2 Samuel 1:4-14

4 —¿Qué sucedió? —preguntó David—. Cuéntame lo que pasó en la batalla.
—Todo nuestro ejército huyó de la batalla —le contó—. Murieron muchos hombres. Saúl y su hijo Jonatán también están muertos.

5 —¿Cómo sabes que Saúl y Jonatán están muertos? —le insistió David al joven.

6 El hombre respondió:
—Sucedió que yo estaba en el monte Gilboa, y allí estaba Saúl apoyado en su lanza mientras se acercaban los enemigos en sus carros de guerra.

7 Cuando se dio vuelta y me vio, me gritó que me acercara a él. “¿Qué quiere que haga?”, le pregunté

8 y él me contestó: “¿Quién eres?”. Le respondí: “Soy un amalecita”.

9 Entonces me suplicó: “Ven aquí y sácame de mi sufrimiento, porque el dolor es terrible y quiero morir”.

10 »De modo que lo maté —dijo el amalecita a David—, porque me di cuenta de que no iba a vivir. Luego tomé su corona y su brazalete y se los he traído a usted, mi señor.

11 Al escuchar las noticias, David y sus hombres rasgaron sus ropas en señal de dolor.

12 Hicieron duelo, lloraron y ayunaron todo el día por Saúl y su hijo Jonatán, también por el ejército del Señor
y por la nación de Israel, porque ese día habían muerto a espada.

13 Luego David le dijo al joven que trajo la noticia:
—¿De dónde eres?
—Soy un extranjero —contestó—, un amalecita que vive en su tierra.

14 —¿Y cómo no tuviste temor de matar al ungido del Señor
? —le preguntó David.

2 Samuel 1:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

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.