2 Samuel 12:22

22 He said, "While the child was still alive, ¹I fasted and wept; for I said, '²Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may 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 So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate.

21 Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food."

22 He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.'

23 "But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved him

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 38:1-3
• 2. Jonah 3:9