2 Samuel 12:18

18 On the seventh day the baby died. But David's servants were afraid to tell him the baby was dead. They said, "Look, while the baby was alive, we spoke to him, and he wouldn't listen to us. So how can we tell him the baby is dead? He may do something desperate."

2 Samuel 12:18 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 12:18

And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died,
&c.] Not the seventh day from its being taken ill, but from its birth; for it cannot be thought that David should fast seven days:

and the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead;
lest he should be overwhelmed with too much sorrow:

for they said, behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto
him;
to rise from the ground, and eat food:

and he would not hearken unto our voice;
we could not prevail upon him to do the one nor the other:

how will he then vex himself if we tell him that the child is dead?
or should we acquaint him with it, "he will do mischief" ^F23 to himself, to his body; he will tear his flesh to pieces, and cut and kill himself; this they were afraid of, observing the distress and agony he was in while it was living, and therefore they concluded these would increase upon hearing of its death.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 (her hvew) (kai poihsei kaka) , Sept. "faciat malum", Pagninus, Montanus; "malum [sibi] inferet", Syr. Ar.

2 Samuel 12:18 In-Context

16 David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted, went [home], and spent the night lying on the ground.

17 The elders of his house stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them.

18 On the seventh day the baby died. But David's servants were afraid to tell him the baby was dead. They said, "Look, while the baby was alive, we spoke to him, and he wouldn't listen to us. So how can we tell him the baby is dead? He may do something desperate."

19 When David saw that his servants were whispering to each other, he guessed that the baby was dead. So he asked his servants, "Is the baby dead?" "He is dead," they replied.

20 Then David got up from the ground. He washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, went to the Lord's house, and worshiped. Then he went home and requested [something to eat]. So they served him food, and he ate.