2 Samuel 12:15 (DBY)

Passage

And Nathan departed to his house. And Jehovah smote the child that Urijah's wife bore to David, and it became very sick.

Nearby Context

2 Samuel 12:13 And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against Jehovah. And Nathan said to David, Jehovah has also 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, even the child that is born to thee shall certainly die.

2 Samuel 12:15 And Nathan departed to his house. And Jehovah smote the child that Urijah's wife bore to David, and it became very sick.

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

2 Samuel 12:17 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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "nathan", "departed", "house", "jehovah", "smote", "child", "urijah's", 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 "And David 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.