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Commentary on 2 Samuel 12 verses 15–25
Nathan, having delivered his message, staid not at court, but went home, probably to pray for David, to whom he had been preaching. God, in making use of him as an instrument to bring David to repentance, and as the herald both of mercy and judgment, put an honour upon the ministry, and magnified his word above all his name. David named one of his sons by Bath-sheba Nathan, in honour of this prophet (Ch1 3:5), and it was that son of whom Christ, the great prophet, lineally descended, Luk 3:31. When Nathan retired, David, it is probable, retired likewise, and penned the 51st Psalm, in which (though he had been assured that his sin was pardoned) he prays earnestly for pardon, and greatly laments his sin; for then will true penitents be ashamed of what they have done when God is pacified towards them, Eze 16:63.
Here is, I. The child's illness: The Lord struck it, and it was very sick, perhaps with convulsions, or some other dreadful distemper, Sa2 12:15. The diseases and death of infants that have not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, especially as they are sometimes sadly circumstanced, are sensible proofs of the original sin in which they are conceived.
II. David's humiliation under this token of God's displeasure, and the intercession he made with God for the life of the child (Sa2 12:16, Sa2 12:17): He fasted, and lay all night upon the earth, and would not suffer any of his attendants either to feed him or help him up. This was an evidence of the truth of his repentance. For, 1. Hereby it appeared that he was willing to bear the shame of his sin, to have it ever before him, and to be continually upbraided with it; for this child would be a continual memorandum of it, both to himself and others, if he lived: and therefore he was so far from desiring its death, as most in such circumstances do, that he prayed earnestly for its life. True penitents patiently bear the reproach of their youth, and of their youthful lusts, Jer 31:19. 2. A very tender compassionate spirit appeared in this, and great humanity, above what is commonly found in men, especially men of war, towards little children, even their own; and this was another sign of a broken contrite spirit. Those that are penitent will be pitiful. 3. He discovered, in this, a great concern for another world, which is an evidence of repentance. Nathan had told him that certainly the child should die; yet, while it is in the reach of prayer, he earnestly intercedes with God for it, chiefly (as we may suppose) that its soul might be safe and happy in another world, and that his sin might not come against the child, and that it might not fare the worse for that in the future state. 4. He discovered, in this, a holy dread of God and of his displeasure. He deprecated the death of the child chiefly as it was a token of God's anger against him and his house, and was inflicted in performance of a threatening; therefore he prayed thus earnestly that, if it were the will of God, the child might live, because that would be to him a token of God's being reconciled to him. Lord, chasten me not in thy hot displeasure. Psa 6:1.
III. The death of the child: It died on the seventh day (Sa2 12:18), when it was seven days old, and therefore not circumcised, which David might perhaps interpret as a further token of God's displeasure, that it died before it was brought under the seal of the covenant; yet he does not therefore doubt of its being happy for the benefits of the covenant do not depend upon the seals. David's servants, judging of him by themselves, were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, concluding that then he would disquiet himself most of all; so that he knew not till he asked, Sa2 12:19.
IV. David's wonderful calmness and composure of mind when he understood the child was dead. Observe,
1.What he did. (1.) He laid aside the expressions of his sorrow, washed and anointed himself, and called for clean linen, that he might decently appear before God in his house. (2.) He went up to the tabernacle and worshipped, like Job when he heard of the death of his children. He went to acknowledge the hand of God in the affliction, and to humble himself under it, and to submit to his holy will in it, to thank God that he himself was spared and his sin pardoned, and to pray that God would not proceed in his controversy with him, nor stir up all his wrath. Is any afflicted? Let him pray. Weeping must never hinder worshipping. (3.) Then he went to his own house and refreshed himself, as one who found benefit by his religion in the day of his affliction; for, having worshipped, he did eat, and his countenance was no more sad.
2.The reason he gave for what he did. His servants thought it strange that he should afflict himself so for the sickness of the child and yet take the death of it so easily, and asked him the reason of it (Sa2 12:21), in answer to which he gives this plain account of his conduct, (1.) That while the child was alive he thought it his duty to importune the divine favour towards it, Sa2 12:22. Nathan had indeed said the child should die, but, for aught that he knew, the threatening might be conditional, as that concerning Hezekiah: upon his great humiliation and earnest prayer, he that had so often heard the voice of his weeping might be pleased to reverse the sentence, and spare the child: Who can tell whether God will yet be gracious to me? God gives us leave to be earnest with him in prayer for particular blessings, from a confidence in his power and general mercy, though we have no particular promise to build upon: we cannot be sure, yet let us pray, for who can tell but God will be gracious to us, in this or that particular? When our relations and friends have fallen sick, the prayer of faith has prevailed much; while there is life there is hope, and, while there is hope, there is room for prayer. (2.) That now the child was dead he thought it as much his duty to be satisfied in the divine disposal concerning it (Sa2 12:23): Now, wherefore should I fast? Two things checked his grief: - [1.] I cannot bring him back again; and again, He shall not return to me. Those that are dead are out of the reach of prayer; nor can our tears profit them. We can neither weep nor pray them back to this life. Wherefore then should we fast? To what purpose is this waste? Yet David fasted and wept for Jonathan when he was dead, in honour to him. [2.] I shall go to him. First, To him to the grave. Note, The consideration of our own death should moderate our sorrow at the death of our relations. It is the common lot; instead of mourning for their death, we should think of our own: and, whatever loss we have of them now, we shall die shortly, and go to them. Secondly, To him to heaven, to a state of blessedness, which even the Old Testament saints had some expectation of. Godly parents have great reason to hope concerning their children that die in infancy that it is well with their souls in the other world; for the promise is to us and to our seed, which shall be performed to those that do not put a bar in their own door, as infants do not. Favores sunt ampliandi - Favours received should produce the hope of more. God calls those his children that are born unto him; and, if they be his, he will save them. This may comfort us when our children are removed from us by death, they are better provided for, both in work and wealth, than they could have been in this world. We shall be with them shortly, to part no more.
V. The birth of Solomon. Though David's marrying Bath-sheba had displeased the Lord, yet he was not therefore commanded to divorce her; so far from this that God gave him that son by her on whom the covenant of royalty should be entailed. Bath-sheba, no doubt, was greatly afflicted with the sense of her sin and the tokens of God's displeasure. But, God having restored to David the joys of his salvation, he comforted her with the same comforts with which he himself was comforted of God (Sa2 12:24): He comforted Bath-sheba. And both he and she had reason to be comforted in the tokens of God's reconciliation to them, 1. Inasmuch as, by his providence, he gave them a son, not as the former, who was given in anger and taken away in wrath, but a child graciously given, and written among the living in Jerusalem. They called him Solomon - peaceful, because his birth was a token of God's being at peace with them, because of the prosperity which was entailed upon him, and because he was to be a type of Christ, the prince of peace. God had removed one son from them, but now gave them another instead of him, like Seth instead of Abel, Gen 4:25. Thus God often balances the griefs of his people with comforts in the same thing wherein he hath afflicted them, setting the one over-against the other. David had very patiently submitted to the will of God in the death of the other child, and now God made up the loss of that, abundantly to his advantage, in the birth of this. The way to have our creature-comforts either continued or restored, or the loss of them made up some other way, is cheerfully to resign them to God. 2. Inasmuch as, by his grace, he particularly owned and favoured that son: The Lord loved him (Sa2 12:24 and Sa2 12:25), ordered him, by the prophet Nathan, to be called Jedidiah - Beloved of the Lord: though a seed of evil-doers (for such David and Bath-sheba were), yet so well ordered was the covenant, and the crown entailed by it, that it took away all attainders and corruption of blood, signifying that those who were by nature children of wrath and disobedience should, by the covenant of grace, not only be reconciled, but made favourites. And, in this name, he typified Jesus Christ, that blessed Jedidiah, the son of God's love, concerning whom God declared again and again, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Holy David lost two sons. One was guilty of incest, the other of fratricide. To have had them caused him shame; to have lost them brought him grief. He also lost a third, a child whom he loved. He wept over him while he was still alive, but he did not long for him after he died. For so we read that when the boy fell sick, David besought the Lord for him and fasted and lay upon sackcloth, and, although the elders approached him and tried to make him get up from the ground, he resolved neither to rise nor to eat. After he learned that the boy was dead, however, he arose from the ground, bathed upon the spot, anointed himself, changed clothing, worshiped the Lord and took food. Since this seemed strange to his servants, he answered that while the child was still alive, he had rightly fasted and wept, because he justly thought that God might pity him and was certain that he who could restore the dead to life could surely preserve the life of one still living. But now that the child was dead, why should he fast, since he could not bring him back from death and restore him to life. “I shall go to him rather;” he said, “but he shall not return to me.”What greater consolation to a mourner! What a true judgment from a wise man! What wonderful wisdom exhibited by a servant! [Thus] no one should protest that some misfortune has befallen him and complain that he has been afflicted contrary to his merit. For who are you to proclaim your merit beforehand? Why do you desire to anticipate your judge? Why do you snatch the verdict from the mouth of him who is going to pronounce it?
Thus David wept for his son who was about to die; he did not grieve for him when dead. He wept that he might not be snatched from him, but he ceased to weep when he was snatched away, for he knew that he was with Christ. And that you may know what I declare is true, he wept for his incestuous son Amnon when he was killed, and he mourned for the parricide Absalom when he perished, saying, “My son Absalom, my son Absalom!” He did not think the innocent son should be mourned, because he believed that the others had perished for their crime but that the latter would live on account of his innocence.Therefore, you have no reason for grieving excessively over your brother. He was born a man, he was subject to human frailty.
King David loved his child and sat indeed in sackcloth and ashes, but he neither brought soothsayers nor enchanters (although there were such then, as Saul shows), but he made supplication to God. So you should do likewise: as that just man did, so you should do also; the same words you should say, when your child is dead, “I shall go to him, but he will not come to me.” This is true wisdom, this is affection. However much you may love your child, you will not love so much as he had then. For even though his child was born of adultery, yet that blessed man’s love of the mother was at its height, and you know that the offspring shares the love of the parents. And so great was his love toward it, that he even wished it to live, though it would be his own accuser, but still he gave thanks to God.
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SUMMARY
This verse captures the profound bewilderment of King David's servants, who observe a stark and seemingly contradictory shift in their master's behavior. While their child lay gravely ill, David had engaged in intense, public mourning—fasting, weeping, and lying on the ground in supplication. Yet, immediately upon the child's death, David rose, washed, changed clothes, worshipped, and ate, prompting his servants to question the rationale behind such an unexpected and abrupt cessation of his grief rituals.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse immediately follows the death of the child born to David and Bathsheba, a judgment prophesied by Nathan the prophet in 2 Samuel 12:14. Prior to the child's passing, David had engaged in a fervent, seven-day period of intense fasting, weeping, and lying prostrate on the ground, refusing comfort and food, as recounted in 2 Samuel 12:16-17. His servants, deeply concerned for his well-being, hesitated to tell him of the child's death, fearing an even more extreme reaction (2 Samuel 12:18). However, David's immediate and composed response upon discerning the child's death—rising, washing, changing clothes, worshipping, and eating—directly contradicts their expectations, leading to their bewildered question in 2 Samuel 12:21. This sets the stage for David's profound theological explanation in the subsequent verses (2 Samuel 12:22-23).
Historical & Cultural Context: In ancient Israel and the broader Near East, elaborate and prolonged mourning rituals were customary upon the death of a child or loved one. These often included tearing clothes, wearing sackcloth, sitting in ashes, abstaining from food, and public lamentation, sometimes for many days or even weeks. Such practices were not merely expressions of grief but also social and religious obligations, demonstrating respect for the deceased and acknowledging the gravity of loss. David's initial fasting and prostration aligned with these customs, making his sudden shift to normalcy upon the child's death highly unusual and culturally perplexing to his servants. Their question reflects the societal expectation that grief would intensify, not cease, at the moment of death, especially for a king who had already shown such deep distress.
Key Themes: This verse highlights several profound themes. Firstly, it underscores Divine Sovereignty and Acceptance of God's Will. David's actions demonstrate a deep submission to God's ultimate decree. While there was hope, he earnestly pleaded with God for intervention; once God's decision was clear and final, he accepted it without prolonged despair, embodying a trust similar to Job's declaration in Job 1:21. Secondly, it offers insight into the Nature of Grief and Hope. David's intense mourning was an appropriate expression of human sorrow and a fervent act of faith-filled intercession while the possibility of life remained. His subsequent acceptance, however, reveals a mature understanding that once God's will is revealed, the focus shifts from pleading for a different outcome to trusting in divine wisdom, even in sorrow. This balance between desperate prayer and faithful acceptance is a crucial aspect of biblical faith.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse primarily employs Contrast to highlight the dramatic shift in David's behavior. The servants explicitly juxtapose David's actions "while it was alive" (fasting, weeping) with his actions "when the child was dead" (rising, eating). This stark Antithesis underscores the unexpected nature of David's response. Furthermore, the servants' question, "What thing [is] this that thou hast done?", functions as a form of Rhetorical Question, designed not for a simple answer but to express their profound bewilderment and to prompt David's subsequent, theologically rich explanation. The entire exchange also serves as a form of Foreshadowing, setting up David's profound theological rationale for his actions in the verses that follow (2 Samuel 12:22-23), thereby revealing a deeper spiritual wisdom than his servants possessed.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
David's response to the death of his child, as observed by his servants, offers a profound theological lesson on the nature of prayer, divine sovereignty, and the appropriate response to God's definitive will. His fervent prayer and fasting while the child was alive demonstrate the biblical principle of earnest intercession, believing that God can intervene and alter circumstances. However, his immediate acceptance and worship upon the child's death reveal a mature faith that understands God's ultimate authority and wisdom, even when His answer is not what was desired. It teaches that while we wrestle in prayer for God's mercy, once His will is clear and irreversible, true faith moves from pleading to peaceful submission and trust, recognizing that God's ways are higher and His purposes ultimately good. This balance prevents despair from consuming the believer, allowing them to move forward in faith and continued worship.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
David's seemingly contradictory behavior, and his subsequent explanation, provide a powerful model for believers navigating loss, grief, and unanswered prayers. His example teaches us the vital balance between fervent, persistent prayer and humble, faithful acceptance of God's sovereign will. While there is breath and hope, we are called to pour out our hearts to God with every plea and petition, trusting in His power and mercy. Yet, when God's definitive "no" or His unchangeable decree becomes clear, wisdom and faith call us to shift from desperate supplication to a posture of acceptance and worship. This does not negate grief, but transforms it, preventing it from becoming consuming despair. David's ability to rise, worship, and eat signifies a healthy transition from intense mourning to a renewed engagement with life and God's purposes, trusting that even in loss, God remains good and worthy of praise. It encourages us to find our peace not in the outcome we desire, but in the unwavering character of God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why were David's servants so confused by his actions?
Answer: David's servants were confused because his behavior directly contradicted the deeply ingrained cultural and religious norms of mourning in ancient Israel. Typically, grief was expected to intensify and prolong after a death, especially for a child. David's initial intense fasting and weeping were understandable, but his immediate shift to washing, changing clothes, worshipping, and eating upon the child's death was utterly unexpected and counter-cultural. They anticipated a deeper descent into despair, not a sudden return to normalcy, which prompted their bewildered question in 2 Samuel 12:21.
Does David's response imply that deep grieving is wrong or unnecessary?
Answer: No, David's response does not imply that deep grieving is wrong or unnecessary. In fact, his intense fasting and weeping before the child's death demonstrate the profound sorrow and desperate intercession that are natural and biblical responses to suffering and impending loss. David's actions teach us the importance of grieving fully and praying fervently while there is hope. However, once God's will was definitively revealed through the child's death, David's faith allowed him to move from a posture of pleading to one of acceptance and worship. It highlights a healthy, faith-filled approach to grief that acknowledges sorrow but does not allow it to become an endless, despairing state, as he explains in 2 Samuel 12:22-23.
What does David's behavior teach us about the nature of prayer?
Answer: David's behavior teaches us a crucial lesson about the nature of prayer: it is a powerful means of earnest petition and intercession, but it is ultimately submitted to God's sovereign will. David prayed with all his heart, believing God could intervene, demonstrating the biblical call to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). However, his immediate acceptance of the outcome, even when painful, shows that true faith also trusts God's wisdom and authority when His answer is "no." Prayer is not about manipulating God, but about aligning our hearts with His, even when His ways are mysterious or difficult. It teaches us to pray fervently for what we desire, but to ultimately rest in God's perfect plan, as seen in Matthew 26:39.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
David's profound response to the death of his child, moving from desperate intercession to immediate acceptance and worship, finds its ultimate fulfillment and deeper meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. David's hope, as he articulates in 2 Samuel 12:23, was that he would one day "go to him"—a hope rooted in the belief in an afterlife and reunion. This foreshadows the Christian hope of resurrection and eternal life through Christ. While David's child died and remained in the grave, Jesus Christ conquered death itself, rising victorious from the tomb (Romans 6:9). Through His sacrifice and resurrection, Jesus has "destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10). David's acceptance of death, though painful, pointed to a future reunion; for believers in Christ, death is not a final separation but a transition to eternal fellowship with God and with those who have died in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Our ability to rise from grief and worship, even in the face of loss, is empowered by the knowledge that Christ has overcome the sting of death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57) and promises a future where "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4). David's faith-filled acceptance is a shadow of the ultimate hope we have in the resurrected Christ, who makes all things new.