2 Samuel 1:4

4 "What was the outcome? Tell me," David asked him. "The troops fled from the battle," he answered. "Many of the troops have fallen and are dead. Also, Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."^[a]

2 Samuel 1:4 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 1:4

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 1:4 In-Context

2 On the third day a man with torn clothes and dust on his head came from Saul's camp. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage.

3 David asked him, "Where have you come from?" He replied to him, "I've escaped from the Israelite camp."

4 "What was the outcome? Tell me," David asked him. "The troops fled from the battle," he answered. "Many of the troops have fallen and are dead. Also, Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."

5 David asked the young man who had brought him the report, "How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"

6 "I happened to be on Mount Gilboa," he replied, "and there was Saul, leaning on his spear. At that very moment the chariots and the cavalry were closing in on him.

Footnotes

• [a]. 1 Sm 31:6