2 Samuel 12:16

Green's Literal Translation

And David sought God for the child. And David fasted a fast, and went in and stayed the night, and lay on the earth.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted, went home, and spent the night lying on the ground.

Hebrew Names Version
David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the eretz.

King James Version
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

Lexham English Bible
David pleaded with God on behalf of the boy and David fasted. He went to spend the night and lay upon the ground.

English Standard Version
David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.

New Century Version
David prayed to God for the baby. David fasted and went into his house and stayed there, lying on the ground all night.

New English Translation
Then David prayed to God for the child and fasted. He would even go and spend the night lying on the ground.

Amplified Bible
David therefore appealed to God for the child [to be healed]; and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.

New American Standard Bible
David therefore pleaded with God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Dauid therefore besought God for the childe, and fasted and went in, and lay all night vpon the earth.

Legacy Standard Bible
David therefore sought God about the boy; and David fasted and went and spent the night lying on the ground.

Contemporary English Version
So David went without eating to show his sorrow, and he begged God to make the boy well. David would not sleep on his bed, but spent each night lying on the floor.

Complete Jewish Bible
David prayed to God on behalf of the child; David fasted, then came and lay all night on the ground.

Darby Translation
And David besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the earth.

Easy-to-Read Version
David prayed to God for the baby. David refused to eat or drink. He went into his house and stayed there and lay on the ground all night.

George Lamsa Translation
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.

Good News Translation
David prayed to God that the child would get well. He refused to eat anything, and every night he went into his room and spent the night lying on the floor.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Dauid besoughte God for the childe, and fasted, and wente in, and laie all nighte vpon the earth.

American Standard Version
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

Bible in Basic English
So David made prayer to God for the child; and he took no food day after day, and went in and, stretching himself out on the earth, was there all night.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Dauid therefore besought God for the childe, and fasted, and went in, & laye all night vpon the earth.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and as often as he went in, he lay all night upon the earth.

King James Version (1611)
Dauid therfore besought God for the childe, and Dauid fasted, and went in, and lay all night vpon the earth.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David enquired of God concerning the child, and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground.

English Revised Version
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

Berean Standard Bible
David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth on the ground.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Dauid preiede the Lord for the litil child; and Dauid fastide bi fastyng, and entride asidis half, and lai on the erthe.

Young's Literal Translation
and David seeketh God for the youth, and David keepeth a fast, and hath gone in and lodged, and lain on the earth.

Update Bible Version
David therefore implored God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the earth.

Webster's Bible Translation
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

World English Bible
David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the earth.

New King James Version
David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.

New Living Translation
David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground.

New Life Bible
David begged God to make the child well. He went without food and lay all night on the ground.

New Revised Standard
David therefore pleaded with God for the child; David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
David therefore earnestly sought God in behalf of the boy, - and David kept a fast, and used to go in and pass the night, and lie upon the ground.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David besought the Lord for the child: and David kept a fast, and going in by himself lay upon the ground.

Revised Standard Version
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground.

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ And Nathan went to his house, and Jehovah struck the boy whom the former wife of Uriah had borne to David. And it became sick. ¹⁶ And David sought God for the child. And David fasted a fast, and went in and stayed the night, and lay on the earth. ¹⁷ And the elders of his house rose up toward him, to raise him up from the earth. But he was not willing; and he ate no bread with them. ¹⁸ And it happened on the seventh day, the boy died. And David's servants feared to tell him that the boy was dead, for they said, Behold, while the boy was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not listen to our voice. And how shall we say tohim, The boy is dead? Then he may do harm. ¹⁹ And David saw that his servants were whispering among themselves. And David understood that the boy was dead. And David said to his servants, Is the boy dead? And they said, He is dead. ²⁰ And David rose up from the earth, and bathed, and anointed. And he changed his clothing, and came into the house of Jehovah, and worshiped. And he came to his house, and commanded, and they brought bread for him; and he ate. ²¹ And his servants said to him, What is this thing you have done? You fasted and wept because of the living boy, yet when the boy is dead, you have risen up and have eaten food? ²² And he said, While the boy was alive, I fasted and wept. For I said, Who knows? Jehovah may be gracious to me and the boy may stay alive. ²³ And now he has died. Why this, that I should fast? Am I able to bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. ²⁴ And David comforted his wife Bathsheba. And he went in to her, and lay with her. And she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And Jehovah loved him,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

besought: 2 Samuel 12:22, Psalms 50:15, Isaiah 26:16, Joel 2:12-14, Jonah 3:9

fasted: Heb. fasted a fast, Esther 4:16, Psalms 69:10, Isaiah 22:12, Acts 9:9

lay all night: 2 Samuel 13:31, Job 20:12-14

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 9:18 - I fell down Joshua 7:6 - fell 1 Samuel 1:8 - why weepest 1 Kings 18:42 - he cast himself Job 1:20 - fell Daniel 6:18 - and passed Joel 1:13 - lie Matthew 6:16 - when Mark 5:23 - besought John 11:31 - She goeth 1 Corinthians 2:15 - yet 2 Corinthians 12:8 - I besought

Cross-References

Genesis 12:13
Please say that you are my sister, so that it may be well with me for your sake, and my soul shall live because of you.

Genesis 12:14
And it happened, when Abram had come into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.

Genesis 12:15
And Pharaoh's princes saw her, and they praised her before Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

Genesis 13:2
And Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold.

Genesis 20:14
Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male slaves, and slave-girls, and gave to Abraham. And he returned his wife Sarah to him.

Genesis 24:35
And Jehovah has blessed my master much, and he is great. And He has given to him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and male slaves and slave-girls, and camels and asses.

Genesis 26:14
And possessions of flocks and possessions of herds, and many slaves were his. And the Philistines envied him.

Genesis 32:5
And it is mine to have oxen, and asses, flocks, and slaves and slave-girls. And I have sent to tell my lord, to find favor in your eyes.

Job 1:3
And his possessions were seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great household, so that this man was greater than all the sons of the east.

Job 42:12
And Jehovah blessed the latter days of Job more than the earlier days . And to him were fourteen thousand sheep and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 into, nor lie upon a bed, but lay on the floor all night, weeping and praying for the child's life, and especially for its eternal welfare: he having through sin been the means of its coming into a sinful and afflicted state.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The death of the infant child of one of the numerous harem of an Oriental monarch would in general be a matter of little moment to the father. The deep feeling shown by David on this occasion is both an indication of his affectionate and tender nature, and also a proof of the strength of his passion for Bath-sheba. He went into his most private chamber, his closet Matthew 6:6, and “lay upon the earth” 2 Samuel 13:31, rather “the ground,” meaning the floor of his chamber as opposed to his couch.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 12:16. David - besought God for the child — How could he do so, after the solemn assurance that he had from God that the child should die? The justice of God absolutely required that the penalty of the law should be exacted; either the father or the son shall die. This could not be reversed.