2 Samuel 12:16

16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground.

2 Samuel 12:16 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 12:16

David therefore besought God for the child
Perhaps went into the tabernacle he had built for the ark, and prayed to the Lord to restore the child, and spare its life; for though the Lord had said it should die, he might hope that that was a conditional threatening, and that the Lord might be gracious and reverse it, ( 2 Samuel 12:22 ) ;

and David fasted:
all that day:

and went in;
to his own house from the house of God:

and lay all night upon the earth;
would neither go into, nor lie upon a bed, but lay on the floor all night, weeping and praying for the child's life, and especially for its eternal welfare: he having through sin been the means of its coming into a sinful and afflicted state.

2 Samuel 12:16 In-Context

14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child that is born to you shall die."

15 Then Nathan went to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uri'ah's wife bore to David, and it became sick.

16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground.

17 And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground; but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.

18 On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, "Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us; how then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm."