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) , Sept. "faciat malum", Pagninus, Montanus; "malum sibi inferet", Syr. Ar.