2 Samuel 12:20 (DRB)

Passage

Then David arose from the ground, and washed and anointed himself: and when he had changed his apparel, he went into the house of the Lord: and worshipped, and then he came into his own house, and he called for bread, and ate.

Nearby Context

2 Samuel 12:18 And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died: and the servants of David feared to tell him, that the child was dead. For they said: Behold when the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he would not hearken to our voice: how much more will he afflict himself if we tell him that the child is dead?

2 Samuel 12:19 But when David saw his servants whispering, he understood that the child was dead: and he said to his servants: Is the child dead? They answered him He is dead.

2 Samuel 12:20 Then David arose from the ground, and washed and anointed himself: and when he had changed his apparel, he went into the house of the Lord: and worshipped, and then he came into his own house, and he called for bread, and ate.

2 Samuel 12:21 And his servants said to him: What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive, but when the child was dead, thou didst rise up, and eat bread.

2 Samuel 12:22 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?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "david", "arose", "ground", "washed", "anointed", "himself", and "changed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "david", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "But when David saw his servants whispering..." into verse 21's "And his servants said to him What...", so "called" and "david" 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 "called" and "david" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.