2 Samuel 12:22 (YLT)

Passage

And he saith, `While the lad is alive I have fasted, and weep, for I said, Who knoweth? --Jehovah doth pity me, and the lad hath lived;

Nearby Context

2 Samuel 12:20 And David riseth from the earth, and doth bathe and anoint <FI>himself<Fi> , and changeth his raiment, and cometh in to the house of Jehovah, and boweth himself, and cometh unto his house, and asketh and they place for him bread, and he eateth.

2 Samuel 12:21 And his servants say unto him, `What <FI>is<Fi> this thing thou hast done? because of the living lad thou hast fasted and dost weep, and when the lad is dead thou hast risen and dost eat bread.'

2 Samuel 12:22 And he saith, `While the lad is alive I have fasted, and weep, for I said, Who knoweth? --Jehovah doth pity me, and the lad hath lived;

2 Samuel 12:23 and now, he hath died, why <FI>is<Fi> this--I fast? am I able to bring him back again? I am going unto him, and he doth not turn back unto me.'

2 Samuel 12:24 And David comforteth Bath-Sheba his wife, and goeth in unto her, and lieth with her, and she beareth a son, and he calleth his name Solomon; and Jehovah hath loved him,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "saith", "alive", "fasted", "weep", "said", "knoweth", "jehovah", and "doth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "saith" and "alive", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "And his servants say unto him What..." into verse 23's "and now he hath died why FI...", so "saith" and "alive" 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 "saith" and "alive" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.