2 Samuel 1

2 Samuel 1 (Listen)

David Hears of Saul’s Death

1:1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. 3 David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 And David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 And the young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and 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. 13 And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?” 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. 16 And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’s anointed.’”

David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan

17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it¹ should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar.² He said:

19   “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places!
    How the mighty have 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 exult.
21   “You mountains of Gilboa,
    let there be no dew or rain upon you,
    nor fields of offerings!³
  For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
    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, beloved and lovely!
    In life and in death they were not divided;
  they were swifter than eagles;
    they were stronger than lions.
24   “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
    who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,
    who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
25   “How the mighty have fallen
    in the midst of the battle!
  “Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
26     I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
  very pleasant have you been to me;
    your love to me was extraordinary,
    surpassing the love of women.
27   “How the mighty have fallen,
    and the weapons of war perished!”

(ESV)

2 Samuel 1 Commentary

In 2 Samuel 1, David returned to Ziklag after defeating the Amalekites and stayed there two days (2 Samuel 1:1). On the third day, a man from Saul’s camp arrived with torn clothes and dust on his head (signs of mourning). He reported that Israel had fled, many had died, and Saul and Jonathan were dead (2 Samuel 1:2-4).

When questioned, the man (an Amalekite) claimed he found Saul mortally wounded on Mount Gilboa. At Saul’s request, he said he killed him and brought Saul’s crown and armband to David (2 Samuel 1:5-10).

David and his men tore their clothes, mourned, wept, and fasted (2 Samuel 1:11-12). David questioned the Amalekite again and, hearing he was a resident alien, condemned him for claiming to kill the Lord’s anointed. David ordered his execution (2 Samuel 1:13-16).

David then composed a lament for Saul and Jonathan, called The Song of the Bow, and ordered it to be taught in Judah. It was written in the Book of Jashar (2 Samuel 1:17-18).

David mourned the fall of Israel’s leaders (2 Samuel 1:19), urged silence in Philistine cities to avoid enemy celebration (2 Samuel 1:20), and cursed Mount Gilboa where Saul fell (2 Samuel 1:21). He praised Jonathan’s skill and Saul’s strength in battle (2 Samuel 1:22), honored their unity and valor (2 Samuel 1:23), and called on Israel’s daughters to weep for Saul’s generosity (2 Samuel 1:24).

David lamented Jonathan’s death and expressed deep grief for his friendship (2 Samuel 1:25-26). The lament ends with the repeated refrain: “How the mighty have fallen” (2 Samuel 1:27).

Saul’s Death

Here in 2 Samuel 1, we are introduced to additional details regarding the death of Saul (from 1 Samuel 31). Scholars have long debated whether these details (shared by the Amalekite) are factual or fabricated. There are three references to Saul’s death mentioned throughout Scripture.

Death Reference #1: “Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, ‘Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!’ But his armor-bearer would not do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it.” –1 Samuel 31:4 CSB

Death Reference #2: “He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ I told him: I’m an Amalekite. [9] Then he begged me, ‘Stand over me and kill me, for I’m mortally wounded, but my life still lingers.’ [10] So I stood over him and killed him because I knew that after he had fallen he couldn’t survive. I took the crown that was on his head and the armband that was on his arm, and I’ve brought them here to my lord.”” –2 Samuel 1:8-10 CSB

Death Reference #3: “When it was reported to David what Saul’s concubine Rizpah daughter of Aiah had done, [12] he went and got the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh-gilead. They had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies the day the Philistines killed Saul at Gilboa.” –2 Samuel 21:11-12 CSB

Some believe the Amalekite may have fabricated the story to gain favor with David. They believe that by claiming to have killed Saul out of mercy, the Amalekite was hoping for a reward from David. I believe the stories are not conflicting. All the accounts can be harmonized.

Saul, realizing he was defeated and not wanting to be captured/humiliated/tortured by the enemy, tried to take his own life by falling on his sword. But that didn’t immediately kill him. According to the Amalekite in 2 Samuel 1, Saul was still alive, leaning on his spear, when the Amalekite arrived and finished him off (2 Samuel 1:6).

If you remember, the reason why God removed his hand from Saul in the first place was because he refused to obey God’s command to eradicate the Amalekites. How ironic that now an Amalekite is the first to remove his royal crown and bracelet?

“The ironies of this event are not lost on the reader. Saul had lost his kingship because he had failed to kill an Amalekite king (cf. 1 Sam 15:9, 26); now an Amalekite that Saul had failed to eliminate would kill this Israelite king. Saul had been ordered to kill the Amalekites—now he ordered an Amalekite to kill him.”

The New American Commentary

David’s Lament

After receiving Saul’s crown and armlet, David is overcome by the reality of Saul and Jonathan’s deaths. His grief inspires one of the most powerful laments in Scripture, both personal and national in its expression. David’s lament, called “The Bow,” is both a tribute to Saul and Jonathan and a piece of national literature. He commanded it to be taught to Judah, preserving the memory of their deaths and reinforcing the dignity of kingship in Israel.

David curses Mount Gilboa, where Saul died, calling for it to be barren – a poetic reaction to the desecration that took place there. Before mentioning their deaths, David honors Saul and Jonathan’s skill and strength in battle, their loyalty, and the prosperity they helped bring to Israel. They were swift, strong, and respected in life and in death.

David’s sorrow reaches its most personal point with Jonathan’s death. He calls Jonathan his brother and says his love was more meaningful than that of women. This is not implying romance, but pointing to their deep bond of friendship, trust, and mutual support. In their culture, women functioned as partners in childbirth and parenting, and as we know, David had multiple wives. But wives were not necessarily considered best friends. In this way, Jonathan was a friend to David that no wife could have been.

The most surprising part of this chapter is the fact that David genuinely mourned Saul’s death. This was a man (in Saul) who had dedicated part of his life to seeing David dead. This was a man who gave David his word that he would not harm him, yet continued to hunt him. David’s response illustrates to us the clear conscience that he had upon Saul’s death. It indicates there was no remnant of hatred or bitterness in his heart for what Saul had done to him.