Then David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and all the men who were with him did the same.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then David took hold on his clothes, and tore them; and all the men who were with him did likewise.
- KJV Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:
- NKJV Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him.
- NASB Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him.
- NLT David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David tears his clothes in grief at the news. His sorrow shows genuine mourning rather than triumph over his rival.
Overview
Tearing one's garments was a profound expression of grief and distress. David's reaction reveals a heart untainted by ambition's cruelty; he laments the fall of Saul and Jonathan rather than celebrating his enemy's death. This response models the call to love even one's enemies, anticipating the greater Son of David who wept over those who opposed Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 2 Sam 13:31Then the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
- Gen 37:29When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
- 2 Sam 3:31Then David ordered Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David himself walked behind the funeral bier.
- Gen 37:34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
- Acts 14:14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul found out about this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting,
- Josh 7:6Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
- Rom 12:15Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 1:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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