Useful Bible Studies > 2 Samuel Commentary > chapter 12
David wept bitterly after the death of his son Amnon (13:36). The death of his son Absalom seemed to upset David even more that that (18:33). Those sons were evil men, who wasted their lives in wicked behaviour. They never turned back to God. Therefore, their deaths could bring no hope or comfort to David.
However, the first of David’s sons who died, was born from his wrong relationship with Uriah’s wife. That son died as a baby, before he could learn the difference between right and wrong behaviour. Unlike Amnon and Absalom, that child did not die because of his own evil deeds. He died because of the evil deeds of David, his father (12:13-14).
For that reason, David prayed much when the child became ill. God had forgiven David, so David prayed that God, in his great kindness, would allow the child to live. David’s prayers were very desperate but they were not without hope. In the end, when the child died, God gave David the strength to place his hope in God himself. David would meet his son again in heaven, a much better place. The knowledge of that fact comforted David.
David’s words in 2 Samuel 12:23 could simply mean that, in the end, his body would join his son’s body in the grave. However, David was aware of life after death (Psalm 16:9-11). God is in heaven (Psalm 14:2) and David strongly desired to be with God always. A person’s body dies, but then the person’s spirit goes to God, who is the judge of all people (Ecclesiastes 12:7 and 12:14; Job 19:23-27).
Next part: The birth of Solomon (2 Samuel 12:24-25)
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© 2023, Keith Simons.