2 Samuel 12:21
ESV
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."
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!"
NASB
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 got up and ate food.'
CSB
His servants asked him, "Why have you done this? While the baby was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate food."
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.'
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.
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.”
What does 2 Samuel 12:21 mean?
Royal servants responsible for ensuring David's well-being are baffled. For a full week, the king seemed to be in complete despair. He refused to eat or bathe or change clothes or even get up off the ground. His son was dying. All he could do was fast and pray that the Lord would spare the life of his son who suffered for David's sin (2 Samuel 12:15–17).David's behavior is so foreign to them that they're afraid to tell him when the child dies. Wil the king harm himself in his grief? Instead, David responds to the news by getting up and washing and changing clothes and worshiping the Lord (2 Samuel 12:18–20). Now the servants boldly ask David why this is. Why did he start eating after hearing the thing he dreaded most had happened? David's answer reveals his dependence on and understanding of God's mercy.
Of course, David didn't want the boy to die. But his well-being wasn't dependent on whether the child lived or died. He knows God is a God of mercy and grace (Psalm 51:1). David's prayer and fasting were a conversation with his God. He gave God a "broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart" that he knows God will not despise (Psalm 51:17), and yet, the life of his son is not part of God's plan. David accepts this as he has accepted all the blessings God has given him.
David also has hope. He hasn't missed his opportunity to get to know his son. In the end, David will go up to meet him. They will live forever in God's presence, worshiping God together (2 Samuel 12:23).
