Bible Study on 2 Samuel 1

Bible Study on 2 Samuel 1
as shared by Rev. Don Schink

David Hears of Saul's Death

1 After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days. 2 On the third day a man arrived from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and with dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.
3 "Where have you come from?" David asked him.
He answered, "I have escaped from the Israelite camp."
4 "What happened?" David asked. "Tell me."
He said, "The men fled from the battle. Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."
5 Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"
6 "I happened to be on Mount Gilboa," the young man said, "and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and riders almost upon him. 7 When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, 'What can I do?'
8 "He asked me, 'Who are you?'
" 'An Amalekite,' I answered.
9 "Then he said to me, 'Stand over me and kill me! I am in the throes of death, but I'm still alive.' 10 "So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord."
11 Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
13 David said to the young man who brought him the report, "Where are you from?"
"I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite," he answered.
14 David asked him, "Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?"
15 Then David called one of his men and said, "Go, strike him down!" So he struck him down, and he died. 16 For David had said to him, "Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, 'I killed the LORD's anointed.' "
David's Lament for Saul and Jonathan
17 David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and ordered that the men of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):
19 "Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights.
How the mighty have fallen!
20 "Tell it not in Gath,
proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.
21 "O mountains of Gilboa,
may you have neither dew nor rain,
nor fields that yield offerings of grain .
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
the shield of Saul-no longer rubbed with oil.
22 From the blood of the slain,
from the flesh of the mighty,
the bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.
23 "Saul and Jonathan-
in life they were loved and gracious,
and in death they were not parted.
They were swifter than eagles,
they were stronger than lions.
24 "O daughters of Israel,
weep for Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and finery,
who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.
25 "How the mighty have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
26 I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,
more wonderful than that of women.
27 "How the mighty have fallen!
The weapons of war have perished!"

1 and 2 Samuel was originally one book. So the record of events continues from 1 Samuel to 2 Samuel without missing a beat. The history as we see here runs parallel to 1 Chronicles, chapters 10-29. The first four chapters of 2 Samuel deal with the seven and one-half years of David's reign as King of Judah in the city of Hebron. The parallel as seen in 1 Chronicles does not include this current period of time but goes directly to David's reign over all Israel.

You'll recall from previous studies that, in spite of King Saul's more than questionable lifestyle, David had a deep respect for God's anointed. The people had demanded a king and Saul was the guy. The issue involving respect was never tied in to performance. It was simply that God had ordained the office and what God has anointed, man [or woman, also] had better not mess with. So, with this in mind, we can see the reasoning behind David's response to the young Amalekite in today's Scripture.

In these first verses of chapter one we see the connection of the death of Saul in the battle at Gilboa established with the defeat of the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 30. These events occurred simultaneously. Gilboa was about 60 miles north of Jerusalem. Ziglag was about 50 miles southwest of Jerusalem.

It was on the third day [2] that a young Amalekite brought news of the disaster to David. This man had apparently been with Saul and the Israelites at the time. He showed up with all of the traditional signs of one in mourning. His clothes were ripped. There was dirt upon his head. When he reached David, he showed him respect by bowing to the ground, being aware that David was to be Saul's successor as king.

The young man's description of the events that happened differ from that as described in 1 Samuel 31:4-6. Get five people relating the story then we get five different eye-witness viewpoints. In discussing the discrepancies, commentators have various takes on this situation. Some attempt to explain these two different accounts, saying that this man came upon Saul after he had attempted to commit suicide but failed. Others simply state that this man may have been seeking notoriety and so he simply lied as to his involvement. It is viewed here that the man would have known that Saul dealt with animosity toward David and assumed wrongly that David would give him a hefty reward for his actions.

In response to David's interrogation, the man reported the conquering of the army and the death of a large number of people as a result, leading up to the death of Saul and Jonathan [3-4]. When David asked pointedly as to how the runner knew of the death of Saul and Jonathan, he told how he had come upon Saul who was severely wounded, leaning over on to his spear, with the enemy closing in upon him. He said that Saul had asked him who he was and as to how he told Saul that he was an Amalekite. So then he said that Saul cried out in great anguish, still alive, wanting to die [8-9].

He felt certain that Saul would not survive his wounds so he testified that he dealt the final strike that killed him. Then he took the crown and bracelet from Saul's body to bring to David [10]. He seems to have taken these items from Saul's body prior to the Philistines discovering it, making his escape. As they heard the man's account, David and his entire company mourned deeply, tearing their clothing, weeping and fasting until evening. They were sincerely grieved over such a massive disaster that had overtaken their people [11-12].

In response to David's inquiry as to the man's origin, he said, "I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite [13]," He was an Amalekite who had settled in Israel among the people, even though not a convert to Israel's religion. His father was probably what we would refer to as a resident alien. So he would have known clearly the importance of the awe and respect for Lord's anointed [14]. He should have been as fearful as Saul's armor-bearer was to think of laying a hand on Saul, as such. David responded without hesitation. The man had brought down the final blow that ended Saul's life. As such, David ordered his swift accusation, treating him as the confessed murderer that he proclaimed by his own words to be.

The author goes on to preserve the beautiful eulogy as composed by David, found in the book of Jasher [18]. This seems to have been a compilation of poems commemorating outstanding events in Israel's history [Joshua 10:12-13]. Jasher means "the upright, or righteous." This is one of several books as mentioned in the Old Testament that we no longer have access to. They've been long gone with the passing of time, with the exception of brief quotations that have been preserved in various writings.

The writing [17-27] is a beautiful composition of lyric poetry. It described "how the mighty have fallen! [19, 25, 27]; the beauty (splendor or beauty of Israel [19]; along with the territory where the battle was lost [21]. We read of the military exploits of Saul and Jonathan [22-23]. The daughters of Israel are called upon to weep in mourning over Saul, who had favored royally them.

David's eulogy closes with a special tribute to his friendship with Jonathan; "26 I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women." The poem shows a genuinely humble, unselfish heart, truly as a tribute to the character of David. He probably would have been expected to speak out in celebration in the loss of his enemy. No one would have blamed him. But his true godly character, as a man after God's own heart, is shown in his response, which was so different than might have been expected. So we see that instead of responding, as many would expect, David expressed his thoughts of the admirable qualities of Saul and his genuine feelings of warm friendship for Jonathan.

Commentators emphasize David's excellent spirit, as shown in verses 19 to 27, revealing his genuine spirit of greatness. The Word reveals David, as having been generous to his enemy, Saul, in choosing not to speak of Saul's many faults. Rather David chose to speak on his good qualities [17,18,21,24]. David testified to his gratitude to Jonathan, as such a true friend [22,26]. His deep concern for the public's welfare [19, 25, 27] and his deep concern for the honor of God [20] also stand out.

We can't help but wonder how we would have responded if we'd been confronted with such a situation as David had. As seen in other previous accounts, David chooses the high road. That's what we need to do. Do we choose to lose, in negative response and actions, or do we grin and win, so to speak, by choosing that which is most positive and honorable. We all know that there is good and bad in most situations, good and bad in every individual, with the exception of our risen Savior and Lord, Himself. So our inner and outer responses to situations and persons should be as uplifting, as positive, and as redemptive as is possible.

Questions For Thought and Action:

How do we view the runner's motives?
If he did indeed do as he testified, was he justified in his actions in finishing off Saul?
What are both the negative and the positive aspects of this situations?
Was David's response justified?
What do we glean for ourselves from the positive aspect of David's eulogy?
How can we impact our own circles of influence in a more positive light?

As I pray today:

What does the Word say?
How does the truths in today's Scripture speak to me?
How do I intend to apply what the Lord has revealed to me today?

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Since Update on December 13, 2004