2 Samuel 12:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But 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."

NIV: David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked. "Yes," they replied, "he is dead."

NASB: But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, 'Is the child dead?' And they said, 'He is dead.'

CSB: When David saw that his servants were whispering to each other, he guessed that the baby was dead. So he asked his servants, "Is the baby dead?" "He is dead," they replied.

NLT: When David saw them whispering, he realized what had happened. 'Is the child dead?' he asked. 'Yes,' they replied, 'he is dead.'

KJV: But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.

NKJV: When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.”

When Nathan confronted David with his sins (2 Samuel 12:9) against Bathsheba and Uriah, he outlined several punishments. Each echoed a sin David committed against Uriah: his life would be filled with violence, people from his own household would betray him, his wives would be humiliated in public. Also, the baby Bathsheba carried would die (2 Samuel 12:1–14). David took away Uriah's right to have a child with his wife. Now, God takes David's child.

When the baby fell sick, David relied on what he knew about God. He fasted and prayed, lying on the ground. God had already forgiven him (2 Samuel 12:13). God's mercy is great (Psalm 51:1). David knew there was a chance God would have mercy over his son. Royal servants and elders are concerned. They need their king to eat and fulfill the duties of his position. When the boy dies, they're even more worried (2 Samuel 12:18).

David hears their whispering and guesses at the subject. He rises, washes, and eats. He even goes to the tent of God and worships. David tells the servants that while the boy lived, there was a chance. Now that the boy is gone, David will accept God's judgment. He will see his son again after he dies (2 Samuel 12:20–23).

God could have saved David's son and maintained His integrity. Hundreds of years later, Isaiah the prophet will tell good King Hezekiah that God says he will die. Hezekiah will beg God for a longer life. God will agree (2 Kings 20:1–7). Numbers 23:19 says that God does not change His mind, and it's true. But sometimes, His revelations are only part of the picture and don't reveal His full intentions. With Hezekiah, God had a greater purpose that was served by Hezekiah's understanding that only God can bring life. With David, the baby's death is essential for God's plan.

Second Samuel 12:15–23 presents David's loss as Uriah's justice. David stole Uriah's wife, made her pregnant, and murdered him, taking away his right to leave a descendant for his family line. As a parallel, David will experience the loss of a child. David fasts and prays for mercy but accepts God's will when the child dies. Bathsheba will have four more sons including Solomon, the future king (2 Samuel 12:24–25; 1 Chronicles 3:5).

In 2 Samuel 12, David learns the consequences of his sins against Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 11). David thought no one of consequence knew what he'd done. Nathan the prophet reveals that God knows; the Lord demands justice for David's victims. David's household will rebel, and Bathsheba's son will die. David humbly repents, and Bathsheba later conceives Solomon, the future king. Joab, about to defeat the Ammonites, calls David to finish the fight. In 2 Samuel 13, the seeds of the promised rebellion are sown. Psalm 51 is David's expression of remorse for his sins.

David begins to lose control of his seemingly perfect situation. While the respected soldier Uriah was fighting Ammonites with Joab (2 Samuel 10), David slept with Uriah's wife, Bathsheba. To cover her pregnancy, David arranged for Uriah to die in battle (2 Samuel 11). Nathan, the prophet, confronts David over his crimes. God takes the child's life and will allow David's household to rebel against him. This begins when David's son rapes his own half-sister, Tamar (2 Samuel 13), starting a series of events that will result in another son, Absalom, taking the throne from his father (2 Samuel 14—16).