God’s Word Translation
2 Samuel 1:12
12They mourned, cried, and fasted until evening because Saul, his son Jonathan, the Lord’s army, and the nation of Israel had been defeated in battle.
2 Samuel 1:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.
- New International Version (NIV)They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
Context of 2 Samuel 1:12
10“So I stood over him and killed him, since I knew he couldn’t survive after he had been wounded. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band that was on his arm and brought them here to you, sir.” 11Then David grabbed his own clothes and tore them in grief. All the men with him did the same. They mourned, cried, and fasted until evening because Saul, his son Jonathan, the Lord’s army, and the nation of Israel had been defeated in battle. 13David asked the young man who had brought him the news, “Where are you from?” And the young man answered, “I’m an Amalekite, the son of a foreign resident.” 14David asked, “Why weren’t you afraid to take it upon yourself to destroy the Lord’s anointed king?”
Read all of 2 Samuel 12 Samuel 1:12 word by word
וַֽיִּסְפְּדוּ֙ וַיִּבְכּ֔וּ וַיָּצֻ֖מוּ עַד־הָעָ֑רֶב עַל־שָׁא֞וּל וְעַל־יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן בְּנ֗וֹ וְעַל־עַ֤ם יְהוָה֙ וְעַל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּ֥י נָפְל֖וּ בֶּחָֽרֶב׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they mournedסָפַדsâphad · to mournH5594
- and weptבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
- and fastedצוּםtsûm · to fastH6684
- until evenעֶ֫רֶב‛ereb · eveningH6153
- for Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- and for Jonathanיְהוֹנָתָןyehônâthân · JonathanH3083
- his sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- and for the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and for the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- because they were fallenנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
- by the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 1:12
- Psalms 35:13But when they were sick, I wore sackcloth. I humbled myself with fasting. When my prayer returned unanswered,
- Proverbs 24:17Do not be happy when your enemy falls, and do not feel glad when he stumbles.
- Jeremiah 9:1“I wish that my head were ⌞filled with⌟ water and my eyes were a fountain of tears so that I could cry day and night for my dear people who have been killed.
- Amos 6:6How horrible it will be for those who drink wine by the jugful. They rub the finest oils all over themselves and are not sorry for the ruin ⌞of the descendants⌟ of Joseph.
- Matthew 5:44But I tell you this: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.
- 2 Corinthians 11:29When anyone is weak, I’m weak too. When anyone is caught in a trap, I’m also harmed.
- 1 Peter 3:8Finally, everyone must live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble.
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 1:12
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12For Saul - David‘s thoroughly patriotic and unselfish character is strongly marked here. He looked upon the death of Saul, and the defeat of Israel by a pagan foe, with unmixed sorrow, though it opened to him the way to the throne, and removed his mortal enemy out of the way. For Jonathan he mourned with all the tenderness of a loving friend.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-16Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-16An unnamed Amalekite went to David, claiming that he had killed Saul. This claim was false. Saul had taken his own life(1 Samuel 31:4–6). The Amalekite may have hoped that David would reward him for clearing the way for David to become king. Instead, David ordered him to be killed for harming the Lord’s anointed (the person God had chosen).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-122-12. a man came out of the camp from Saul--As the narrative of Saul's death, given in the last chapter, is inspired, it must be considered the true account, and the Amalekite's story a fiction of his own, invented to ingratiate himself with David, the presumptive successor to the throne. David's question, "How went the matter?" evinces the deep interest he took in the war, an interest that sprang from feelings of high and generous patriotism, not from…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 1:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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