2 Samuel 12:16
ESV
David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.
NIV
David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground.
NASB
David therefore pleaded with God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground.
CSB
David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted, went home, and spent the night lying on the ground.
NLT
David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground.
KJV
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
NKJV
David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.
What does 2 Samuel 12:16 mean?
The Lord has revealed that David's child with Bathsheba will die as a direct punishment for scorning the Lord through adultery and murder (2 Samuel 12:14). David has admitted that he has sinned (2 Samuel 12:13), but he is not yet ready to accept the death of this child he loves as God's final word.Instead, David begins a campaign of earnest prayer and fasting that the Lord will change His mind. Israelites abstained from food on a schedule for purification and in connection with specific requests of God. David also lies on the ground, most likely face-down in a position of complete humility and submission.
David's instincts show how well he loves and trusts God. God loves to grant mercy to anyone who repents. That's one of the messages of the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23–35). God could have allowed the boy to live without denying His character. There may be another reason God has the boy die. Because he was conceived in adultery, it would be problematic if he were in line to become king.
When David experiences the other consequences, he won't ask for mercy. Evil comes from his own family, and someone has sex with his wives in public (2 Samuel 12:10–12). His son Absalom will drive him out of Jerusalem. David will leave ten concubines to care for the palace, and Absalom will have sex with them in a tent on the rooftop (2 Samuel 16:22). David will respond with great humility. He knows why it's happening, and he doesn't fight it. He just hopes that he will find favor with his Lord again (2 Samuel 16:9–12).
