2Sa 1:26 | KingComments | STEP | The song can be divided into three parts or stanzas. Each part starts with the words “how have the mighty fallen” ( ). The three parts decrease in strength and size. The first part consists of , the second part of and the third part of . The first part is about everything that can be said to the praise of the fallen mighty. We hear the deep grief about their death, the price for their braveness, their inseparable love and the qualities of Saul’s government that are to be appreciated. The second part sings of David’s friendship with Jonathan. The third part contains only one last sigh, with which the lamentation silences. David sings of what Saul was, not of what he was not. Saul has been a beauty for Israel ( ). David does not adore him, but commemorates the good he has done ( ), ignoring the evil Saul has done. David does not want the sad news of their death to be known to the enemies of Israel so that they will not rejoice ( ). Such joy would increase the grief over the loss that Israel has suffered. Two Philistine cities are mentioned: nearby Gath and far away at the sea Ashkelon. That it is about the joy of the Philistine women is because of the custom that the women celebrate the victory of their people by singing and dancing (cf. ). That should not happen with the enemy over the fall of Saul. We can learn from this that we must be careful how we speak about our brothers who have fallen into the hands of ‘the Philistines’, which are for us the nominal Christians. If we speak ill of such brothers, it will increase the joy of the Philistines. An example of their joy can be seen in the history of Samson, who fell alive into the hands of the Philistines ( ). David even calls upon nature to mourn along in this for Israel so sad occurrence ( ). He wants God to withhold His blessing from the mountains on which the mighty fell, so that they may be a permanent reminder of what has happened here. What a deep respect this shows for the LORD’s anointed. There is no room for bitterness and resentment. When Saul and Jonathan went to war, it was always with result ( ). Both weapons are poetically divided so that Jonathan has the bow and Saul the sword. Jonathan gave his bow to David after David’s victory over Goliath ( ). We don’t know if Jonathan got the bow back from David or if he used another bow in battle, but David will undoubtedly have remembered that special event. Perhaps this is the reason why the descendants of Judah, the tribe of David, have to learn the bow. It means learning to love Him Who is more than David and dedicate everything to Him. The bow shows the hitting of a goal from a distance, either in an offensive, or in a defensive battle. In any case, a bow presupposes battle and danger. In Jonathan giving his bow to David we see the effect of David’s fight against and victory over Goliath. There is no fight and no distance, but connectedness in love. Saul and Jonathan loved each other. Jonathan has always been beloved and pleasant; Saul has been so for as long as he went with Jonathan ( ). Jonathan stayed with Saul in his life and so it is in his death. David gives them both a great compliment by attributing to them characteristics that we also find with the throne of God. There we find with the first creature that it is “like a lion” and with the fourth creature that it is “like a flying eagle” ( ). The power of the lion and the speed and movability of the eagle ( ) are the main characteristics of the mighty of antiquity. As in life, so in death the two mighty are not parted. In braveness and courage they were equal to each other. Despite the difference in character and the different basic mindset toward David, Jonathan did not let his father down. The two qualifications “beloved and pleasant” apply above all to Jonathan. Yet they also apply to Saul when we think of his first years of government. In his sadness about Saul’s death, David thinks only of the praiseworthy aspects of his character. What David brings forward in this song speaks of the value Saul and Jonathan had for Israel ( ). They worked for Israel and gave it security and prosperity. He is not talking about all the suffering he personally suffered from Saul, but about the loss that their death means to Israel. As one of Saul’s merits David mentions his contribution to the prosperity of Israel’s daughters. Saul divided the spoils and made his people rich and distinguished. He is therefore a real son of Benjamin ( ). David concludes his lamentation with a personal word about Jonathan ( ). The distress of which David speaks here, is the distress and anxiety of his heart through sorrow and grief. He feels so much connected with Jonathan that he experiences his great friend’s loss as a distress. These are feelings that we can only understand if we know such a friendship and it comes to an end because our friend dies. David expresses a great personal grief because of the loss of someone who was more dear to him than anyone else on earth. The comparison with women’s love is to express the deepest connection in their love as friends. It bears witness to a corrupt spirit to think of homosexual love here. It is about a natural love that is different from the love for a woman. It is about the dedication of love and self-denial that were present with Jonathan. It’s about sharing things a woman doesn’t have. It is a unique connection. The fact that Jonathan stayed with Saul is something David ignores. He thinks only of the good. This also indicates that God wants us to teach to be sad about the loss of men who have been of great significance to His people. The loss of Jonathan is sung in a special and touching way by David. Even with people who do not follow the way of the rejected David – as a picture of the rejected Christ – a special bond is possible. This is possible if there is deep love for the Lord Jesus. The final words of the lament ( ) are an echo of what he expressed in the preceding verses. It is a final sigh, after which the silence of death remains. It is also a silence to let the song sink in and come to rest inwardly. For us, the silence of death is broken by Him Who conquered death by rising from the dead. He appears among His brethren to celebrate the victory over death.

‏ 2 Samuel 1:26

The Lamentation

The song can be divided into three parts or stanzas. Each part starts with the words “how have the mighty fallen” (2Sam 1:19 ; 25 ; 27). The three parts decrease in strength and size. The first part consists of 2Sam 1:19-24, the second part of 2Sam 1:25-26 and the third part of 2Sam 1:27. The first part is about everything that can be said to the praise of the fallen mighty. We hear the deep grief about their death, the price for their braveness, their inseparable love and the qualities of Saul’s government that are to be appreciated. The second part sings of David’s friendship with Jonathan. The third part contains only one last sigh, with which the lamentation silences.

David sings of what Saul was, not of what he was not. Saul has been a beauty for Israel (2Sam 1:19). David does not adore him, but commemorates the good he has done (1Sam 14:48), ignoring the evil Saul has done.

David does not want the sad news of their death to be known to the enemies of Israel so that they will not rejoice (2Sam 1:20). Such joy would increase the grief over the loss that Israel has suffered. Two Philistine cities are mentioned: nearby Gath and far away at the sea Ashkelon. That it is about the joy of the Philistine women is because of the custom that the women celebrate the victory of their people by singing and dancing (cf. 1Sam 18:7). That should not happen with the enemy over the fall of Saul.

We can learn from this that we must be careful how we speak about our brothers who have fallen into the hands of ‘the Philistines’, which are for us the nominal Christians. If we speak ill of such brothers, it will increase the joy of the Philistines. An example of their joy can be seen in the history of Samson, who fell alive into the hands of the Philistines (Jdg 16:23).

David even calls upon nature to mourn along in this for Israel so sad occurrence (2Sam 1:21). He wants God to withhold His blessing from the mountains on which the mighty fell, so that they may be a permanent reminder of what has happened here. What a deep respect this shows for the LORD’s anointed. There is no room for bitterness and resentment.

When Saul and Jonathan went to war, it was always with result (2Sam 1:22). Both weapons are poetically divided so that Jonathan has the bow and Saul the sword. Jonathan gave his bow to David after David’s victory over Goliath (1Sam 18:4). We don’t know if Jonathan got the bow back from David or if he used another bow in battle, but David will undoubtedly have remembered that special event. Perhaps this is the reason why the descendants of Judah, the tribe of David, have to learn the bow. It means learning to love Him Who is more than David and dedicate everything to Him.

The bow shows the hitting of a goal from a distance, either in an offensive, or in a defensive battle. In any case, a bow presupposes battle and danger. In Jonathan giving his bow to David we see the effect of David’s fight against and victory over Goliath. There is no fight and no distance, but connectedness in love.

Saul and Jonathan loved each other. Jonathan has always been beloved and pleasant; Saul has been so for as long as he went with Jonathan (2Sam 1:23). Jonathan stayed with Saul in his life and so it is in his death. David gives them both a great compliment by attributing to them characteristics that we also find with the throne of God. There we find with the first creature that it is “like a lion” and with the fourth creature that it is “like a flying eagle” (Rev 4:7). The power of the lion and the speed and movability of the eagle (Lam 4:19a) are the main characteristics of the mighty of antiquity.

As in life, so in death the two mighty are not parted. In braveness and courage they were equal to each other. Despite the difference in character and the different basic mindset toward David, Jonathan did not let his father down. The two qualifications “beloved and pleasant” apply above all to Jonathan. Yet they also apply to Saul when we think of his first years of government. In his sadness about Saul’s death, David thinks only of the praiseworthy aspects of his character.

What David brings forward in this song speaks of the value Saul and Jonathan had for Israel (2Sam 1:24). They worked for Israel and gave it security and prosperity. He is not talking about all the suffering he personally suffered from Saul, but about the loss that their death means to Israel. As one of Saul’s merits David mentions his contribution to the prosperity of Israel’s daughters. Saul divided the spoils and made his people rich and distinguished. He is therefore a real son of Benjamin (Gen 49:27).

David concludes his lamentation with a personal word about Jonathan (2Sam 1:25-26). The distress of which David speaks here, is the distress and anxiety of his heart through sorrow and grief. He feels so much connected with Jonathan that he experiences his great friend’s loss as a distress. These are feelings that we can only understand if we know such a friendship and it comes to an end because our friend dies.

David expresses a great personal grief because of the loss of someone who was more dear to him than anyone else on earth. The comparison with women’s love is to express the deepest connection in their love as friends. It bears witness to a corrupt spirit to think of homosexual love here. It is about a natural love that is different from the love for a woman. It is about the dedication of love and self-denial that were present with Jonathan. It’s about sharing things a woman doesn’t have. It is a unique connection.

The fact that Jonathan stayed with Saul is something David ignores. He thinks only of the good. This also indicates that God wants us to teach to be sad about the loss of men who have been of great significance to His people. The loss of Jonathan is sung in a special and touching way by David. Even with people who do not follow the way of the rejected David – as a picture of the rejected Christ – a special bond is possible. This is possible if there is deep love for the Lord Jesus.

The final words of the lament (2Sam 1:27) are an echo of what he expressed in the preceding verses. It is a final sigh, after which the silence of death remains. It is also a silence to let the song sink in and come to rest inwardly. For us, the silence of death is broken by Him Who conquered death by rising from the dead. He appears among His brethren to celebrate the victory over death.