Page 493 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

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MAY 15
the bracelet that was on his arm, and have
May 15 brought them here to my lord.”
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Therefore David took hold of his own
clothes and tore them, and so did all the men
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who were with him. And they mourned and
2 Samuel 1:1–2:32
wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for
Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, Jonathan his son, for the people of the LORD
1 when David had returned from the slaugh- and for the house of Israel, because they had
ter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed fallen by the sword.
two days in Ziklag, on the third day, behold, it 13 Then David said to the young man who
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happened that a man came from Saul’s camp told him, “Where are you from?”
with his clothes torn and dust on his head. So And he answered, “I am the son of an alien,
it was, when he came to David, that he fell to an Amalekite.”
the ground and prostrated himself. 14 So David said to him, “How was it you were
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And David said to him, “Where have you not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the
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come from?” LORD’s anointed?” Then David called one of the
So he said to him, “I have escaped from the young men and said, “Go near, and execute
camp of Israel.” him!” And he struck him so that he died. So
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Then David said to him, “How did the mat- David said to him, “Your blood is on your own
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ter go? Please tell me.” head, for your own mouth has testified against
And he answered, “The people have fled you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’s anointed.’ ”
from the battle, many of the people are fallen 17 Then David lamented with this lamenta-
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and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are tion over Saul and over Jonathan his son, and
dead also.” he told them to teach the children of Judah the
So David said to the young man who told Song of the Bow; indeed it is written in the
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him, “How do you know that Saul and Jona- Book of Jasher:
than his son are dead?” 19
6 “The beauty of Israel is slain on your
Then the young man who told him said,
high places!
“As I happened by chance to be on Mount How the mighty have fallen!
Gilboa, there was Saul, leaning on his spear; 20 Tell it not in Gath,
and indeed the chariots and horsemen fol- Proclaim it not in the streets of
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lowed hard after him. Now when he looked Ashkelon—
behind him, he saw me and called to me. And Lest the daughters of the Philistines
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I answered, ‘Here I am.’ And he said to me, rejoice,
‘Who are you?’ So I answered him, ‘I am an Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised
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Amalekite.’ He said to me again, ‘Please stand triumph.
over me and kill me, for anguish has come
upon me, but my life still remains in me.’ So I 21 “O mountains of Gilboa,
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stood over him and killed him, because I was Let there be no dew nor rain upon you,
sure that he could not live after he had fallen. Nor fields of offerings.
And I took the crown that was on his head and For the shield of the mighty is cast
away there!
The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
22 From the blood of the slain,
From the fat of the mighty,
1:19 The beauty of Israel. Literally, the The bow of Jonathan did not turn
gazelle or antelope of Israel, the chosen sym-
bol of youthful elegance and symmetry, most back,
likely referring to Jonathan. Thus, the song And the sword of Saul did not return
began and ended with Saul’s noble son (vv. empty.
25,26). high places. These were open-air wor- 23 “Saul and Jonathan were beloved and
ship sites generally established at high eleva- pleasant in their lives,
tions.In this case,the high place was Mt.Gilboa, And in their death they were not
where Saul had died. How the mighty have divided;
fallen!They were not only Israel’s slain “beauty,” They were swifter than eagles,
but Saul and Jonathan were mighty men who They were stronger than lions.
had fallen in battle.This phrase is repeated as
a refrain in vv. 25 and 27. 24 “O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
Who clothed you in scarlet, with luxury;
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