2 Samuel 1:6

6 And the young man who told him said, ¹"By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him.

2 Samuel 1:6 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 1:6

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 1:6 In-Context

4 And David said to him, "How did it go? Tell me." And he answered, "The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead."

5 Then David said to the young man who told him, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"

6 And the young man who told him said, "By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him.

7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, 'Here I am.'

8 And he said to me, 'Who are you?' I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.'

Cross References

• 1. For ver. 6-10, see 1 Samuel 31:1-4; 1 Chronicles 10:1-6