Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, April 8th, 2026
Wednesday in Easter Week
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

2 Samuel 12:17

And the elders of his house rise against him, to raise him up from the earth, and he hath not been willing, nor hath he eaten with them bread;

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Bereavement;   Children;   David;   Fasting;   Government;   Thompson Chain Reference - David;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Afflicted Saints;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Nathan;   Parable;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Bathsheba;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Age, Old (the Aged);   Easton Bible Dictionary - Bath-Sheba;   David;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Diseases;   Intercession;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ammon, Ammonites;   Fasting;   Samuel, Books of;   Sin;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Nathan ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Nathan;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Elder;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fast;   Lift;   Nathan (1);   Samuel, Books of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Bathsheba;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The elders of his house stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them.
Hebrew Names Version
The Zakenim of his house arose, [and stood] beside him, to raise him up from the eretz: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
King James Version
And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
Lexham English Bible
The elders of his household stood over him to lift him up from the ground, but he was not willing, and he did not eat any food with them.
English Standard Version
And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
New Century Version
The elders of David's family came to him and tried to pull him up from the ground, but he refused to get up or to eat food with them.
New English Translation
The elders of his house stood over him and tried to lift him from the ground, but he was unwilling, and refused to eat food with them.
Amplified Bible
The elders of his household stood by him [in the night] to lift him up from the ground, but he was unwilling [to get up] and would not eat food with them.
New American Standard Bible
The elders of his household stood beside him in order to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the Elders of his house arose to come vnto him, & to cause him to rise from the groud: but he would not, neither did he eate meate with them.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them.
Contemporary English Version
His officials stood beside him and tried to talk him into getting up. But he would not get up or eat with them.
Complete Jewish Bible
The court officials got up and stood next to him trying to get him off the ground, but he refused, and he wouldn't eat food with them.
Darby Translation
And the elders of his house arose, [and went] to him, to raise him up from the earth; but he would not, and he ate no bread with them.
Easy-to-Read Version
The leaders of David's family came and tried to pull David up from the ground, but he refused to get up. He refused to eat with these leaders.
George Lamsa Translation
And the eiders of his household arose and tried to raise him up from the ground, but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
Good News Translation
His court officials went to him and tried to make him get up, but he refused and would not eat anything with them.
Literal Translation
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.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then rose the Elders of his house, and wolde haue taken him vp fro the grounde: neuertheles he wolde not, nether ate he wt them.
American Standard Version
And the elders of his house arose, and stood beside him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
Bible in Basic English
And the chief men of his house got up and went to his side to make him get up from the earth, but he would not; and he would not take food with them.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the elders of his house arose and went to him, to take him vp from the earth: But he would not, neither did he eate meate with them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the elders of his house arose, and stood beside him, to raise him up from the earth; but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
King James Version (1611)
And the Elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him vp from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eate bread with them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the elders of his house arose and went to him to raise him up from the ground, but he would not rise, nor did he eat bread with them.
English Revised Version
And the elders of his house arose, [and stood] beside him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
Berean Standard Bible
The elders of his household stood beside him to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli the eldere men of his hows camen, and constreyneden hym `bi meke preieris, that he schulde rise fro the erthe; and he nolde, nethir he eet mete with hem.
Update Bible Version
And the elders of his house arose, [and stood] beside him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the elders of his house arose, [and went] to him, to raise him from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
World English Bible
The elders of his house arose, [and stood] beside him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
New King James Version
So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
New Living Translation
The elders of his household pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused.
New Life Bible
The leaders of his family stood beside him to lift him up from the ground. But David was not willing. He would not eat food with them.
New Revised Standard
The elders of his house stood beside him, urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the elders of his house stood up over him, to raise him from the ground, - but he would not, neither would he eat food with them.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the ancients of his house came, to make him rise from the ground: but he would not, neither did he eat meat with them.
Revised Standard Version
And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground; but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them.

Contextual Overview

15 And Nathan goeth unto his house, and Jehovah smiteth the lad, whom the wife of Uriah hath born to David, and it is incurable; 16 and David seeketh God for the youth, and David keepeth a fast, and hath gone in and lodged, and lain on the earth. 17 And the elders of his house rise against him, to raise him up from the earth, and he hath not been willing, nor hath he eaten with them bread; 18 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.' 19 And David seeth that his servants are whispering, and David understandeth that the lad is dead, and David saith unto his servants, `Is the lad dead?' and they say, `Dead.' 20 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. 21 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.' 22 And he saith, `While the lad is alive I have fasted, and weep, for I said, Who knoweth? -- Jehovah doth pity me, and the lad hath lived; 23 and now, he hath died, why [is] this -- I fast? am I able to bring him back again? I am going unto him, and he doth not turn back unto me.' 24 And David comforteth Bath-Sheba his wife, and goeth in unto her, and lieth with her, and she beareth a son, and he calleth his name Solomon; and Jehovah hath loved him,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the elders: 2 Samuel 3:35, 1 Samuel 28:23

Reciprocal: Genesis 37:35 - rose up 1 Samuel 1:8 - why weepest 2 Samuel 14:7 - quench 1 Kings 21:27 - lay in sackcloth Daniel 6:18 - and passed

Cross-References

Genesis 12:14
And it cometh to pass, at the entering of Abram into Egypt, that the Egyptians see the woman that she [is] exceeding fair;
Genesis 12:15
and princes of Pharaoh see her, and praise her unto Pharaoh, and the woman is taken [to] Pharaoh's house;
Genesis 20:18
for Jehovah restraining had restrained every womb of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
1 Chronicles 16:21
He hath not suffered any to oppress them, And reproveth on their account kings:
1 Chronicles 21:22
And David saith unto Ornan, `Give to me the place of the threshing-floor, and I build in it an altar to Jehovah; for full silver give it to me, and the plague is restrained from the people.'
Job 34:19
That hath not accepted the person of princes, Nor hath known the rich before the poor, For a work of His hands [are] all of them.
Hebrews 13:4
honourable [is] the marriage in all, and the bed undefiled, and whoremongers and adulterers God shall judge.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the elders of his house arose, [and went] to him, to raise him up from the earth,.... To persuade him to rise up, and sit upon a seat, and go to bed, after having taken some food; these were some of the chief officers at court, and had the management of the affairs of his household:

but he would not; they could not persuade him to it:

neither did he eat bread with them; that evening, as he had used to do; they being the princes of his court, who were wont to sit at table with him.

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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile