2 Samuel 1:17-27

The Song of the Bow. 2 Samuel 1:17-27

17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher:)

19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places:

how are the mighty fallen!

20 Tell it not in Gath,

publish it not in the streets of Askelon;

lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph

21 Ye mountains of Gilboa,

let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you,

nor fields of offerings:

for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been

anointed with oil,

22 From the blood of the slain,

from the fat of the mighty,
the bow of Jonathan turned not back,
and the sword of Saul returned not empty.

23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives,

and in their death they were not divided:
they were swifter than eagles,
they were stronger than lions.

24 Ye daughters of Israel,

weep over Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights;

who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!

O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.

26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan:

very pleasant hast thou been unto me:
thy love to me was wonderful,
passing the love of women.

27 How are the mighty fallen,

and the weapons of war perished!

11.

What was the Song of the Bow? 2 Samuel 1:18

The Song of the Bow is the name given to lamentation that David wrote at the time of the death of Saul and Jonathan. Why this title is given to this particular passage is not known. There is a mention of the bow in 2 Samuel 1:22. It seems better to regard this verse as a notice of the fact that David commanded that the children of Judah learn this song than that he ordered all of them to have training in the actual use of the bow.

12.

What was the book of Jasher? 2 Samuel 1:18 b

The book of Jasher was evidently a non-canonical book kept by the Israelites to record the outstanding exploits of their national heroes. This book is mentioned also in Joshua 10:13. The word Jasher comes from a Hebrew root which signifies the upright or the righteous. This is evidently another way of referring to the Israelites by calling them the righteous or upright people.

13.

In whom was the beauty of Israel? 2 Samuel 1:19

Later on in the song David refers to Saul and Jonathan being lovely and pleasant in their lives (2 Samuel 1:23). He may have been referring to the king of Israel who was indeed a handsome man. He stood head and shoulders above all the other Israelites. More than this David was lamenting the fact that the best young men of all Israel had fallen in battle.

14.

Why did he not want it told in Gath? 2 Samuel 1:20

The Philistines had taken Saul's head and sent it around to the various cities of Philistia (1 Samuel 31:9). They published it in the house of their idols and among the people. David regretted this and he did not want it told. He was praying that they might not have reason to rejoice in Philistia. He did not want it told in Ashkelon or to see the daughters of Philistines rejoice.

15.

Why did he speak about the mountains of Gilboa? 2 Samuel 1:21

The mountain of Gilboa would stand for defeat to the people of Israel from this day forward. It was the place where their first king had fallen in battle. David prayed that there might not be dew or rain upon the mountains. He prayed that there might not be fields of offerings. Evidently he meant that he hoped that there would not be grain to grow, a portion of which might be used for an offering. This was David's way of saying that the mountain of Gilboa would stand for defeat as Waterloo did for Napoleon.

16.

Did David praise Saul? 2 Samuel 1:22

David did praise Saul. David had always praised Saul. He would not condone Saul's sin; he would praise those things worthwhile in the character of Saul. Saul's character, up until the time that he became unmindful of the commandments of God, was worth praising. David said that Saul and Jonathan had been victorious in many battles, They had not come back empty from their campaigns. The bow of Jonathan had turned not back from the blood of the slain or from the fat of the mighty.

17.

What benefits had Israel received from Saul? 2 Samuel 1:24

David's mentioning of the women being clothed in scarlet and other delights indicates that some prosperity had come to Israel because of Saul's reign. David said that he had put on them ornaments of gold which would point to considerable prosperity. Many of Samuel's predictions of the nature of the kingdom must have come true. Samuel had said that if Israel had a king they would have to pay taxes (1 Samuel 8:10-18). Samuel indicated that a king would become so oppressive that they would cry out for relief. This certainly came true in the days of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:1-4) when the people of Israel asked for relief from their taxes. Some indication of their chafing under the yoke of the king is seen from the fact that people who were distressed or in debt came to follow David (1 Samuel 22:2). These people had to pay for some of the blessings which they had received, but they should have been thankful for the leadership which Saul gave to them.

18.

Why did David speak of Jonathan's love? 2 Samuel 1:26

Jonathan's soul was knit to the soul of David from the time of David's introduction to Saul after David had killed Goliath (1 Samuel 18:1). At that time we read Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Jonathan and David entered into a covenant which was renewed on a number of occasions. They pledged themselves to lifelong loyalty to each other and they also promised that they would not do harm to each other's descendants. It was for this reason that David spoke of Jonathan's love.