The Meaning of 2 Samuel 12:20 Explained

2 Samuel 12:20

KJV: Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.

YLT: And David riseth from the earth, and doth bathe and anoint himself, and changeth his raiment, and cometh in to the house of Jehovah, and boweth himself, and cometh unto his house, and asketh and they place for him bread, and he eateth.

Darby: Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothing, and entered into the house of Jehovah and worshipped; then he came to his own house and required them to set bread before him, and he ate.

ASV: Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel; and he came into the house of Jehovah, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then David  arose  from the earth,  and washed,  and anointed  [himself], and changed  his apparel,  and came  into the house  of the LORD,  and worshipped:  then he came  to his own house;  and when he required,  they set  bread  before him, and he did eat. 

What does 2 Samuel 12:20 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 12:20 mean?

So arose David from the ground and washed and anointed himself and changed - his clothes and he went into the house of Yahweh and worshiped And he went to his own house and when he requested and they set before him food and he ate
וַיָּקָם֩ דָּוִ֨ד מֵהָאָ֜רֶץ וַיִּרְחַ֣ץ וַיָּ֗סֶךְ וַיְחַלֵּף֙ [שמלתו] (שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו) וַיָּבֹ֥א בֵית־ יְהוָ֖ה וַיִּשְׁתָּ֑חוּ וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל־ בֵּית֔וֹ וַיִּשְׁאַ֕ל וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ ל֛וֹ לֶ֖חֶם וַיֹּאכַֽל

וַיָּקָם֩  So  arose 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
דָּוִ֨ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
מֵהָאָ֜רֶץ  from  the  ground 
Parse: Preposition-m, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיִּרְחַ֣ץ  and  washed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָחַץ  
Sense: to wash, wash off, wash away, bathe.
וַיָּ֗סֶךְ  and  anointed  himself 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סוּךְ  
Sense: to anoint, pour in anointing.
וַיְחַלֵּף֙  and  changed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָלַף 
Sense: to pass on or away, pass through, pass by, go through, grow up, change, to go on from.
[שמלתו]  - 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
(שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו)  his  clothes 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שִׂמְלָה  
Sense: wrapper, mantle, covering garment, garments, clothes, raiment, a cloth.
וַיָּבֹ֥א  and  he  went  into 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בֵית־  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָ֖ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיִּשְׁתָּ֑חוּ  and  worshiped 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.
וַיָּבֹא֙  And  he  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בֵּית֔וֹ  his  own  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וַיִּשְׁאַ֕ל  and  when  he  requested 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁאַל 
Sense: to ask, enquire, borrow, beg.
וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ  and  they  set 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
ל֛וֹ  before  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
לֶ֖חֶם  food 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
וַיֹּאכַֽל  and  he  ate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.