2 Samuel 12:21

2 Samuel 12:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
• New International Version (NIV)His attendants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!”
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)His advisers were amazed. “We don’t understand you,” they told him. “While the child was still living, you wept and refused to eat. But now that the child is dead, you have stopped your mourning and are eating again.”

Context of 2 Samuel 12:21

19But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" They said, "He is dead." 20Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food." 22He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, 'Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' 23But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me."

2 Samuel 12:21 word by word

וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ עֲבָדָיו֙ אֵלָ֔יו מָֽה־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֑יתָה בַּעֲב֞וּר הַיֶּ֤לֶד חַי֙ צַ֣מְתָּ וַתֵּ֔בְךְּ וְכַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ מֵ֣ת הַיֶּ֔לֶד קַ֖מְתָּ וַתֹּ֥אכַל לָֽחֶם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• his servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• unto him, What thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• this that thou hast doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• thou didst fastצוּםtsûm · to fastH6684
• and weepבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
• for the childיֶ֫לֶדyeled · youthH3206
• aliveחַיchay · aliveH2416
• was deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• thou didst riseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• and eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · foodH3899

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 12:21

• 1 Corinthians 2:15The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 12:21

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-25Verses 15-25 David now 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. He was willing to bear the shame of it, to have it ever before him, to be continually upbraided with it. God gives us leave to be earnest with him in prayer for particular blessings, from trust in his power and general mercy, though we have no particular promise to build upon. David…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-23David mourned and fasted before his son died, hoping that God would remove the punishment.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-2315-23. the Lord struck the child ... and it was very sick--The first visible chastisement inflicted on David appeared on the person of that child which was the evidence and monument of his guilt. His domestics were surprised at his conduct, and in explanation of its singularity, it is necessary to remark that the custom in the East is to leave the nearest relative of a deceased person to the full and undisturbed indulgence of his grief, till on the third…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 12:21

• Bereavement
• David
• Fasting
• Parents

In the dictionaries

• David
• Fast
• Fourfold
• Parable
• Samuel, Books of
• Solomon
• Uriah
• Bible, the
• Fast; Fasting
• Gesture

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings