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.
וַיָּקָם֩ דָּוִ֨ד מֵהָאָ֜רֶץ וַיִּרְחַ֣ץ וַיָּ֗סֶךְ וַיְחַלֵּף֙ שמלתו שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו וַיָּבֹ֥א בֵית־יְהוָ֖ה וַיִּשְׁתָּ֑חוּ וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל־בֵּית֔וֹ וַיִּשְׁאַ֕ל וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ ל֛וֹ לֶ֖חֶם וַיֹּאכַֽל׃
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
King David promptly sets aside his robe, rises with joy as if he had just learned of his son’s well-being. He approaches the basin to cleanse himself, then heads to the temple where he prays to God. Afterward, he shares a meal with those around him, stifling his grief and casting aside all sorrow, wearing a countenance of gladness.
David rightly mourned for his son Absalom (2 Samuel 18:33), yet he did not plead for the life of his other newborn son, nor did he weep for him, as he understood that the child was innocent.
Upon the child's passing, David willingly surrendered to God's will. This surrender was as genuine as the profound repentance he felt for his transgression. The anguish of his heart was conveyed in a passionate penitential psalm, which has since become the heartfelt prayer of all who seek forgiveness (Psalm 50:1).
David, the king of Judah, when confronted by the prophet Nathan for his wrongdoing and informed of God's decree regarding the death of his child conceived in sin, fervently prayed and fasted, weeping and lying prostrate before God, pleading for the life of his newborn son. However, upon learning of his son's passing, he immediately found peace: he replaced his mourning attire with festive garments, went to the house of the Lord, and offered worship (2 Sam. 12:14-23). Similarly, Christ the God-Man, after praying thrice in the Garden of Gethsemane to be spared the bitter cup of mortality, fully surrendered to the divine will of His Father, calmly addressed His drowsy disciples, saying, “Arise, let us go: behold, He who betrays Me has come near” (Matthew 26:44-46).
Thus, it is often the case that unanswered prayers can bring a profound tranquility to our minds and hearts, allowing us to understand that the will of God is not necessarily found in the granting of our requests but in the complete submission of ourselves to God’s purpose concerning what we desire. Eli, the priest, upon receiving the news from Samuel about the judgment God had declared upon his family, humbly responded, “He is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him” (1 Samuel 3:18). This conveyed his acceptance of God's will, acknowledging that while he may not agree with the pronouncement, he willingly embraced it, understanding that both he and his sons were accountable for their actions, deserving of the divine judgment they received. Paul, on his journey to Jerusalem through Caesarea, faced pleas from the local believers—aware of prophecies regarding the hardships awaiting him—who tried to dissuade him from continuing. In response to their tearful entreaty, Paul exclaimed, “Why do you do this? Why do you weep and break my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When they could not sway him, they found solace, saying, “The Lord's will be done” (Acts 21:13-14). This realization is the only true comfort for the soul in times when our prayers seem unanswered; we must simply pray for the fulfillment of the Lord's will.
King David, both a ruler and prophet, consistently demonstrated an incredible devotion to the house of the Lord through his actions and words. Upon making Jerusalem the capital of his new kingdom, he replaced the worn tabernacle of Moses with a new one and triumphantly brought the covenant of God into it. His heartfelt wish was to construct a more magnificent and enduring temple for God than the tabernacle of the covenant. However, due to a divine command, he was prevented from pursuing this endeavor, which was ultimately entrusted to his son Solomon. When the prophet Nathan conveyed God’s intention regarding the temple to David, alongside the promise of a great blessing for his lineage, David's immediate reaction was to go to the house of the Lord and offer a prayer of thanksgiving.
In stark contrast, during times of fasting and sorrow as he repented for his sins and grieved for his ailing son, upon learning of the boy's death, he promptly ‘changed his garments, and entered into the house of God’ (2 Sam. 12:20), to submit to God's will with a prayerful sacrifice that was no longer tinged with sorrow.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS