2 Samuel 12:19

12:19 When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he ¹  realized that the child was dead. So David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” They replied, “Yes, he’s dead.”

2 Samuel 12:21-22

12:21 His servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? While ²  the child was still alive, you fasted and wept. Once the child was dead you got up and ate food!” 12:22 He replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ³  ‘Perhaps ⁴  the Lord will show pity and the child will live.

[12:19]  ¹ tn Heb “David.” The name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

[12:21]  ² tc For the MT בַּעֲבוּר (ba’avur, “for the sake of”) we should probably read בְּעוֹד (bÿ’od, “while”). See the Lucianic Greek recension, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum.

[12:22]  ³ tn Heb “said.”

[12:22]  ⁴ tn Heb “Who knows?”