2 Samuel 1:6

6 He answered, "I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and I saw that Saul was leaning on his spear and that the chariots and cavalry of the enemy were closing in on him. ¹

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 "Tell me what happened," David said. "Our army ran away from the battle," he replied, "and many of our men were killed. Saul and his son Jonathan were also killed."

5 "How do you know that Saul and Jonathan are dead?" David asked him.

6 He answered, "I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and I saw that Saul was leaning on his spear and that the chariots and cavalry of the enemy were closing in on him.

7 Then he turned around, saw me, and called to me. I answered, "Yes, sir!'

8 He asked who I was, and I told him that I was an Amalekite.

Cross References

• 1. 1.6-10 1 S 31.1-6;1 Chronicles 10.1-6.