curse with both. Dominus transtulit regnum, the Lord hath taken away thy kingdom. 1Sa 15:26 Again, Dominus transtulit Spiritum, God hath taken from thee his Spirit; 1Sa 16:14 and this latter was the greater.
Thou shalt not die.] As thou hast deserved to do, both temporally, by some sudden stroke of God's hand, ex proprio iudicato, and externally, since hell is the just hire of the least sin; Rom 6:23 how much more of such heinous crimes as thou hast committed! But all is remitted, and thou art rectus in curia, acquitted, and accepted. God hath his pardons ready sealed for true penitentiaries. Homo agnoscit, Deus ignoscit.
a Serm. of Rep., p. 54.
b The Lord hath caused thy sin to pass over from thee to Christ. Isaiah 53:6 Rom 4:8