David's Lament for Saul and Jonathan

2 Samuel 1

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
    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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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!"
  4. Cross References
    Micah 1:10
    Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all; in Beth-le-aphrah roll yourselves in the dust.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. Cross References
    Ezekiel 16:11
    And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck.
  14. Cross References
    2 Samuel 1:19
    Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!
  15. 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.
  16. 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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