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2 Samuel 1

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David Hears of Saul’s Death 1–10

1
And it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; ​
2
it came to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance. ​
3
And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.
4
And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, The people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
5
And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?
6
And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul was leaning upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and the horsemen followed hard after him.
7
And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.
8
And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. ​
9
And he said unto me, Stand, I pray thee, beside me, and slay me; for anguish hath taken hold of me, because my life is yet whole in me.
10
So I stood beside him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord. ​

David Executes the Amalekite Messenger 11–16

11
Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: ​
12
and they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Jehovah, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. ​
13
And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.
14
And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy Jehovah’s anointed? ​
15
And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him, so that he died.
16
And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain Jehovah’s anointed. ​

David’s Lament Over Saul and Jonathan (The Song of the Bow) 17–27

17
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son
18
(and he bade them teach the children of Judah the song of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jashar): ​
19
Thy glory, O Israel, is slain upon thy high places! How are the mighty fallen!
20
Tell it not in Gath, Publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon; Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. ​
21
Ye mountains of Gilboa, Let there be no dew nor rain upon you, neither fields of offerings: For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. ​
22
From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan turned not back, And the sword of Saul returned not empty.
23
Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, And in their death they were not divided: They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions. ​
24
Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you in scarlet delicately, Who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
25
How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain upon thy high places.
26
I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: Very pleasant hast thou been unto me: Thy love to me was wonderful, Passing the love of women. ​
27
How are the mighty fallen, And the weapons of war perished!

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Samuel 1

Verse 1

two days in Ziklag — Ziklag was the town Achish gave David (1 Sam 27:6), and the Amalekites had 'smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire' (1 Sam 30:1). The slaughter of them is David's return from that pursuit; the news from Gilboa reaches him on the third day (v.2).

Verse 2

his clothes rent, and earth upon his head — These are the signs of one bringing bad news from a lost battle, as the Benjamite did at Shiloh: 'with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head' (1 Sam 4:12). 'Did obeisance' is shachah, to bow down, the Hebrew verb elsewhere rendered 'worship'.

Verse 8

I am an Amalekite — The LORD had said he would 'utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek' (Ex 17:14). Saul was sent to destroy them (1 Sam 15:3), spared Agag and 'all that was good' (15:9), and was rejected as king (15:23). In v.13 the man adds that he is 'the son of a stranger' (ger), a sojourner.

Verse 10

the crown… and the bracelet — This is the man's own account; 1 Sam 31:4 records that Saul 'took a sword, and fell upon it'. Nezer, 'crown', is the consecrated crown of the high priest (Ex 29:6) and of the king (2 Kings 11:12). 'Bracelet' (etsadah) occurs elsewhere only in Num 31:50.

Verse 11

took hold on his clothes, and rent them — The act of the messenger in v.2 is now David's, and 'all the men that were with him' do the same. The man whom Saul had hunted (1 Sam 24:11) mourns him, though the crown and bracelet had been brought 'unto my lord' (v.10).

Verse 12

mourned, and wept, and fasted until even — Three acts are named (saphad, bakah, tsum). The grief is for 'Saul, and for Jonathan his son', and also 'for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel'. David fasted 'till the sun be down' again for Abner (2 Sam 3:35); Jabesh-gilead fasted seven days for Saul (1 Sam 31:13).

Verse 14

the LORD'S anointed — Mashiach, the word behind 'Messiah'. David had refused to touch Saul on this ground: 'who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?' (1 Sam 26:9; 24:6). Saul held the title from the oil poured on his head (1 Sam 10:1); here the same words are turned on the Amalekite.

Verse 16

Thy blood be upon thy head — This is the formula of one who bears the guilt of his own death, as in 1 Kings 2:37, 'thy blood shall be upon thine own head'. The verdict rests on the man's own words: 'thy mouth hath testified against thee'. David later recalls him as one 'thinking to have brought good tidings' (2 Sam 4:10).

Verse 18

the use of the bow — 'The use of' is supplied by the KJV; the Hebrew says to teach Judah 'the bow', which some take as the name of the lament that follows (vv.19–27) and others as the weapon itself taught for war. The book of Jasher (yashar, upright) is named elsewhere only in Josh 10:13.

Verse 20

Tell it not in Gath — Gath and Askelon were Philistine cities, and Micah takes up the line: 'Declare ye it not at Gath' (Mic 1:10). The Philistines are 'the uncircumcised' (arel), as in 1 Sam 17:26, and their daughters would 'rejoice' (samach) at the news.

Verse 21

no dew, neither let there be rain — Withholding dew and rain is the sign of a land under judgment, as when Elijah said 'there shall not be dew nor rain these years' (1 Kings 17:1). The 'fields of offerings' (terumah) are the fields that yield what is lifted up to the LORD; Saul had been 'anointed with oil' (1 Sam 10:1).

Verse 23

lovely and pleasant in their lives — 'Lovely' is the verb 'to love' (ahab), so the sense is loved and pleasant. 'Not divided' (parad) is borne out in 1 Sam 31:6: Saul and his sons died 'that same day together'. The strength of eagles and lions is given to both.

Verse 26

passing the love of women — The word ahavah stands twice: 'thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women', with 'wonderful' from pala, to be marvellous. Its root is in 1 Sam 18:1, 'the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David', and in the covenant made 'because he loved him as his own soul' (1 Sam 18:3).