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Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Nathan, Zabud, & Gad
Date Penned: (930 BC)
Overview: A Record of David's Reign (c 1-24)
Theme: David's Successes (c 1-10)
Message: David Mourns for Saul and Jonathan (v 1-27)
2 Samuel 1 Commentary
(1:1) David Has Faith in God - David had great faith in God. He patiently waited for God to fulfill his promises. The book of I Samuel tells of David's struggles as he waited to become king of Israel (Samuel had anointed David as king of Israel many years earlier; see 1 Samuel 16:3). King Saul became jealous of David because the people kept praising him for his military accomplishments. Eventually, Saul's jealousy became so intense that he tried to kill David several times. As a result, David had to escape. For many years David hid from Saul in enemy territory and in the vast wilderness south and east of Jerusalem. David may have wondered when God's promise that he would be king would come true, but his struggles prepared him for the great responsibilities he would later face. The book of 2 Samuel tells how David was finally rewarded for his patience and consistent faith in God.
(1:2) David is in Ziklag - When Saul died, David and his men were still living in Ziklag, a Philistine city. Because Saul had driven him out of Israel, David had pretended to be loyal to Achish, a Philistine ruler (1 Samuel 27). There God had kept him safe from Saul.
(1:11-12) David Mourns for Saul - David and his men were visibly shaken over Saul's death: "They mourned, and wept, and fasted until even." Their actions showed their genuine sorrow over the loss of their king, their friend Jonathan, and the other soldiers of Israel who had died that day. They were not ashamed to grieve. Today, some people consider expressing emotions to be a sign of weakness. Those who wish to appear strong try to hide their feelings. But expressing our grief can help us deal with our intense sorrow when a loved one dies.
(1:13) The Amalekites - The Amalekites were a fierce, nomadic tribe that frequently conducted surprise raids on Canaanite villages. They had been Israel's enemies since Moses' time. David had just destroyed an Amalekite band of raiders who had burned his city and kidnapped its women and children (1 Samuel 30:1-20). This man was probably unaware of David's recent confrontations with the Amalekites, or he may not have come. Instead, he incurred David's wrath by posing as an enemy of Israel and claiming to have killed God's chosen king
(1:14) The Amalekite Scavenger - The man identified himself as an Amalekite from Saul's camp (1:2). He may have been an Amalekite under Israelite jurisdiction, but more likely he was a battlefield scavenger. Obviously the man was lying both about his identity and about what had happened on the battlefield. (Compare his story with the account in 1 Samuel 31-3-4.) Because he had Saul's crown with him, something the Philistines wouldn't have left behind, we can infer that he had found Saul dead on the battlefield before the Philistines had arrived ( Samuel 31:8). As it happened for the Amalekite, a life of deceit often leads to grave consequences for the liar, even for things he or she may not have done. This man lied, most likely to gain some personal reward for killing David's rival, but he misread David's character. If David had rewarded him for murdering the king, David would have shared his guilt. Instead, David had the messenger killed. This may seem to be an overly severe punishment, but there are few crimes more serious than killing the Lord's anointed king, a crime David himself had refused to commit a number of times.
(1:15-16) David Maintains Respect for Saul - Although Saul had been trying to kill David for many years, David did not celebrate Saul's death. In spite of all that Saul had done against him, David maintained respect for Saul's position as God's anointed servant. Since David believed that God had anointed Saul, it followed that only God was in a position to remove him from office. If it became casual or commonplace to assassinate the king, the whole society would become chaotic. It was God's job, not David's, to judge Saul's sins (Leviticus 19:18). When looking at our own leaders, religious or civil, we may be tempted to become angry, despairing, or fearful. But despite their shortcomings, we must realize that God has placed rulers in authority over us, and we should maintain respect for the positions they hold (Romans 13;1-5).
(1:17-27) David Plays a Memorial Song - David was a talented musician. He played the harp (1 Samuel 16:23), he organized musicians and music for worship at the tabernacle, later to be used at the temple (1 Chronicles 25), and he wrote many of the psalms. Here we are told that he wrote a lament in memory of Saul and his son Jonathan, David's closest friend. Music played an important role in Israel's history. Saul had caused much trouble for David, but when he died, David composed a lament in memory of the king and his son. David had every reason to hate Saul, but he chose not to.Instead, he chose to look at the good Saul had done and to ignore the times when Saul had attacked him. It takes courage to lay aside hurt and painful memories and to respect the positive side of another person, especially an enemy.
(1:26) David Honors His Friendship to Jonathan - By saying that Jonathan's love was "wonderful, passing the love of women," David was not implying that he had a sexual relationship with Jonathan. Practicing homosexuality was forbidden in Israel (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13). David was simply describing the deep brotherhood and faithful friendship he had with Jonathan. For more on their friendship, see 1 Samuel 18:1-4.
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