2 Samuel 19:35

35. Can I discern between good and evil Is it to be supposed that at my time of life I still retain unimpaired the powers of judgment and discrimination which belong to the age of healthfulness and vigour? Good and evil are to be understood here of the pleasures and entertainments of court life, as the following specifications show.

Can thy servant taste what I eat Thy servant is a periphrastic expression for I, as is 2 Samuel 19:26, and frequently elsewhere. It is a form of expression used out of respect to royalty, and is equivalent to Can I taste what I eat, etc. His senses of taste and hearing had become so impaired that delicate meats and drinks, and vocal or instrumental music, with all which he would be constantly entertained at the royal court, would not be appreciated by him.