2 Samuel 12:22
New International Version
He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.’

New Living Translation
David replied, “I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, ‘Perhaps the LORD will be gracious to me and let the child live.’

English Standard Version
He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’

Berean Standard Bible
David answered, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’

King James Bible
And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?

New King James Version
And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’

New American Standard Bible
And he said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’

NASB 1995
He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’

NASB 1977
And he said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, Yahweh may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’

Amplified Bible
David said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I thought, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me and the child may live.’

Christian Standard Bible
He answered, “While the baby was alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He answered, “While the baby was alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’

American Standard Version
And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who knoweth whether Jehovah will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
David said to them: “When the boy lived, I was fasting and praying because I was saying, ‘Who knows if God has compassion for him and the boy lives?”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And David said, While the child yet lived, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who knows if the Lord will pity me, and the child live?

Contemporary English Version
David answered: While he was still alive, I went without food and cried because there was still hope. I said to myself, "Who knows? Maybe the LORD will have pity on me and let the child live."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept for him: for I said: Who knoweth whether the Lord may not give him to me, and the child may live?

English Revised Version
And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who knoweth whether the LORD will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
David answered, "As long as the child was alive, I fasted and cried. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.'

Good News Translation
"Yes," David answered, "I did fast and weep while he was still alive. I thought that the LORD might be merciful to me and not let the child die.

International Standard Version
He answered, "When the child was alive, I fasted and cried. I asked myself, 'Who knows? Maybe the LORD will show grace to me and the child will live.'

JPS Tanakh 1917
And he said: 'While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said: Who knoweth whether the LORD will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?

Literal Standard Version
And he says, “While the boy is alive I have fasted and I weep, for I said, Who knows [if] YHWH pities me and the boy has lived?

Majority Standard Bible
David answered, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’

New American Bible
He replied: “While the child was living, I fasted and wept, thinking, ‘Who knows? The LORD may grant me the child’s life.’

NET Bible
He replied, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, 'Perhaps the LORD will show pity and the child will live.

New Revised Standard Version
He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’

New Heart English Bible
He said, "While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knows whether the LORD will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?'

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted, and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?

World English Bible
He said, “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows whether Yahweh will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?’

Young's Literal Translation
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;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David's Loss and Repentance
21“What is this you have done?” his servants asked. “While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate.” 22David answered, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’ 23But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”…

Cross References
2 Samuel 12:21
"What is this you have done?" his servants asked. "While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate."

2 Kings 20:3
"Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what was good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Isaiah 38:1
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.'"

Jonah 1:6
The captain approached him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call upon your God. Perhaps this God will consider us, so that we may not perish."

Jonah 3:9
Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish."


Treasury of Scripture

And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?

I fasted

Isaiah 38:1-3,5
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live…

Joel 1:14
Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,

Joel 2:14
Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?

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Able Alive Child Fasted Food Gracious Live Mercy Pity Thought Weeping Wept Whether Who
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














Verse 22. - God; Hebrew, Jehovah, usually rendered "Lord." Similarly in Genesis 6:5 in the Authorized Version we find God in capital letters, as here, for the Hebrew Jehovah.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
[David] answered,
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“While
בְּעוֹד֙ (bə·‘ō·wḏ)
Preposition-b | Adverb
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

the child
הַיֶּ֣לֶד (hay·ye·leḏ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3206: Something born, a lad, offspring

was alive,
חַ֔י (ḥay)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

I fasted
צַ֖מְתִּי (ṣam·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6684: To abstain from food, fast

and wept,
וָֽאֶבְכֶּ֑ה (wā·’eḇ·keh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1058: To weep, to bemoan

for
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I said,
אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ (’ā·mar·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘Who
מִ֣י (mî)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

knows?
יוֹדֵ֔עַ (yō·w·ḏê·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

The LORD
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

may be gracious
וְחַנַּ֥נִי (wə·ḥan·na·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 2603: To bend, stoop in kindness to an inferior, to favor, bestow, to implore

to me
הַיָּֽלֶד׃ (hay·yā·leḏ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3206: Something born, a lad, offspring

and let him live.’
וְחַ֥י (wə·ḥay)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life


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OT History: 2 Samuel 12:22 He said While the child was yet (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 12:21
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