Then David took up this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan,
Parallel translations
- WEB David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son
- KJV And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
- NKJV Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son,
- NASB Then David sang this song of mourning over Saul and his son Jonathan,
- NLT Then David composed a funeral song for Saul and Jonathan,
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 composes a lament over Saul and Jonathan. His poetic grief honors both the king and his friend.
Overview
This lament, often called the Song of the Bow, is one of the great elegies of Scripture. That David memorializes even Saul, who hunted him, displays magnanimity and reverence for God's anointed. The poem models how believers may grieve with dignity and grace, honoring what was good even amid loss.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 2 Chr 35:25Then Jeremiah lamented over Josiah, and to this day all the choirs of men and women sing laments over Josiah. They established them as a statute for Israel, and indeed they are written in the Book of Laments.
- 2 Sam 1:19“Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen!
- Gen 50:11When the Canaanites of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn ceremony of mourning by the Egyptians.” Thus the place across the Jordan is called Abel-mizraim.
- Jer 9:17–21This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Take note, and summon the wailing women; send for the most skillful among them.
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 1:17 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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