2 Samuel 12:22

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ And Nathan departed to his house. And Yahweh struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it was very sick. ¹⁵ After Nathan returned to his home, the Lord sent a deadly illness to the child of David and Uriah's wife. 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. ¹⁵ Then Nathan went home. And the Lord caused the son of David and Bathsheba, Uriah's widow, to be very sick. ¹⁵ Then Nathan went to his home. The Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill. ¹⁵ And Nathan departed to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it was very sick. ¹⁵ Nathan departed to his house. Yahweh struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it was very sick. ¹⁵Then Nathan went [back] to his home. Loss of a Child And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's widow bore to David, and he was very sick. ¹⁵ Then Nathan went to his house. And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and he became sick. ¹⁵ And Nathan turnede ayen in to his hows. And the Lord smoot the litil child, whom the wijf of Vrye childide to Dauid, and he dispeiride.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I fasted: Isaiah 38:1-3, Isaiah 38:5, Joel 1:14, Joel 2:14, Amos 5:15, Jonah 1:6, Jonah 3:9, Jonah 3:10, James 4:9, James 4:10

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 12:16 - besought 2 Kings 20:3 - wept sore Isaiah 38:3 - wept Zephaniah 2:3 - it may

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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. 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 12:22. Who can tell — David, and indeed all others under the Mosaic dispensation, were so satisfied that all God's threatenings and promises were conditional, that even in the most positive assertions relative to judgments, &c., they sought for a change of purpose. And notwithstanding the positive declaration of Nathan, relative to the death of the child, David sought for its life, not knowing but that might depend on some unexpressed condition, such as earnest prayer, fasting, humiliation, &c., and in these he continued while there was hope. When the child died, he ceased to grieve, as he now saw that this must be fruitless. This appears to be the sole reason of David's importunity.