This book, in many copies of the Hebrew Bible, is carried on without any new title put unto it; the reason of it is, because, by some, this, with the preceding, has been reckoned but one book: hence the Jews say [[0]], Samuel wrote his book, not his books; in others it is called Samuel Second; and…

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 ; and David had abode two days in Ziklag; which, though fired by the Amalekites, was not utterly consumed, but there was still…

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.

And David said unto him, from whence comest thou? &c.] 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.

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…

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…

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…

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…

And he said unto me, who art thou? &c.] 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…

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…

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…

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 ; from whence the Jews [[10]] 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…

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,…

And David said unto the young man that told him, whence art thou? &c.] 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…

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…

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.

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…

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.

(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…

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.

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.

Ye mountains of Gilboa On which fell Saul and his sons, and many of the people of Israel, ; 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…

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…

Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, &c.] 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…

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…

How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! &c.] 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…

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;…

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,…