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David Learns About Saul’s Death

After David defeated the Amalekites, he went back to Ziklag. This was just after Saul had been killed. David had been there two days. Then, on the third day, a young soldier from Saul’s camp came to Ziklag. His clothes were torn, and he had dirt on his head.[a] He came to David and bowed with his face to the ground.

David asked him, “Where have you come from?”

The man answered, “I just came from the Israelite camp.”

David asked him, “Please tell me, who won the battle?”

The man answered, “Our people ran away from the battle. Many of them were killed in the battle. Even Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”

David said to the young soldier, “How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

The young soldier said, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa. I saw Saul leaning on his spear. The Philistine chariots and horse soldiers were coming closer and closer to Saul. Saul looked back and saw me. He called to me and I answered him. Then Saul asked me who I was. I told him that I was an Amalekite. Then Saul said, ‘Please kill me. I am hurt badly. And I am about to die anyway.’ 10 He was hurt so badly that I knew he wouldn’t live. So I stopped and killed him. Then I took the crown from his head and the bracelet from his arm and brought them here to you, my lord.”

11 Then David tore his clothes to show he was very sad. All the men with him did the same thing. 12 They were very sad and cried. They did not eat until evening. They cried because Saul and his son Jonathan were dead. David and his men cried for the Lord’s people, and they cried for Israel. They cried because Saul, his son Jonathan, and many Israelites had been killed in battle.

David Orders the Amalekite Killed

13 Then David talked with the young soldier who had told him about Saul’s death. David asked, “Where are you from?”

The young soldier answered, “I am the son of a foreigner. I am an Amalekite.”

14 David said to the young soldier, “Why were you not afraid to kill the Lord’s chosen king[b]?”

15-16 Then David told the Amalekite, “You are responsible for your own death. You said you killed the Lord’s chosen king, so your own words prove you are guilty.” Then David called one of his young servants and told him to kill the Amalekite. So the young Israelite killed him.

David’s Song About Saul and Jonathan

17 David sang a sad song about Saul and his son Jonathan. 18 David told his men to teach the song to the people of Judah. This song is called “The Bow,” and it is written in the Book of Jashar.[c]

19 “Israel, your beauty was ruined on your hills.
    Oh, how those heroes fell!
20 Don’t tell the news in Gath.[d]
    Don’t announce it in the streets of Ashkelon.[e]
Those Philistine cities would be happy!
    Those foreigners[f] would be glad.

21 “May no rain or dew fall
    on you, mountains of Gilboa.
May there be no offerings
    coming from your fields.
The shields of the heroes rusted there.
    Saul’s shield was not rubbed with oil.
22 Jonathan’s bow killed its share of enemies,
    and Saul’s sword killed its share!
They have spilled the blood of men now dead.
    They cut into the fat of strong men.

23 “Saul and Jonathan—how dear they were to us!
    In life they loved being together,
    and even death did not separate them!
They were faster than eagles
    and stronger than lions.
24 Daughters of Israel, cry for Saul!
    Saul gave you beautiful red dresses
    and covered them with gold jewelry!

25 “Strong men have fallen in the battle.
    Jonathan is dead on Gilboa’s hills.
26 Jonathan, my brother, I miss you!
    I enjoyed your friendship so much.
Your love for me was wonderful,
    stronger than the love of women.
27 Heroes have fallen in battle.
    Their weapons of war are lost.”

David Is Anointed King of Judah

Later David asked the Lord for advice. David said, “Should I take control[g] of any of the cities of Judah?”

The Lord said to David, “Yes.”

David asked, “Where should I go?”

The Lord answered, “To Hebron.”

So David and his two wives moved to Hebron. (His wives were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, who had been the wife of Nabal from Carmel.) David also brought his men and their families. All of them made their homes in Hebron and the towns nearby.

The men of Judah came to Hebron and anointed David to be the king of Judah. Then they told David, “The men of Jabesh Gilead buried Saul.”

David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead. These messengers told the men in Jabesh: “The Lord bless you, because you have shown kindness to your lord Saul by burying him.[h] The Lord will be kind and true to you, and so will I. Now be strong and brave. Your lord, Saul, is dead, but the tribe of Judah has anointed me to be their king.”

Ish Bosheth Becomes King

Abner son of Ner was the captain of Saul’s army. Abner took Ish Bosheth[i] son of Saul to Mahanaim and made him king of Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.[j]

10 Ish Bosheth son of Saul was 40 years old when he began to rule over Israel. He ruled Israel two years, but the tribe of Judah followed David. 11 David ruled over the tribe of Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months.

The Deadly Contest

12 Abner son of Ner and the officers of Ish Bosheth son of Saul left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. 13 Joab, Zeruiah’s son, and the officers of David also went to Gibeon. They met Abner and Ish Bosheth’s officers at the pool of Gibeon. Abner’s group sat on one side of the pool. Joab’s group sat on the other side.

14 Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have the young soldiers get up and have a contest here.”

Joab said, “Yes, let’s have a contest.”

15 So the young soldiers got up. The two groups counted their men for the contest. They chose twelve men from the tribe of Benjamin to fight for Ish Bosheth son of Saul, and they chose twelve men from David’s officers. 16 Each of the men grabbed his opponent’s head and stabbed him in the side with his sword, and then they fell down together. That is why this place in Gibeon is called “The Field of the Sharp Knives.”[k] 17 That contest turned into a terrible battle and David’s officers defeated Abner and the Israelites that day.

Abner Kills Asahel

18 Zeruiah had three sons, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was a fast runner, as fast as a wild deer. 19 Asahel ran straight toward Abner and began chasing him. 20 Abner looked back and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?”

Asahel said, “Yes, it’s me.”

21 Abner didn’t want to hurt Asahel, so he said to Asahel, “Stop chasing me—go after one of the young soldiers. You could easily take his armor for yourself.” But Asahel refused to stop chasing Abner.

22 Abner again said to Asahel, “Stop chasing me, or I will have to kill you. Then I will not be able to look your brother Joab in the face again.”

23 But Asahel refused to stop chasing Abner. So Abner used the back end of his spear and pushed it into Asahel’s stomach. The spear went deep into Asahel’s stomach and came out of his back. Asahel died right there.

Joab and Abishai Chase Abner

Asahel’s body lay on the ground. Everyone who came that way stopped to look at Asahel, 24 but Joab and Abishai[l] continued chasing Abner. The sun was just going down when they came to Ammah Hill. (Ammah Hill is in front of Giah on the way to the desert of Gibeon.) 25 The men from the tribe of Benjamin gathered around Abner at the top of the hill.

26 Abner shouted to Joab and said, “Must we fight and kill each other forever? Surely you know that this will only end in sadness. Tell the people to stop chasing their own brothers.”

27 Then Joab said, “As surely as God is alive, if you had not said something, people would still be chasing their brothers in the morning.” 28 So Joab blew a trumpet, and his people stopped chasing the Israelites. They did not try to fight the Israelites anymore.

29 Abner and his men marched all night through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River and then marched all day until they came to Mahanaim.

30 Joab stopped chasing Abner and turned back. Joab had gathered his men and learned that 19 of David’s officers were missing, including Asahel. 31 But David’s officers had killed 360 of Abner’s men from the tribe of Benjamin. 32 David’s officers took Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father at Bethlehem.

Joab and his men marched all night. The sun came up just as they reached Hebron.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 1:2 clothes … head This showed that the man was very sad.
  2. 2 Samuel 1:14 chosen king Literally, “anointed one.”
  3. 2 Samuel 1:18 Book of Jashar An ancient book about the wars of Israel.
  4. 2 Samuel 1:20 Gath The Philistine capital city.
  5. 2 Samuel 1:20 Ashkelon One of the five major Philistine cities.
  6. 2 Samuel 1:20 foreigners Literally, “uncircumcised.” This shows that the Philistines had not shared in Israel’s agreement with God.
  7. 2 Samuel 2:1 take control Literally, “go up against.”
  8. 2 Samuel 2:5 burying him The bodies of both Saul and Jonathan were burned and their bones were buried. See 1 Sam. 31:12.
  9. 2 Samuel 2:8 Ish Bosheth In the ancient Greek version and 1 Chron. 8:33; 9:39, his name is Ish Baal or Eshbaal. Later Hebrew scribes substituted Bosheth (“shame”) for Baal (“Lord”), because Baal was also the name for a Canaanite god.
  10. 2 Samuel 2:9 Israel Sometimes this means the whole country, Judah and Israel. Here, it means only the tribes that were not united with Judah.
  11. 2 Samuel 2:16 The Field of the Sharp Knives Or “Helkath Hazzurim.”
  12. 2 Samuel 2:24 Joab and Abishai Brothers of Asahel, the man who Abner killed. See verse 18.

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