Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.

2 SAMUEL 12:20KJV
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2 Samuel 12:20 (KJV)

What does 2 Samuel 12:20 mean?

2 Samuel 12:20 describes how David, after a period of mourning, gets up from the ground, washes and anoints himself, changes his clothes, goes to worship in the house of the LORD, and then returns home to eat. This verse shows David’s shift from mourning to resuming normal life and worship after the death of his child.

In this part of the story, David is responding to the death of his infant son, which followed the prophet Nathan’s confrontation over David’s sin with Bathsheba. The verse details David’s actions step by step: he physically cleans himself, changes his appearance, and intentionally goes to worship God before returning to his own house and eating again. This marks a clear turning point in David’s behavior and signals acceptance of what has happened.

The Hebrew behind 2 Samuel 12:20

  • "arose" (קוּם, qum): This word means to get up or stand up. It signals a decisive change from David’s previous posture of mourning on the ground.
  • "washed" (רָחַץ, rachats) and "anointed" (סָךְ, sach): These actions were common ways in ancient Israel to mark the end of mourning or to prepare for worship, showing David’s deliberate return to normal routines and spiritual life.
  • "worshipped" (שָׁחָה, shachah): This word means to bow down or pay homage, often used for acts of reverence before God. David’s worship here is a conscious act of submission and reverence after his loss.

Why 2 Samuel 12:20 matters

  • The verse clarifies that David’s mourning had a clear end point, marked by specific actions, rather than continuing indefinitely.
  • It highlights David’s priority to worship God even after personal tragedy, showing a pattern of faith and acceptance.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage by showing David’s response to God’s judgment and his willingness to move forward, which shapes the rest of his story.

Where else these words appear

“anointed” Hebrew H5480 · used in 8 verses

  • Deuteronomy 28:40 Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit.
  • 2 Samuel 14:2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
  • Ezekiel 16:9 Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.

“changed” Hebrew H2498 · used in 27 verses

  • Genesis 31:7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
  • Job 9:11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
  • Song of Solomon 2:11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

“apparel” Hebrew H8071 · used in 28 verses

  • Genesis 9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
  • Exodus 19:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
  • Joshua 7:6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

“washed” Hebrew H7364 · used in 71 verses

  • Genesis 18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
  • Leviticus 15:5 And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
  • Deuteronomy 23:11 But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again.