Nathan the prophet was bidden to bear a message of reproof to David. It was a message terrible in its severity. To few sovereigns could such a reproof be given but at the price of certain death to the reprover. Nathan delivered the divine sentence unflinchingly, yet with such heaven-born wisdom as to engage the 721 sympathies of the king, to arouse his conscience, and to call from his lips the sentence of death upon himself. Appealing to David as the divinely appointed guardian of his people's rights, the prophet repeated a story of wrong and oppression that demanded redress.

Profeten Natan fik befaling om at give David en irettesættelse. Den var frygtelig streng. I de allerfleste tilfælde ville det være den visse død, hvis et menneske gav en konge en sådan irettesættelse. Natan forkyndte uforfærdet Guds dom over kongen, men han gjorde det med så megen himmelsk visdom, at den vakte kongens sympati, talte til hans samvittighed og fik ham til at fælde sin egen dødsdom. Profeten appellerede til David som den guddommeligt indsatte beskytter af folkets rettigheder og fortalte ham om en grov uret, som burde straffes.