For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, х idia (G2398) genea (G1074) hupeereteesas (G5256) tee (G3588) tou (G3588) Theou (G2316) boulee (G1012)] - rather, 'served for his own generation the counsel' or 'purpose of God' (so the Vulgate, Luther, Beza, Grotius, Bengel, Olshausen, DeWette, Meyer, Bloomfield, Alford, Webster and Wilkinson, Lechler). The rendering of our King James Version, however, has good support (as Erasmus, Calvin, Hackett). The meaning (as we understand it) is, that this "man after God's own heart" yielded himself an instrument for the accomplishment of God's high, designs, contributing 'for his own generation' that portion of the preparations for the kingdom of His Son which was assigned him, which, when he had completed, he
Fell on sleep ([ ekoimeethee (G2837 )] simply, 'fell asleep,') and was laid unto his fathers - rather, 'was added unto his fathers' х prosetethee (G4369) pros (G4314) = ne'ecpuw (H622) 'el (H413) 'ªbowtaayw (H1), Judges 2:10; see also Genesis 25:8; Genesis 25:17]. It is not without reason that Bengel, Olshausen, and others, see in this expression a dim recognition by the saints of the Old Testament, even from the earliest times, of the distinct existence of the soul after death.
And saw corruption. David, therefore-argues this apostle, as Peter had done before (Acts 2:24-36) - could not have been the proper subject of these sayings of his, which had their proper fulfillment in that Son of his, of whom alone it could not be said with truth that He "fell on sleep, and was gathered to his fathers, and saw corruption." Accordingly he adds,