2 Samuel 1

David Hears of Saul's Death

1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned a from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, b a man came from Saul's camp, c with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, d 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, e "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, f "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 g '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. h 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 i tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept j 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 k afraid to put out your hand to destroy l the Lord's anointed?" 15 Then m 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, n "Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed o the Lord's anointed.'"

David's Lament for Saul and Jonathan

17 And David p lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it 1 should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in q the Book of Jashar. 2 He said:

19 "Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places!
r How the mighty have fallen!
 20 s Tell it not in Gath,
t publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
u lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
lest the daughters of v the uncircumcised exult.

21 w "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 x anointed with oil.

22 "From the blood of the slain,
from the fat of the mighty,
y 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 z swifter than eagles;
they were a stronger than lions.

24 "You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,
b who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

25 c "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;
d your love to me was extraordinary,
surpassing the love of women.

27 c "How the mighty have fallen,
and the weapons of war perished!"

  1. Cross References
    1 Samuel 30:17 - 20
    And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled.
  2. Cross References
    2 Samuel 4:10
    When one told me, 'Behold, Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news.
  3. Cross References
    Joshua 7:6
    Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads.
  4. Cross References
    2 Samuel 14:4
    When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said, "Save me, O king.
  5. Cross References
    1 Samuel 4:16
    And the man said to Eli, "I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today." And he said, "How did it go, my son?
  6. Cross References
    2 Samuel 1:6 - 10
    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.
    1 Samuel 31:1 - 4
    Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
    1 Chronicles 10:1 - 6
    Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
  7. Cross References
    Judges 9:54
    Then he called quickly to the young man his armor-bearer and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, 'A woman killed him.'" And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
  8. Cross References
    2 Kings 11:12
    Then he brought out the king's son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony. And they proclaimed him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, "Long live the king!
  9. Cross References
    2 Samuel 13:31
    Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth. And all his servants who were standing by tore their garments.
    2 Samuel 3:31
    Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner." And King David followed the bier.
    Joshua 7:6
    Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads.
  10. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:35
    Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, "God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!
  11. Cross References
    1 Samuel 24:6
    He said to his men, "The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord 's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord 's anointed.
    1 Samuel 24:10
    Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, 'I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord 's anointed.
    1 Samuel 26:9
    But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord 's anointed and be guiltless?
    1 Samuel 31:4
    Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me." But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.
  12. Cross References
    1 Samuel 12:3
    Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.
  13. Cross References
    2 Samuel 4:10
    When one told me, 'Behold, Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news.
  14. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:29
    May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!
    Joshua 2:19
    Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head.
    1 Kings 2:32
    The Lord will bring back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.
    1 Kings 2:37
    For on the day you go out and cross the brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall die. Your blood shall be on your own head.
    Matthew 27:25
    And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!
  15. Cross References
    1 Samuel 12:3
    Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.
  16. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:33
    And the king lamented for Abner, saying, "Should Abner die as a fool dies?
    2 Chronicles 35:25
    Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah; and all the singing men and singing women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made these a rule in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments.
  17. Cross References
    Joshua 10:13
    And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.
  18. Cross References
    2 Samuel 1:25
    How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! "Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
    2 Samuel 1:27
    "How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!"
  19. Cross References
    Micah 1:10
    Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all; in Beth-le-aphrah roll yourselves in the dust.
  20. Cross References
    1 Samuel 31:9
    So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people.
    Amos 3:9
    Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt, and say, "Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great tumults within her, and the oppressed in her midst.
  21. Cross References
    Exodus 15:20
    Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing.
    Judges 11:34
    Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
  22. Cross References
    Judges 14:3
    But his father and mother said to him, "Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.
  23. Cross References
    1 Samuel 31:1
    Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
  24. Cross References
    1 Samuel 10:1
    Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, "Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be prince over his heritage.
  25. Cross References
    1 Samuel 18:4
    And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.
  26. Cross References
    Jeremiah 4:13
    Behold, he comes up like clouds; his chariots like the whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles - woe to us, for we are ruined!
    Habakkuk 1:8
    Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour.
  27. Cross References
    Judges 14:18
    And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" And he said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.
  28. Cross References
    Ezekiel 16:11
    And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck.
  29. Cross References
    2 Samuel 1:19
    Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!
  30. Cross References
    1 Samuel 18:1
    As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
    1 Samuel 18:3
    Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.
  31. Cross References
    2 Samuel 1:25
    How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! "Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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