2 Samuel 1:1-16

David Receives the News of Saul's Death. The account of the death of Saul told by the fugitive here is different from that in 1 Samuel 31. A common explanation is that the fugitive falsely represented himself as the slayer of Saul, in the hope of receiving a reward from David. But it is now widely held that here also we have a blending of two documents: 2 Samuel 1:1; 2 Samuel 1:11 f. are from the same document (J) as the bulk of 1 Samuel 25-31; 2 Samuel 1:6; 1 Samuel 1:13 are from another source which may be fairly early. 1 Samuel 1:5 is inserted by an editor to combine the two accounts.

2 Samuel 1:1. A fugitive Israelite (?) from Saul's camp brings David the news of the disaster.

2 Samuel 1:6. An Amalekite tells how, seeing Saul closely pursued by chariots and horsemen, he slew him at his own request, and took his crown and armlet, and brought them to David.

2 Samuel 1:11 f. David and his men rend their clothes and fast till evening.

2 Samuel 1:12. and for the people of Yahweh: possibly, the army. LXX, people of Judah. The clause may be an editorial insertion.

2 Samuel 1:13. David asks the messenger who he is. He replies: an Amalekite, the son of a ger, or foreigner settled as a dependent among the Israelites (Leviticus 17:8 f.*, Deuteronomy 1:16 *, p 110). David has him executed (cf. 2 Samuel 4:9).