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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:15-25

Nathan, having delivered his message, staid not at court, but went home, probably to pray for David, to whom he had been preaching. God, in making use of him as an instrument to bring David to repentance, and as the herald both of mercy and judgment, put an honour upon the ministry, and magnified his word above all his name. David named one of his sons by Bath-sheba Nathan, in honour of this prophet (1 Chron. 3:5), and it was that son of whom Christ, the great prophet, lineally descended, Luke... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:15

And Nathan departed unto his house ,.... His own house, which probably was in the city of Jerusalem, having delivered his message, and brought David to a sense of his sin, and declared to him from the Lord the forgiveness of it; yet for the honour of religion, and the stopping of the mouths of blasphemers, the death of the child is threatened and foretold, and then Nathan took his leave of him, having nothing more from the Lord to say to him: and the Lord struck the child that Uriah's... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:16

David therefore besought God for the child ,.... Perhaps went into the tabernacle he had built for the ark, and prayed to the Lord to restore the child, and spare its life; for though the Lord had said it should die, he might hope that that was a conditional threatening, and that the Lord might be gracious and reverse it, 2 Samuel 12:22 , and David fasted : all that day: and went in ; to his own house from the house of God: and lay all night upon the earth ; would neither go... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:17

And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth ,.... To persuade him to rise up, and sit upon a seat, and go to bed, after having taken some food; these were some of the chief officers at court, and had the management of the affairs of his household: but he would not ; they could not persuade him to it: neither did he eat bread with them ; that evening, as he had used to do; they being the princes of his court, who were wont to sit at table with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:18

And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died ,.... Not the seventh day from its being taken ill, but from its birth; for it cannot be thought that David should fast seven days: and the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead ; lest he should be overwhelmed with too much sorrow: for they said, behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him ; to rise from the ground, and eat food: and he would not hearken unto our voice ; we could not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:19

And when David saw that his servants whispered ,.... For they said the above to one another with a low voice, that he might not hear them, though in the same room with them: David perceived the child was dead ; he guessed it was, and that this was the thing they were whispering about among themselves: therefore David said unto his servants, is the child dead? and they said, he is dead ; for putting the question to them so closely, they could not avoid giving the answer they did, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:20

Then David arose from the earth ,.... From the floor on which he lay: and washed, and anointed himself , and changed his apparel ; neither of which he had done during his time of fasting: and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped ; went into the tabernacle he had built for the ark of God, and then in prayer submitted himself to the will of God, and acknowledged his justice in what he had done; gave thanks to God that he had brought him to a sense of his sin, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:21

Then said his servants unto him, what thing is this that thou hast done ?.... Or what is the reason of such conduct and behaviour? they knew what was done, but they did not know the meaning of it, which is what they inquired after: thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive ; prayed with fasting and weeping for it, that it might live and not die: but when the child was dead thou didst rise and eat bread ; and appeared cheerful; this seemed strange to them, when... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:22

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 12:23

But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast ?.... And pray; it is to no purpose, no end can be thought to be answered by it: can I bring him back again ? from the state of the dead, bring him to life by fasting, and praying, and weeping; that is not to e expected: I shall go to him ; to the state of the dead, to the grave, where his body was, or would be; to heaven and eternal happiness, where his soul was, as he comfortably hoped and believed: from whence it appears, that the Old... read more

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