2 Samuel 1:4

2 Samuel 1:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
• New International Version (NIV)“What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.” “The men fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And David said to him, "How did it go? Tell me." And he answered, "The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then David said to him, “How did the matter go? Please tell me.” And he answered, “The people have fled from the battle, many of the people are fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.”

Context of 2 Samuel 1:4

2On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s army camp. He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head to show that he was in mourning. He fell to the ground before David in deep respect. 3“Where have you come from?” David asked. “I escaped from the Israelite camp,” the man replied. “What happened?” David demanded. “Tell me how the battle went.” The man replied, “Our entire army fled from the battle. Many of the men are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5“How do you know Saul and Jonathan are dead?” David demanded of the young man. 6The man answered, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear with the enemy chariots and charioteers closing in on him.

2 Samuel 1:4 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֥יו דָּוִ֛ד מֶה־הָיָ֥ה הַדָּבָ֖ר הַגֶּד־נָ֣א לִ֑י וַ֠יֹּאמֶר אֲשֶׁר־נָ֨ס הָעָ֜ם מִן־הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וְגַם־הַרְבֵּ֞ה נָפַ֤ל מִן־הָעָם֙ וַיָּמֻ֔תוּ וְגַ֗ם שָׁא֛וּל וִיהוֹנָתָ֥ן בְּנ֖וֹ מֵֽתוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto him, Howמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
• went the matterדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• I pray thee, tellנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• That the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• are fledנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
• from the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• and manyרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• also are fallenנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• and deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• and Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• and Jonathanיְהוֹנָתָןyehônâthân · JonathanH3083
• his sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 1:4

• 1 Samuel 4:16He said to Eli, “I have just come from the battlefield—I was there this very day.” “What happened, my son?” Eli demanded.
• 1 Samuel 31:1Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa.
• 1 Chronicles 10:1Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 1:4

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4What was the outcome?: David did not know about Saul's death because he was not involved in it. Saul and … Jonathan are also dead: Two other sons of Saul, Abinadab and Malkishua, were killed as well (1 Samuel 31:2). The Amalekite may not have known that Saul’s other sons had died. Or he mentioned only the son who could prevent David from ruling as king of Israel.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 1:4

• David

In the dictionaries

• David
• Jonathan
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Beauty
• Empty
• Lovely
• Tell
• Vilely
• Whole

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