2 Samuel 1

Noticia de la muerte de Saúl

1 Después de la muerte de Saúl, David se detuvo dos días en Siclag, luego de haber derrotado a los amalecitas.

2 Al tercer día, llegó a Siclag un hombre que venía del campamento de Saúl. En señal de duelo se presentó ante David con la ropa rasgada y la cabeza cubierta de ceniza, y se postró rostro en tierra.

3 —¿De dónde vienes? —le preguntó David.—Vengo huyendo del campamento israelita —respondió.

4 —Pero, ¿qué ha pasado? —exclamó David—. ¡Cuéntamelo todo!—Pues resulta que nuestro ejército ha huido de la batalla, y muchos han caído muertos —contestó el mensajero—. Entre los caídos en combate se cuentan Saúl y su hijo Jonatán.

5 —¿Y cómo sabes tú que Saúl y su hijo Jonatán han muerto? —le preguntó David al criado que le había traído la noticia.

6 —Por casualidad me encontraba yo en el monte Guilboa. De pronto, vi a Saúl apoyado en su lanza y asediado por los carros y la caballería —respondió el criado—.

7 Saúl se volvió y, al verme, me llamó. Yo me puse a sus órdenes.

8 Me preguntó quién era yo, y le respondí que era amalecita.

9 Entonces me pidió que me acercara y me ordenó: “¡Mátame de una vez, pues estoy agonizando y no acabo de morir!”

10 Yo me acerqué y lo maté, pues me di cuenta de que no iba a sobrevivir al desastre. Luego le quité la diadema de la cabeza y el brazalete que llevaba en el brazo, para traérselos a usted, mi señor.

11 Al oírlo, David y los que estaban con él se rasgaron las vestiduras.

12 Lloraron y ayunaron hasta el anochecer porque Saúl y su hijo Jonatán habían caído a filo de espada, y también por el ejército del SEÑOR y por la nación de Israel.

13 Entonces David le preguntó al joven que le había traído la noticia:—¿De dónde eres?—Soy un extranjero amalecita —respondió.

14 —¿Y cómo te atreviste a alzar la mano para matar al ungido del SEÑOR? —le reclamó David.

15 Y en seguida llamó a uno de sus hombres y le ordenó:—¡Anda, mátalo!Aquel cumplió la orden y lo mató.

16 David, por su parte, dijo:—¡Que tu sangre caiga sobre tu cabeza! Tu boca misma te condena al admitir que mataste al ungido del SEÑOR.

Lamento de David por Saúl y Jonatán

17 David compuso este lamento en honor de Saúl y de su hijo Jonatán.

18 Lo llamó el «Cántico del Arco» y ordenó que lo enseñaran a los habitantes de Judá. Así consta en el libro de Jaser:

19 «¡Ay, Israel! Tus héroes yacen heridos^[a]en las alturas de tus montes.¡Cómo han caído los valientes!

20 »No lo anuncien en Gatni lo pregonen en las calles de Ascalón,para que no se alegren las filisteasni lo celebren esas paganas.^[b]

21 »¡Ay, montes de Guilboa,que no caiga sobre ustedes lluvia ni rocío!¡Que no crezca el trigo para las ofrendas!^[c]Porque allí deshonraron el escudo de Saúl:¡allí quedó manchado^[d] el escudo de los valientes!

22 ¡Jamás volvía el arco de Jonatánsin haberse saciado con la sangre de los heridos,ni regresaba la espada de Saúlsin haberse hartado con la grasa de sus oponentes!

23 »¡Saúl! ¡Jonatán! ¡Nobles personas!Fueron amados en la vida,e inseparables en la muerte.Más veloces eran que las águilas,y más fuertes que los leones.

24 »¡Ay, mujeres de Israel! Lloren por Saúl,que las vestía con lujosa seda carmesíy las adornaba con joyas de oro.

25 »¡Cómo han caído los valientes en batalla!Jonatán yace muerto en tus alturas.

26 ¡Cuánto sufro por ti, Jonatán,pues te quería como a un hermano!Más preciosa fue para mí tu amistadque el amor de las mujeres.

27 »¡Cómo han caído los valientes!¡Las armas de guerra han perecido!»

2 Samuel 1 Commentary

Chapter 1

This book is the history of the reign of king David. It relates his victories, the growth of the prosperity of Israel, and his reformation of the state of religion. With these events are recorded the grievous sins he committed, and the family as well as public troubles with which he was punished. We here meet with many things worthy of imitation, and many that are written for our warning. The history of king David is given in Scripture with much faithfulness, and from it he appears, to those who fairly balance his many virtues and excellent qualities against his faults, to have been a great and good man.

Tidings brought to David of the death of Saul. (1-10) The Amalekite is put to death. (11-16) David's lamentation for Saul and Jonathan. (17-27)

Verses 1-10 The blow which opened David's way to the throne was given about the time he had been sorely distressed. Those who commit their concerns to the Lord, will quietly abide his will. It shows that he desired not Saul's death, and he was not impatient to come to the throne.

Verses 11-16 David was sincere in his mourning for Saul; and all with him humbled themselves under the hand of God, laid so heavily upon Israel by this defeat. The man who brought the tidings, David put to death, as a murderer of his prince. David herein did not do unjustly; the Amalekite confessed the crime. If he did as he said, he deserved to die for treason; and his lying to David, if indeed it were a lie, proved, as sooner or later that sin will prove, lying against himself. Hereby David showed himself zealous for public justice, without regard to his own private interest.

Verses 17-27 Kasheth, or "the bow," probably was the title of this mournful, funeral song. David does not commend Saul for what he was not; and says nothing of his piety or goodness. Jonathan was a dutiful son, Saul an affectionate father, therefore dear to each other. David had reason to say, that Jonathan's love to him was wonderful. Next to the love between Christ and his people, that affection which springs form it, produces the strongest friendship. The trouble of the Lord's people, and triumphs of his enemies, will always grieve true believers, whatever advantages they may obtain by them.

Footnotes

• [a]. "¡Ay, Israel! Tus héroes yacen heridos" . Lit. "La gloria de Israel ha perecido" .
• [b]. "esas paganas" . Lit. "hijas de incircuncisos" .
• [c]. "¡Que no crezca el trigo para las ofrendas! " Texto de difícil traducción.
• [d]. "allí quedó manchado" . Lit. "sin ser ungido con aceite" .

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL

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 {a}, Samuel wrote his book, not his books; in others it is called Samuel Second; and by the Vulgate Latin the Second Book of Samuel, which we call the Second of Kings; though why his name should be put to it at all I see not, since it neither concerns him, nor could it be written by him, being an history of events after his death. The Greek version calls it the Second of Kings; and the Syriac version, the Second Book of the Kings of Israel; whereas there is but one king of Israel it makes mention of, and of whose actions only it is an history; and therefore with greater propriety it is called, as the Arabic version, the Book of David the Prophet, of whose reign, from the beginning to the end of it, it gives an account: wherefore Isidore {b} thinks it was written by David; and if so, it has this mark of simplicity and integrity, that the writer does not spare himself, nor conceal his own faults, and particularly that very capital one, the affair of Bathsheba, and also his numbering of the people; but it is most probable that it was written by Nathan and Gad {c}, see 1Ch 29:29; but whoever was the penman of it, there is no doubt to be made of its being written by inspiration, or that it is canonical; which has never been questioned, since there stands in it a famous prophecy concerning the building of the temple by a son of David, which had an exact accomplishment, 2Sa 7:12,13; as well as of the family of David, for a great while to come, which also was fulfilled, 2Sa 7:19; and an eminent passage concerning the Messiah, the son of David, and of his divine sonship, 2Sa 7:14; quoted by the Apostle Paul in proof of it, Heb 1:5. It contains an history of about forty years, for so long David reigned, seven years and six months in Hebron, over Judah, and thirty three years in Jerusalem, over all Israel and Judah; and this book relates his last words.

{a} T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 14. 2. {b} Origin. l. 6. c. 2. {c} Alting. Theolog. Hist. loc. 2. p. 86.

\\INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 1\\

This chapter contains an account of the death of Saul and Jonathan, as related to David by an Amalekite, 2Sa 1:1-10; of the sorrow he and his men were filled with at the news of it, 2Sa 1:11,12; of his order to put to death the messenger that brought the tidings, for his concern in the death of Saul, according to his own testimony, 2Sa 1:13-16; and of a lamentation composed by David on this occasion, 2Sa 1:17-27.