2 Samuel 12:21

His working men were confused. They said, “What’s going on? While the baby was alive, you lay on the floor. You cried, and you ate nothing. But after he died, you got up and ate. We don’t understand. Why didn’t you cry after he died?”

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

20Then David got up from the floor and washed himself, and he rubbed himself with perfume. Then he put on some clean clothes. He went into God’s ceremony house and got down on his knees to show respect to God, and to pray. Then he went back to his own house and told his working men to bring him some food to eat.

22He answered, “While the baby was alive, I lay on the floor. I cried, and I ate nothing. I thought, ‘Maybe God will be sorry for me. Maybe he will make the baby better again.’

Read all of 2 Samuel 12

Cross References

1 Corinthians 2:15People that have God’s spirit can think about all these things and understand them. But people that haven’t got God’s spirit can never understand the people that have got his spirit.

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 12:16-26

David's Humiliation; Birth of Solomon. ( b. c. 1036.) 15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. 16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. 17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. 18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study 2 Samuel 12:21