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.
וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ עֲבָדָיו֙ אֵלָ֔יו מָֽה־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֑יתָה בַּעֲב֞וּר הַיֶּ֤לֶד חַי֙ צַ֣מְתָּ וַתֵּ֔בְךְּ וְכַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ מֵ֣ת הַיֶּ֔לֶד קַ֖מְתָּ וַתֹּ֥אכַל לָֽחֶם׃
2 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Those at home were astonished, and those nearby were filled with wonder at this remarkable and abrupt transformation. They finally mustered the courage to inquire what it signifies that he experienced such sorrow during his son's life, yet at the time of his passing, he felt no grief.
When Nathan the prophet confronted David, the king of Judah, regarding his sins and proclaimed God's decree concerning the death of his child conceived in sin, David fervently prayed and fasted, weeping and lying prostrate before the Lord, pleading for the life of his newborn son. Yet upon learning of the child's passing, David composed himself; he changed from mourning attire to celebratory garments, then went to the house of the Lord to worship (2 Sam. 12:14-23). Similarly, Christ, the God-Man, as He prayed for the third time in Gethsemane regarding the cup of suffering He was to bear, fully yielded to the will of His Heavenly Father and calmly addressed His weary disciples, saying, “Arise, let us go: behold, He who betrays Me has come near” (Matthew 26:44-46).
Often, it is through unanswered prayers that we find peace in mind and spirit, leading us to understand God's will—not in the granting of our requests but in the complete surrender of ourselves to His divine purpose regarding those requests. Eli, the priest of Judah, upon receiving from Samuel the news of impending judgment on his household, humbly responded, “He is the Lord; let Him do what is good in His sight” (1 Samuel 3:18). This indicated his acknowledgment that while he might not agree with the message of judgment, he accepted it as the will of God. He recognized that he and his sons deserved their punishment in accordance with God's righteous decree, reaffirming that the Lord is sovereign and they are mere servants, unworthy of contesting His justice. When the apostle Paul journeyed to Jerusalem via Caesarea, the local Christians, aware of prophetic warnings concerning the troubles awaiting him, attempted to dissuade him, but Paul declared through tears, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Unable to change his mind, they found comfort in saying, “Let the Lord’s will be done” (Acts 21:13-14). This remains the only true solace for the soul when our prayers and requests go unfulfilled; we must always pray, “Let the Lord’s will be done.”
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS