2 Samuel 1
2 Samuel 1 opens with a scene in which David hears from an Amalekite about the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. The messenger reports that Saul has died and claims that he played a role in the final moments when Saul was killed. The story shows David’s reaction to Saul’s death and how this event affects the fate of the kingdom of Israel.
1verseAfter the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag,
2verseon the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes torn and earth on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the earth and showed respect.
3verseDavid said to him, “Where do you come from?” He said to him, “I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.”
4verseDavid said to him, “How did it go? Please tell me.” He answered, “The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead. Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.”
5verseDavid said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”
6verseThe young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance on Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul was leaning on his spear; and behold, the chariots and the horsemen followed close behind him.
7verseWhen he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. I answered, ‘Here I am.’
8verseHe said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’
9verseHe said to me, ‘Please stand beside me, and kill me, for anguish has taken hold of me because my life lingers in me.’
10verseSo I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.”
11verseThen David took hold on his clothes and tore them; and all the men who were with him did likewise.
12verseThey mourned, wept, and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
13verseDavid said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?” He answered, “I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite.”
14verseDavid said to him, “Why were you not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?”
15verseDavid called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and cut him down!” He struck him so that he died.
16verseDavid said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have slain the LORD’s anointed.’”
17verseDavid lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son
18verse(and he commanded them to teach the children of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar):
19verse“Your glory, Israel, was slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!
20verseDon’t tell it in Gath. Don’t publish it in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
21verseYou mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain on you, and no fields of offerings; for there the shield of the mighty was defiled and cast away, the shield of Saul was not anointed with oil.
22verseFrom the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, Jonathan’s bow didn’t turn back. Saul’s sword didn’t return empty.
23verseSaul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives. In their death, they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles. They were stronger than lions.
24verseYou daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you delicately in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your clothing.
25verseHow the mighty have fallen in the middle of the battle! Jonathan was slain on your high places.
26verseI am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. You have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women.
27verseHow the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war have perished!”
David’s Mourning and His Righteous Attitude
Upon hearing of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, David is deeply sorrowful and mourns. He tears his clothes, fasts, and mourns for Saul and Jonathan and for the Israelite soldiers who have fallen. Both Saul and Jonathan were closely connected to David’s life, yet David genuinely grieves their deaths. David also makes clear his reverence for the “anointed one” by executing the Amalekite youth who killed Saul—showing that he will not seize the kingship by his own hand.
David’s Lament (Song of the Bow)
David commands that a lament (Song of the Bow) be sung to the entire nation of Israel for Saul and Jonathan. The song praises Saul and Jonathan for their bravery, the impact they had on Israel, and David’s deep friendship with Jonathan. While this lament clearly expresses human sorrow and feelings of mourning, it also invites reflection that, within God’s unfolding work, an era has come to an end.
Reflection Points
- Genuine Mourning - Leaving behind their relationship and the past with Saul and Jonathan, David truly mourns in the face of their deaths.
- An Attitude Toward God’s Anointing - David shows that he honors the one who has been anointed by God to the very end.
- Turning Sorrow into Song - David expresses his personal feelings honestly and transforms sorrow into a shared experience within the community.
Apply It to Me
- When facing difficult partings and loss, I can reflect on the need for a time to truly grieve and mourn.
- In the relationships and responsibilities entrusted to me, I can learn from David’s example of respecting the other person to the end and expressing my feelings honestly.
- By sharing my sorrow and the wounds of the past with the community through the precious stories of my life, I can think about the wisdom needed to comfort the pain of myself and others.
