The elders of his household stood beside him to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them.
Nathan, having delivered his message, staid not at court, but went home, probably to pray for David, to whom he had been preaching. God, in making use of him as an instrument to bring David to repentance, and as the herald both of mercy and judgment, put an honour upon the ministry, and magnified his word above all his name.
Commenting on 2 Samuel 12:15-25
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...
And the elders of his house arose, [and went] to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. (k) Thinking by his constant prayer that God would have restored his child, but God had determined otherwise.