2 Samuel 12:16

16 David prayed to God that the child would get well. He refused to eat anything, and every night he went into his room and spent the night lying on the floor.

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 But because you have shown such contempt for the Lord in doing this, your child will die."

15 Then Nathan went home. The Lord caused the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David to become very sick.

16 David prayed to God that the child would get well. He refused to eat anything, and every night he went into his room and spent the night lying on the floor.

17 His court officials went to him and tried to make him get up, but he refused and would not eat anything with them.

18 A week later the child died, and David's officials were afraid to tell him the news. They said, "While the child was living, David wouldn't answer us when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that his child is dead? He might do himself some harm!"