2 Samuel 12:22

22 And David said, I fasted and wept for the young child, when he lived yet; for I said, Who knoweth, if peradventure the Lord give him to me, and the young child live? (And David said, Yes, I fasted and wept for the young child, while yet he lived; for I said, Who knoweth, perhaps the Lord shall give him back to me, and the young child shall live.)

2 Samuel 12:22 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 12:22

And he said, while the child was yet alive
And so there was hope it might be continued:

I fasted and wept;
or sought the Lord by prayer, and fasting, and weeping, that the threatening might not take place, that the child's life might be spared:

for I said;
within himself, thus he reasoned in his own mind:

who can tell [whether] God will be gracious to me, that the child may
live?
and in hope of this he kept praying, fasting, and weeping; he could not tell but God might repent of the evil he had threatened, as in some cases he has done; see ( Joel 2:13 Joel 2:14 ) ( Jonah 3:9 Jonah 3:10 ) . Abarbinel thinks that David fasted and wept to hide this matter from his wife, and his servants, and did not let them know that this was in his punishment, that the child should die.

2 Samuel 12:22 In-Context

20 Therefore David rose up from the earth, and was washed, and anointed; and when he had changed his clothes, he entered into the house of the Lord, and worshipped, and came into his house; and he asked, that they should set bread to him, and he ate. (And so David got up off the floor, and washed, and anointed himself; and when he had changed his clothes, he went to the House of the Lord, and worshipped, and then came back to the palace; and he asked them to set food before him, and he ate it.)

21 And his servants said to him, What is the word that thou hast done? Thou hast fasted, and wept for the young child, while he lived yet; but when the child was dead, thou risedest/thou hast risen up, and atest bread? (And his servants said to him, What is this? Thou hast fasted, and wept for the young child, while yet he lived; but when the child was dead, thou hast risen up, and eaten food?)

22 And David said, I fasted and wept for the young child, when he lived yet; for I said, Who knoweth, if peradventure the Lord give him to me, and the young child live? (And David said, Yes, I fasted and wept for the young child, while yet he lived; for I said, Who knoweth, perhaps the Lord shall give him back to me, and the young child shall live.)

23 But now for he is dead, why fast I? whether I shall be able to again-call him more? I shall go more to him, but he shall not turn again to me. (But now that he is dead, why should I fast? can I call him back again? One day, I shall go to him, but he shall never return to me.)

24 And David comforted Bathsheba, his wife; and he entered [in] to her, and slept with her. And she engendered a son, and David called his name Solomon; and the Lord loved him.