The Meaning of 2 Samuel 12:21 Explained

2 Samuel 12:21

KJV: Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.

YLT: And his servants say unto him, 'What is this thing thou hast done? because of the living lad thou hast fasted and dost weep, and when the lad is dead thou hast risen and dost eat bread.'

Darby: And his servants said to him, What thing is this which thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child alive; but as soon as the child is dead, thou dost rise and eat bread.

ASV: Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then said  his servants  unto him, What thing  [is] this that thou hast done?  thou didst fast  and weep  for the child,  [while it was] alive;  but when the child  was dead,  thou didst rise  and eat  bread. 

What does 2 Samuel 12:21 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 12:21 mean?

And said his servants to him what [is] thing this that you have done while the child [while he was] alive You fasted and wept for but when died the child you arose and ate food
וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ עֲבָדָיו֙ אֵלָ֔יו מָֽה־ הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר ؟ עָשִׂ֑יתָה בַּעֲב֞וּר הַיֶּ֤לֶד חַי֙ צַ֣מְתָּ וַתֵּ֔בְךְּ וְכַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ מֵ֣ת הַיֶּ֔לֶד קַ֖מְתָּ וַתֹּ֥אכַל לָֽחֶם

וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עֲבָדָיו֙  his  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אֵלָ֔יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
מָֽה־  what  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
הַדָּבָ֥ר  thing 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּ֖ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
؟ עָשִׂ֑יתָה  you  have  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בַּעֲב֞וּר  while 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֲבוּר  
Sense: for the sake of, on account of, because of, in order to conj.
הַיֶּ֤לֶד  the  child 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶלֶד  
Sense: child, son, boy, offspring, youth.
חַי֙  [while  he  was]  alive 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
צַ֣מְתָּ  You  fasted 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: צוּם  
Sense: (Qal) to abstain from food, fast.
וַתֵּ֔בְךְּ  and  wept  for 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּכָה  
Sense: to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears.
וְכַֽאֲשֶׁר֙  but  when 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
מֵ֣ת  died 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
הַיֶּ֔לֶד  the  child 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶלֶד  
Sense: child, son, boy, offspring, youth.
קַ֖מְתָּ  you  arose 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וַתֹּ֥אכַל  and  ate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לָֽחֶם  food 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.

What are the major concepts related to 2 Samuel 12:21?

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