And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died,.... Not the seventh day from its being taken ill, but from its birth; for it cannot be thought that David should fast seven days:
and the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; lest he should be overwhelmed with too much sorrow:
for they said, behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him; to rise from the ground, and eat food:
and he would not hearken unto our voice; we could not prevail upon him to do the one nor the other:
how will he then vex himself if we tell him that the child is dead? or should we acquaint him with it, "he will do mischief" w to himself, to his body; he will tear his flesh to pieces, and cut and kill himself; this they were afraid of, observing the distress and agony he was in while it was living, and therefore they concluded these would increase upon hearing of its death.
w ועשה רעה και ποιησει κακα, Sept. "faciat malum", Pagninus, Montanus; "malum [sibi] inferet", Syr. Ar.