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2 Samuel
Chapter One
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 1
This
chapter contains an account of the death of Saul and Jonathan, as related to
David by an Amalekite, 2 Samuel 1:1; of
the sorrow he and his men were filled with at the news of it, 2 Samuel 1:11; of
his order to put to death the messenger that brought the tidings, for his
concern in the death of Saul, according to his own testimony, 2 Samuel 1:13; and
of a lamentation composed by David on this occasion, 2 Samuel 1:17.
2 Samuel 1:1 Now it came to
pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the
Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag,
YLT
1And it cometh to pass,
after the death of Saul, that David hath returned from smiting the Amalekite,
and David dwelleth in Ziklag two days,
Now it came to pass after
the death of Saul,.... The third day after, as appears from the next verse:
when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites; as related in
1 Samuel 30:17,
and David had abode two days in Ziklag; which, though
fired by the Amalekites, was not utterly consumed, but there was still some
convenience for the lodging of David and his men; within this time he sent his
presents to several places in the tribe of Judah, of which mention is made in
the chapter before quoted, and at the same time it was that so many mighty men
came to him from several tribes spoken of in 1 Chronicles 12:1.
2 Samuel 1:2 2 on
the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from Saul’s camp with his
clothes torn and dust on his head. So it was, when he came to David, that he
fell to the ground and prostrated himself.
YLT
2and it cometh to pass, on
the third day, that lo, a man hath come in out of the camp from Saul, and his
garments [are] rent, and earth on his head; and it cometh to pass, in his
coming in unto David, that he falleth to the earth, and doth obeisance.
It came to pass on the
third day,.... After the battle was fought, in which Saul was slain:
that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul; that is, from
them who were in the camp with Saul, for he was dead. Some sayF4Pesikta
in Jarchi in loc. this was Doeg the Edomite, which is not likely that he should
come with such tidings to David; besides, if he was Saul's armourbearer, as
others say, see 1 Samuel 31:4; he
died with Saul; nor his son, as othersF5Tanchuma in Yalkut in loc.
Hieron. Trad. Heb. in 2 lib. Reg. fol. 77. C. , which is not at all probable,
though his being an Edomite is no objection, since the Amalekites were of the
race of Edom:
with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: in token of
mourning, and was the bringer of bad tidings, see 1 Samuel 4:12,
and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the
earth, and did obeisance; as being the rising sun, Saul's successor, and now king.
2 Samuel 1:3 3 And David said to him,
“Where have you come from?” So he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of
Israel.”
YLT
3And David saith to him,
`Whence comest thou?' and he saith unto him, `Out of the camp of Israel I have
escaped.'
And David said unto him,
from whence comest thou?.... It is very likely by his appearance and circumstances he
suspected from whence he came:
and he said unto him, out of the camp of Israel am I escaped; which plainly
suggested that that was in danger, confusion, and distress.
2 Samuel 1:4 4 Then David said to him,
“How did the matter go? Please tell me.” And he answered, “The people have fled
from the battle, many of the people are fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan
his son are dead also.”
YLT
4And David saith unto him,
`What hath been the matter? declare, I pray thee, to me.' And he saith, that
`The people hath fled from the battle, and also a multitude hath fallen of the
people, and they die; and also Saul and Jonathan his son have died.'
And David said unto him,
how went the matter? I pray thee, tell me,.... That is, how went
the battle? on which side the victory?
and he answered, that the people are fled from the battle; meaning the
people of Israel, they had given way, and turned their backs upon their enemies,
and were fled:
and many of the people also are fallen and dead; fell by the
sword in the pursuit of them, and were not only wounded, but were slain, and
these great numbers of them:
and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also; which are
mentioned last, because they fell some of the last; and this part of the
account is reserved by the messenger to the last, because it was the article of
the greatest importance; the death of these two persons, the one the enemy, and
the other the friend of David, and the death of both made way for his accession
to the throne.
2 Samuel 1:5 5 So David said to the young
man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”
YLT
5And David saith unto the
youth who is declaring [it] to him, `How hast thou known that Saul and Jonathan
his son [are] dead?'
And David said unto the
young man that told him,.... These tidings:
how knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead? this he
particularly inquired after, as what most affected him, and was most material
for him to know; and his meaning is, whether he had this of his own sight and
knowledge, or by report.
2 Samuel 1:6 6 Then the young man who
told him said, “As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, there was
Saul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard
after him.
YLT
6And the youth who is
declaring [it] to him saith, I happened to meet in mount Gilboa, and lo, Saul
is leaning on his spear; and lo, the chariots and those possessing horses have
followed him;
And the young man that
told him,.... So it seems he was, and therefore could not be Doeg, more
likely his son of the two; but there is no reason to believe he was either of
them, who cannot be thought to be well disposed to David:
said, as I happened by chance upon Mount Gilboa; who was
either a traveller that came that way just as the army was routed, and part had
fled to Gilboa; or if a soldier, was not one of those that attended Saul, and
was of his bodyguard, but happened on the flight to come to the same spot on
Gilboa where Saul was:
behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; that that might pierce
him through and die; but this seems not true, for he fell upon his sword for
that purpose, 1 Samuel 31:4,
and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him; the
charioteers and cavalry, of which part of the Philistine army consisted; though
this also does not agree with the account in the above place; for according to
that they were the archers that pressed him hard, and hit him.
2 Samuel 1:7 7 Now when he looked behind
him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’
YLT
7and he turneth behind him,
and seeth me, and calleth unto me, and I say, Here [am] I.
And when he looked behind
him,.... To see how near the enemy was, and who were pursuing him:
he saw me, and called unto me; by which it should
rather seem that he belonged to the Philistines than to the Israelites, and as
his being an Amalekite shows; for such an one would hardly be admitted among
the latter, though it is most likely he was with neither, but happened to come
that way just at that time:
and I answered, here am I; ready to hear what thou
hast to say, and do thy pleasure.
2 Samuel 1:8 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are
you?’ So I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’
YLT
8And he saith to me, Who
[art] thou? and I say unto him, An Amalekite I [am].'
And he said unto me, who art
thou?.... Being willing to know whether a friend or an enemy, which by
his coming behind him he could not tell:
and I answered him, I am an Amalekite: which he
might be; but it is not likely he should tell Saul he was, which would not
recommend him to him; though indeed he was now in such circumstances, that the
Amalekites had nothing to fear from him; and if he was slain by him, as
JosephusF6Antiqu. l. 6. c. 14. sect. 7. affirms he was, it seems to
be a just retaliation on him for sparing any of that race, contrary to the will
of God.
2 Samuel 1:9 9 He said to me again,
‘Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, but my life
still remains in me.’
YLT
9`And he saith unto me,
Stand, I pray thee, over me, and put me to death, for seized me hath the arrow,
for all my soul [is] still in me.
And he said unto me again,
stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me,.... Which it can hardly
be thought Saul would say; since he might as well have died by the hands of the
uncircumcised Philistines, which he endeavoured to avoid, as by the hands of an
Amalekite:
for anguish is come upon me; or trembling, as the
Targum, not through fear of death, but through fear of falling into the hands
of the Philistines, and of being ill used by them. Some render the words,
"my embroidered coat", or "breastplate", or "coat of
mail", holds meF7היבץ "tunica
scutulata", Braunius; "ocellata chlamys", Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator; "thorax villosus seu pelliceus", Texelii
Phoenix, p. 210. , or hinders me from being pierced through with the sword or
spear; so Ben GersomF8Vid. Braunium de Vest. Sacredot. Heb. l. 1. c.
17. sect. 9. :
because my life is yet whole in me: for though he
had been wounded by the archers, yet he did not apprehend he had received any
mortal wound, but his life was whole in him; and therefore feared he should
fall into their hands alive, and be ill treated by them.
2 Samuel 1:10 10 So I stood over 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 bracelet that was
on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.”
YLT
10And I stand over him, and
put him to death, for I knew that he doth not live after his falling, and I
take the crown which [is] on his head, and the bracelet which [is] on his arm,
and bring them in unto my lord hither.'
So I stood upon him, and
slew him,.... Pressed with all his weight upon his body, that so the spear
might pierce through him, and slay him; thus he represents his death to be
brought about:
because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen; this is not
consistent with what he had said before, both that he was leaning on his spear,
and not fallen to the ground, and that his life was whole in him:
and I took the crown that was upon his head; which made
him conspicuous, and therefore the Philistines aimed at him, and pressed hard
after him, 2 Samuel 1:6;
though some think that this was not on his head, but carried into the field of
battle, ready to be put on if victory was on his side; and others say it was in
the possession and care of Doeg, who at his death gave it to his son to carry
to David, and thereby gain his favour:
and the bracelet that was on his arm; of gold no
doubt, so JosephusF9Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 14. sect. 7.) ; such
as great personages used to wear, men as well as women, see Genesis 38:18,
especially military menF11Vid. Liv. Hist. Decad. 1. l. 10. c. 44. .
Jarchi takes them to be the "totaphot" or phylacteries on the arm,
which is not probable:
and have brought them hither unto my lord; as ensigns of
royalty, fit only for a king, Saul's successor, as this person, by calling him
lord, owned him to be, and thought by bringing those to him to be highly he
neared and rewarded.
2 Samuel 1:11 11 Therefore David took hold
of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were
with him.
YLT
11And David taketh hold on
his garments, and rendeth them, and also all the men who [are] with him,
When David took hold on
his clothes,.... Not on the young man's but his own:
and rent them; on bearing of the death of Saul and
Jonathan, see Genesis 37:34; from
whence the JewsF12T. Bab. Moed. Katon, fol. 26. 1. gather, that a
man is bound to rend his clothes for a prince, and for the father of the
sanhedrim, since Saul, they say, was the prince, and Jonathan the father of
that court:
and likewise all the men that were with him; rent their
clothes also, in imitation of him; the same custom obtained among the Gentiles
on mournful occasionsF13"-----it scissa veste Latinus".
Virgil. Aeneid. 12. prope finem. .
2 Samuel 1:12 12 And they mourned and wept
and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of
the Lord
and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
YLT
12and they mourn, and weep,
and fast till the evening, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the
people of Jehovah, and for the house of Israel, because they have fallen by the
sword.
And they mourned and wept,.... Inwardly
mourned, and outwardly wept, no doubt sincerely:
and fasted until even; ate no food all that day
until it was evening, the manner in which fasts used to be kept:
for Saul, and for Jonathan his son; it is no wonder that
David and his men should mourn for Jonathan, a good man, and a valiant one, and
a dear and faithful friend of David's; but it may seem not so clear a thing
that they should, mourn for Saul, a wicked man, and a persecutor of David
without cause: but it should be observed that he had been reconciled to David,
and had not since attempted anything against him; besides, he was his prince,
his father-in-law, and the rather he might be grieved for his death, and his
men with him, because it was matter of joy to the Philistines, and they would
endeavour to avail themselves of it; and especially the manner of his death,
that he should be the cause of it himself, and die without repentance, as it
might be feared, and quickly after consultation with a witch, and when left of
God, if these particulars were known to David:
and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; that is, the
people of the Lord, even the house of Israel, or who were of the house of
Israel; or if they are to be distinguished, the former may respect the people
of the Lord who died in battle, for whom mourning was made; and the latter the
people that survived, the whole kingdom of Israel, which had sustained a great
loss by the slaughter made in this battle, as it follows:
because they were fallen by the sword; so many of
them.
2 Samuel 1:13 13 Then David said to the
young man who told him, “Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am
the son of an alien, an Amalekite.”
YLT
13And David saith unto the
youth who is declaring [it] to him, `Whence [art] thou?' and he saith, `Son of
a sojourner, an Amalekite, I [am].'
And David said unto the
young man that told him, whence art thou?.... From what place, or
of what people and nation art thou? though Abarbinel thinks it neither respects
place nor people, but that David thought he was another man's servant; so that
the sense of the question is, to what man did he belong?
and he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite; he was not
any man's servant, but the son of a proselyte, of one that was by birth and
nation an Amalekite, but proselyted to the Jewish religion; he might know of
what nation he originally was, by the account he had given of what passed
between him and Saul, 2 Samuel 1:8;
though the mind of David might so disturbed as not to advert to it; or if he
did, he might be willing to have it repeated for confirmation's sake.
2 Samuel 1:14 14 So David said to him, “How
was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”
YLT
14And David saith unto him,
`How wast thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy the anointed of
Jehovah?'
And David said unto him,
how, wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand,.... By which
it should seem that he did more than stand upon him, and press his body, that
the spear might pierce through him, but that he drew his sword, and slew him;
so David understood him, and is the sense of the phrase in 1 Samuel 17:51,
to destroy the Lord's anointed? a reason why David did
not destroy him, when it was in the power of his hands, and which he made use
of to dissuade others from it; and here charges it not only as a criminal, but
a daring action in this young man, at which he expresses his admiration how he
could do it; hereby representing it as a very shocking and detestable action;
see 1 Samuel 24:6.
2 Samuel 1:15 15 Then David called one of
the young men and said, “Go near, and execute him!” And he struck him so
that he died.
YLT
15And David calleth to one of
the youths, and saith, `Draw nigh -- fall upon him;' and he smiteth him, and he
dieth;
And David called one of
the young men,.... His servants that attended on him:
and said, go near, and fall upon him; by smiting
him with his sword:
and he smote him, that he died; his orders were
instantly obeyed. Kings and generals of armies had great power in those times
and countries to execute a man immediately, without any other judge or jury:
what may serve, or David might think would serve, to justify him in doing this,
is what follows.
2 Samuel 1:16 16 So David said to him,
“Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified
against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’”
YLT
16and David saith unto him,
`Thy blood [is] on thine own head, for thy mouth hath testified against thee,
saying, I -- I put to death the anointed of Jehovah.'
And David said unto him,
thy blood be upon thy head,.... The blood that he
had shed, let him suffer for it; for as he had shed blood, his blood ought to
be shed, according to the law of God; and for proof of this, that he had so
done, he appeals to his own confession:
for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain
the Lord's anointed; and what might serve to confirm the truth of what he had said
were the crown and bracelet which he brought along with him; and besides he was
an Amalekite, of a nation that was devoted to destruction; and, as Abarbinel
thinks, David might suppose that he killed Saul to take vengeance on him for
what he had done to their nation; but, after all, both he and MaimonidesF14Hilchot
Sanhedrin, c. 18. sect. 6. allow the punishment of him was not strictly
according to law, but was a temporary decree, an extraordinary case, and an act
of royal authority; for in common cases a man was not to be condemned and put
to death upon his own confession, since it is possible he may not be in his
right mindF15T. Bab. Yehamot, fol. 25. 2. Maimon. ibid. ; but David
chose to exercise severity in this case, partly to show his respect to Saul,
and to ingratiate himself into the favour of his friends, and partly to deter
men from attempting to assassinate princes, who himself was now about to ascend
the throne.
2 Samuel 1:17 17 Then David lamented with
this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son,
YLT
17And David lamenteth with
this lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his son;
And David lamented with
this lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his son. Composed the
following elegy on account of their death, and sung it in a tune agreeable to
it, he and the men that were with him.
2 Samuel 1:18 18 and he told them to
teach the children of Judah the Song of the Bow; indeed it is
written in the Book of Jasher:
YLT
18and he saith to teach the
sons of Judah `The Bow;' lo, it is written on the book of the Upright: --
(Also he bade them teach the children of
Judah the use of the bow,.... These words, with what follow in this
verse, are rightly put into a parenthesis, since they do not begin nor make any
part of the elegiac song, or lamentation of David; and are here inserted to
show, that, amidst his sorrow and lamentation, he was not unmindful of the
welfare of the people, and to provide for their defence and security; and
therefore gave orders that care should be taken, especially in the tribe of
Judah, which was his own tribe, and where he had the greatest authority, and for
whom he might have the chiefest concern, that they should be trained up in
military exercises, learn the art of war, and the use of every weapon of war,
particularly of the bow, which, being a principal one, may be put for all; and
which may be the rather mentioned, because the Philistines were expert in the
use of it, and seemed to have done much execution with it in the recent battle,
see 1 Samuel 31:3. They
are saidF16Bedford's Chronology, p. 245. to be the inventors of it;
though PlinyF17Nat. Hist. l. 7. c. 56. ascribes it to others; and it
may be the people of Israel and of Judah had of late neglected to learn the use
of it, and to make use of it, and instead of that had taken to other sort of
arms in fighting; for that that was not unknown to them, or wholly disused, is
clear from this song, 2 Samuel 1:22; see
also 1 Chronicles 12:2.
Moreover, as the Philistines, especially the Cherethites, were expert in
archery, David found ways and means to get some of them afterwards into his
service, and by whom he might improve his people in the art, see 2 Samuel 8:18;
though someF18See Gregory's Notes and Observations, &c. ch. 1.
and Weemse of the Judicial Laws, c. 44. p. 171. are of opinion that the word
"keshet", or bow, was the title of the following lamentation or song,
taken from the mention of Jonathan's bow in it; which song the children of
Judah were to be taught to sing; but then, as has been observed by some, for
this there would have been no need of the following reference, since the whole
this song is here recorded:
behold, it is written in book of Jasher); which the
Targum calls the book of the law; and Jarchi and Ben Gersom restrain it to the
book of Genesis, the book of the upright, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and
suppose respect is had to the prophecy concerning Judah, Genesis 49:8, but
Kimchi, extending it to all the five books of Moses, adds his blessing, in Deuteronomy 33:7.
In the Arabic version it is explained of the book of Samuel, interpreted the
book of songs, as if it was a collection of songs; which favours the above
sense. JeromF19Trad. Heb. in 2 lib. Reg. fol. 77. D. interprets it
of the same book, the book of the righteous prophets, Samuel, Gad, and Nathan:
hut this book seems to have been a public register or annals, in which were
recorded memorable actions in any age, and had its name from the uprightness
and faithfulness in which it was kept; and in this were set down the order of
David for the teaching the children of Judah the use of the bow, and perhaps
the method which he directed to for instruction in it; See Gill on Joshua 10:13.
2 Samuel 1:19 19 “The beauty of Israel is
slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!
YLT
19`The Roebuck, O Israel, On
thy high places [is] wounded; How have the mighty fallen!
The beauty of Israel is
slain upon thy high places,.... The high mountains of Gilboa, where
Saul their king, and Jonathan his son, a prince of the blood, and natural heir
to the crown, and multitudes of young men, the flower of the nation, were
wounded and slain. Here begins the lamentation, or the elegiac song:
how are the mighty fallen! mighty men of war,
strong and valiant, as Saul and his sons were, and the soldiers in his army.
2 Samuel 1:20 20 Tell
it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon— Lest
the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised
triumph.
YLT
20Declare [it] not in Gath,
Proclaim not the tidings in the streets of Ashkelon, Lest they rejoice -- The
daughters of the Philistines, Lest they exult -- The daughters of the
Uncircumcised!
Tell it not in Gath,.... One of
the five principalities of the Philistines, and the chief of them, being raised
to a kingdom, and whose king was at the head of the armies of the Philistines
that engaged with Saul. This is not to be understood of a command of David, who
could not hinder the victory the Philistines had got over Israel being known at
Gath, and talked of with pleasure there, but a wish it had not:
publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon; another of
the principalities of the Philistines, and the sense the same as before:
lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters
of the uncircumcised triumph; it being usual in those times and countries
for women, young women more especially, to express their joy, on occasion of
victories obtained, by singing and dancing, Judges 11:34.
2 Samuel 1:21 21 “O mountains of Gilboa, Let
there be no dew nor rain upon you, Nor fields of offerings. For the shield
of the mighty is cast away there! The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
YLT
21Mountains of Gilboa! No dew
nor rain be on you, And fields of heave-offerings! For there hath become
loathsome The shield of the mighty, The shield of Saul -- without the anointed
with oil.
Ye mountains of Gilboa,.... On which
fell Saul and his sons, and many of the people of Israel, 2 Samuel 1:6,
let there be no dew,
neither let there be rain upon you; which is not to
understood as a real imprecation; for David would never curse any part of the
land of Israel, for which he had so great a regard; but only as a poetical
figure, expressing his concern for, and abhorrence of what happened on those
mountains; much less did this in reality take place, as some have feigned, as
if never dew nor rain descended on themF20Cippi Heb. p. 34.
afterwards; which has been refuted by travellers, particularly BorchardF21Apud
Hottinger not. in ib. see Bunting's Travels, p, 131. , who, speaking of this
mountain, says, that as he was upon it, there was such a violent shower fell,
that he was wet through his clothes; and in the year 1273, laying all night
upon this hill, there was a great dew fell upon him:
nor fields of offerings; of heave offerings; the
meaning is, that he could wish almost that those hills were not fruitful, and
that they brought no fruit to perfection, so much as that heave offerings for
the service of the sanctuary might be taken; which is expressive of great
sterility and scarcity, see Joel 1:13,
for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away; mighty men
were obliged to cast away their shields and flee, which were greatly to their
reproach and scandal, and to that of the whole nation: it was always reckoned
very scandalous, and a great crime, even punishable with death, to cast away a
shield, both with the Greeks and othersF23Isocrates de Pace, p. 364.
Horat. Carmin. l. 2. Ode 7. Tacitus de Mor. German. c. 6. Alex. ab Alex.
Genial. Dier. l. 2. c. 13. : yea, also
the shield of Saul, as though he had not been
anointed with oil; as if he was not the anointed king of Israel, but a common
soldier: or else this respects his shield, as if that was not anointed, as
shields used to be, that they might be smooth and glib, and missile weapons, as
arrows and others, might not pass through them, but slide off, see Isaiah 21:5; though
Gersom gives a different turn, that Saul's shield being in continual use,
needed not to be anointed, as those did which for a time had been laid aside.
Abarbinel interprets these words thus, that he, who was the shield of the
mighty, even Saul himself, was vilely cast away, or become loathsome; and that
his shield was anointed, not with oil, but with the blood of the slain, and the
fat of the mighty, connecting them with the words following.
2 Samuel 1:22 22 From
the blood of the slain, From the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not
turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty.
YLT
22From the blood of the
wounded, From the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan Hath not turned backward;
And the sword of Saul doth not return empty.
From the blood of the
slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back,.... That is,
it always did execution, the arrows shot frown it pierced into men, shed their
blood, and slew them; even they entered into the fat of the mighty, or mighty
ones, that were fat, and brought them down; so the arrows of the Medes and
Persians, the expert men among them, are said not to return in vain, Jeremiah 50:9,
and the sword of Saul returned not empty; but was the
means of slaying many; though Abarbinel observes also that this may be
interpreted of the blood of the slain, and of the fat of the mighty men of
Israel; and that though Saul and Jonathan saw many of these fall before their
eyes, yet "for" or "because" of their blood, they were not
intimidated and restrained from fighting; the bow of the one, and the shield of
the other, turned not back on that account.
2 Samuel 1:23 23 “Saul
and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives, And in their
death they were not divided; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger
than lions.
YLT
23Saul and Jonathan! They are
loved and pleasant in their lives, And in their death they have not been
parted. Than eagles they have been lighter, Than lions they have been mightier!
Saul and Jonathan were
lovely and pleasant in their lives,.... To one another, had
no quarrel or difference with each other, only on the account of David;
otherwise they agreed together in the court, and in the camp, in their
councils, and in their conduct:
and in their death they were not divided; neither from
the people, nor from one another; Jonathan stuck close by his father to the
last; which is observed to clear him from any imputation of conspiracy against
him:
they were swifter than eagles; in the quick dispatch of
business, in hasting to the relief of the distressed, as Saul to the men of
Jabeshgilead, and in the pursuit of their enemies, as of the Philistines, more
than once:
they were stronger than lions; fighting with their
enemies, who became an case prey to them; and what is stronger than a lion
among beasts? Judges 14:18; or
swifter than an eagle among birds, which is said to cut the air with its wingsF24Aelian.
Hist. Animal. l. 15. c. 22. Vid. Ciceron. de Divinatione, l. 2. prope finem. ?
2 Samuel 1:24 24 “O
daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you in scarlet, with luxury; Who
put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
YLT
24Daughters of Israel! for
Saul weep ye, Who is clothing you [in] scarlet with delights. Who is lifting up
ornaments of gold on your clothing.
Ye daughters of Israel,
weep over Saul,.... In their mournful elegies:
who clothed you with scarlet, with other delights; not only with
scarlet, but with other fine and delightful apparel, such as were very pleasing
to the female sex, especially young people, who are delighted with gay apparel;
this Saul was the means of, through the spoil he took from his enemies, and by
other methods taken by him to the enriching of the nation, whereby husbands and
parents were enabled to provide rich clothes for their wives and children:
who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel; broidered
work, jewels of gold, &c. See Isaiah 3:18.
2 Samuel 1:25 25 “How the mighty have
fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan was slain in your high
places.
YLT
25How have the mighty fallen
In the midst of the battle! Jonathan! on thy high places wounded!
How are the mighty fallen
in the midst of the battle!.... The mighty and valiant men of war, the
common soldiers as well as their general officers, whose loss David mourns, and
the repetition of shows how much it affected him:
O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places; in the high
places of the land of Israel, the mountains of Gilboa, which though high, and
in his own country, could not protect him from his enemies, and from falling by
their hands: he who had been so valiant and victorious a prince, and yet he
fell, not in an enemy's country, but his own.
2 Samuel 1:26 26 I
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.
YLT
26I am in distress for thee,
my brother Jonathan, Very pleasant wast thou to me; Wonderful was thy love to
me, Above the love of women!
I am distressed for thee,
my brother Jonathan,.... So he was, not only by nation and religion, but by affinity,
having married the sister of Jonathan; and still more so by affection and
friendship, he being a friend of David's, that stuck closer to him than a
brother, and who loved him as his own soul; he was distressed for him, not on
account of his spiritual and eternal state, which he doubted not was happy, but
for the manner of his death, his loss of him, and want of his pleasant
conversation, of his counsel and advice, and assistance in his present
circumstances:
very pleasant hast thou been unto me; in their
friendly visits of, and conversation with, one another; many a pleasant hour
had they spent together, but now must see each other's faces no more in this
world:
thy love to me was wonderful; as indeed he might well
say, being towards one of a mean extract in comparison of his, to one who was
not his own brother, but a brother-in-law; and to one that was a rival to the
crown he was heir to, and would take it before him: and who ran the risk of
losing his father's affection, and even his life, for espousing his cause: see 1 Samuel 18:1,
passing the love of women; either that which they
are loved with by men, or that with which they love their husbands and
children; which is generally the strongest and most affectionate. The Targum
is,"more than the love of two women,'than his two wives, Ahinoam and
Abigail; so Kimchi; meaning that he was more strongly and affectionately loved
by Jonathan than by them, who yet might love him very well too.
2 Samuel 1:27 27 “How
the mighty have fallen, And the weapons of war perished!”
YLT
27How have the mighty fallen,
Yea, the weapons of war perish!'
How are the mighty fallen,.... This is
the burden of this elegiac song, being the third time it is mentioned:
and the weapons of war perished! not only the valiant
soldiers were killed, but their arms were lost; and particularly he may mean
Saul and Jonathan, who as they were the shields of the people, so they were the
true weapons and instruments of war, and with them all military glory perished;
which must be understood as a poetical figure, exaggerating their military
characters; otherwise David, and many mighty men with him, remained, and who
revived and increased the military glory of Israel, as the following history
shows.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》