The Meaning of 2 Samuel 12:18 Explained

2 Samuel 12:18

KJV: And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?

YLT: and it cometh to pass on the seventh day, that the lad dieth, and the servants of David fear to declare to him that the lad is dead, for they said, 'Lo, in the lad being alive we spake unto him, and he did not hearken to our voice; and how do we say unto him, The lad is dead? -- then he hath done evil.'

Darby: And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he would not hearken to our voice; and how shall we say to him, The child is dead? he may do some harm.

ASV: And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he hearkened not unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass on the seventh  day,  that the child  died.  And the servants  of David  feared  to tell  him that the child  was dead:  for they said,  Behold, while the child  was yet alive,  we spake  unto him, and he would not hearken  unto our voice:  how will he then  vex  himself,  if we tell  him that the child  is dead? 

What does 2 Samuel 12:18 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 12:15-31 - Accepting The Lord's Judgment
When Nathan had gone, David beat out his brief confession into Psalms 51:1-19. He knew that he was clean, because purged with hyssop, Exodus 12:22; that he was whiter than snow, because the hand of the Redeemer had touched him, and the joy of God's salvation had been restored. And now he bowed himself before the train of evil consequences that must ensue. Sin may be forgiven, but the Father must needs chasten his child.
The little babe died. It cuts us to the quick when innocent children suffer for our wrong-doing. Two years after, David's sin was repeated by one of his sons, while another sought to dispossess his father of the throne. In Amnon's offense David beheld the features of his own passion, and in Absalom's revenge, his own blood-guiltiness. Psalms 41:1-13; Psalms 55:1-23 are supposed to record his sufferings during those dreary years, when it seemed as if the sunshine had passed forever from his life. The wonder is that he treated Rabbah so harshly; but it may be, as some think, that its fate was decided during the months which preceded his confession, when the misery of his soul made him petulant and exacting.
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 12

1  Nathan's parable of the ewe lamb causes David to be his own judge
7  David, reproved by Nathan, confesses his sin, and is pardoned
15  David mourns and prays for the child while it lives
24  Solomon is born, and named Jedidiah
26  David takes Rabbah, and tortures the people thereof

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 12:18 mean?

And it came to pass on the day seventh that died The child and were afraid the servants of David to tell him that was dead the child for they said indeed while was the child alive we spoke to him and not he would heed our voice And how can we tell him is dead and He may do some harm
וַיְהִ֛י בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י וַיָּ֣מָת הַיָּ֑לֶד וַיִּֽרְאוּ֩ עַבְדֵ֨י דָוִ֜ד לְהַגִּ֥יד ל֣וֹ ׀ כִּי־ מֵ֣ת הַיֶּ֗לֶד כִּ֤י אָֽמְרוּ֙ הִנֵּה֩ בִהְי֨וֹת הַיֶּ֜לֶד חַ֗י דִּבַּ֤רְנוּ אֵלָיו֙ וְלֹא־ שָׁמַ֣ע בְּקוֹלֵ֔נוּ וְאֵ֨יךְ נֹאמַ֥ר אֵלָ֛יו ؟ מֵ֥ת וְעָשָׂ֥ה רָעָֽה

וַיְהִ֛י  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בַּיּ֥וֹם  on  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י  seventh 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal masculine singular
Root: שְׁבִיעִי  
Sense: seventh.
וַיָּ֣מָת  that  died 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
הַיָּ֑לֶד  The  child 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶלֶד  
Sense: child, son, boy, offspring, youth.
וַיִּֽרְאוּ֩  and  were  afraid 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
עַבְדֵ֨י  the  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
דָוִ֜ד  of  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
לְהַגִּ֥יד  to  tell 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
כִּי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
מֵ֣ת  was  dead 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
הַיֶּ֗לֶד  the  child 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶלֶד  
Sense: child, son, boy, offspring, youth.
אָֽמְרוּ֙  they  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנֵּה֩  indeed 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
בִהְי֨וֹת  while  was 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַיֶּ֜לֶד  the  child 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶלֶד  
Sense: child, son, boy, offspring, youth.
חַ֗י  alive 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
דִּבַּ֤רְנוּ  we  spoke 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֵלָיו֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְלֹא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁמַ֣ע  he  would  heed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
בְּקוֹלֵ֔נוּ  our  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
וְאֵ֨יךְ  And  how 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: אֵיךְ 
Sense: how? interj.
נֹאמַ֥ר  can  we  tell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
؟ מֵ֥ת  is  dead 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וְעָשָׂ֥ה  and  He  may  do 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
רָעָֽה  some  harm 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.

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