David’s servants are confused by his sudden change. While the child was alive, he fasted and mourned; now that the child is gone, he eats. The Hebrew word for "fasted" is tzamta, meaning to abstain from food. The servants’ question highlights how hard it is to understand someone else’s grief process. In many cultures, there are rules about how to mourn, but David’s actions don’t fit those expectations.

This verse challenges the idea that there’s a "right" way to respond to loss. If you’ve ever felt judged for how you handled grief—or puzzled by someone else’s reaction—you’re not alone. Everyone processes pain differently, and sometimes what looks strange from the outside makes perfect sense to the person living it. Compassion means allowing space for those differences, even when we don’t fully understand.