2Sa 1:18 | KingComments | STEP | David expresses his grief over the death of Saul and Jonathan in a lamentation. Saul has been his most bitter enemy and Jonathan his most dear friend, but in this song of sadness he links them together. By expressing his grief in a song, it will also arouse feelings of grief among those who hear it. The fall of the heroes is brought much closer by a song than when it is mentioned as a fact. The emotion can be expressed better in a song than in a narrative and will therefore have a more powerful effect on the listener. The fact that the song is written down in a book also makes the effect more sustainable. The next generations, “the sons of Judah”, can share in the feelings of the past. The sons of Judah are the children of his tribe. David has them in the first place in mind. We not only need to know things, but we also need to be able to sing about them. Not only happy songs, but also songs that have the character of lamentations. Both kinds of songs can be found in the psalms David wrote. It is a song about the bow. The Judeans have to learn this song. Moses also taught the people a song ( ). There is teaching in a song: “Teaching and admonishing one another with psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” ( ). This song “is written in the book of Jashar” or “the book of the upright”. In that book is also written that Joshua made the sun and the moon stand still ( ). This links the lamentation of David and the victory of Joshua. However, there is a distinction. What Joshua did seems greater. Yet the demonstration of grace is greater than the demonstration of power. In the sorrow of David we see more of God’s Being than in the stopping of the sun and the moon. In the sorrow of David we see God’s heart; in the standing still of the sun and the moon we see God’s power. The fact that the song is written in a book means in the first place that the song must be saved for the next generations who have to learn it over and over again. A book has lasting value. To call this book “the book of the upright” presupposes that it is in accordance with the righteousness of God. It is a book that belongs to ‘the Upright’, that is God. It can also mean that it is a book in which only true stories are included. Those stories will have had a great moral value. Isn’t the Bible pre-eminently “the Book of the Upright”? This is why this song is given a place in the Bible. The song is called “[the song of] the bow”. Saul had become afraid of the archers ( ). David takes up this thought and teaches the use of the bow to the descendants of Judah – Judah means “praise” – so that they will not be afraid of it. Joseph, too, is besieged by archers, “but his bow remained firm, and his arms were agile, from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob” ( ). The song of the bow teaches us how to guard ourselves against the arrows of the archers and how to handle the bow ourselves. When it is about the bow in the hands of the enemy, we may know that the bow may be in the hands of the enemy, but that the arrow is controlled by our God. In the time David is in Ziklag, there are men “who helped [him] in war. They were equipped with bows, … [to shoot] arrows from the bow” ( ). These men, who can handle the bow well, have fled to David and have chosen his side. Whoever becomes prey of the bow must lose. Whoever loses the bow must lose. Saul no longer had a bow, but Joseph’s bow remained firm, even when he was attacked by it. Who can handle the bow has the strength to fight.

‏ 2 Samuel 1:18

Lament of David as a Teaching Song

David expresses his grief over the death of Saul and Jonathan in a lamentation. Saul has been his most bitter enemy and Jonathan his most dear friend, but in this song of sadness he links them together. By expressing his grief in a song, it will also arouse feelings of grief among those who hear it. The fall of the heroes is brought much closer by a song than when it is mentioned as a fact.

The emotion can be expressed better in a song than in a narrative and will therefore have a more powerful effect on the listener. The fact that the song is written down in a book also makes the effect more sustainable. The next generations, “the sons of Judah”, can share in the feelings of the past.

The sons of Judah are the children of his tribe. David has them in the first place in mind. We not only need to know things, but we also need to be able to sing about them. Not only happy songs, but also songs that have the character of lamentations. Both kinds of songs can be found in the psalms David wrote.

It is a song about the bow. The Judeans have to learn this song. Moses also taught the people a song (Deu 31:19 ; 22 ; 30). There is teaching in a song: “Teaching and admonishing one another with psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col 3:16). This song “is written in the book of Jashar” or “the book of the upright”. In that book is also written that Joshua made the sun and the moon stand still (Jos 10:13). This links the lamentation of David and the victory of Joshua.

However, there is a distinction. What Joshua did seems greater. Yet the demonstration of grace is greater than the demonstration of power. In the sorrow of David we see more of God’s Being than in the stopping of the sun and the moon. In the sorrow of David we see God’s heart; in the standing still of the sun and the moon we see God’s power.

The fact that the song is written in a book means in the first place that the song must be saved for the next generations who have to learn it over and over again. A book has lasting value. To call this book “the book of the upright” presupposes that it is in accordance with the righteousness of God. It is a book that belongs to ‘the Upright’, that is God. It can also mean that it is a book in which only true stories are included. Those stories will have had a great moral value. Isn’t the Bible pre-eminently “the Book of the Upright”? This is why this song is given a place in the Bible.

The song is called “[the song of] the bow”. Saul had become afraid of the archers (1Sam 31:3). David takes up this thought and teaches the use of the bow to the descendants of Judah – Judah means “praise” – so that they will not be afraid of it. Joseph, too, is besieged by archers, “but his bow remained firm, and his arms were agile, from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob” (Gen 49:23-24).

The song of the bow teaches us how to guard ourselves against the arrows of the archers and how to handle the bow ourselves. When it is about the bow in the hands of the enemy, we may know that the bow may be in the hands of the enemy, but that the arrow is controlled by our God.

In the time David is in Ziklag, there are men “who helped [him] in war. They were equipped with bows, … [to shoot] arrows from the bow” (1Chr 12:1-2). These men, who can handle the bow well, have fled to David and have chosen his side. Whoever becomes prey of the bow must lose. Whoever loses the bow must lose. Saul no longer had a bow, but Joseph’s bow remained firm, even when he was attacked by it. Who can handle the bow has the strength to fight.