2 Samuel 12:15 (ASV)

Passage

And Nathan departed unto his house. And Jehovah struck the child that Uriah`s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

Nearby Context

2 Samuel 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against Jehovah. And Nathan said unto David, Jehovah also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

2 Samuel 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of Jehovah to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

2 Samuel 12:15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And Jehovah struck the child that Uriah`s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

2 Samuel 12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

2 Samuel 12:17 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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "nathan", "departed", "house", "jehovah", "struck", "child", "uriah", and "wife". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "nathan" and "departed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "Howbeit because by this deed thou hast..." into verse 16's "David therefore besought God for the child...", so "nathan" and "departed" belong inside that flow. In 2 Samuel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "nathan" and "departed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.