2 Samuel 1:27

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Samuel 1:17-27

When David had rent his clothes, mourned, and wept, and fasted, for the death of Saul, and done justice upon him who made himself guilty of it, one would think he had made full payment of the debt of honour he owed to his memory; yet this is not all: we have here a poem he wrote on that occasion; for he was a great master of his pen as well as of his sword. By this elegy he designed both to express his own sorrow for this great calamity and to impress the like on the minds of others, who ought... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 1:27

How are the mighty fallen ,.... This is the burden of this elegiac song, being the third time it is mentioned: and the weapons of war perished ! not only the valiant soldiers were killed, but their arms were lost; and particularly he may mean Saul and Jonathan, who as they were the shields of the people, so they were the true weapons and instruments of war, and with them all military glory perished; which must be understood as a poetical figure, exaggerating their military characters;... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 1:11-27

The facts of the section are: 1 . Having become assured, through the testimony of the Amalekite, of the defeat of Israel in the death of Saul and Jonathan, David and his men spent the rest of the day in mourning. 2 . On the morrow David examines the Amalekite as to the particulars of Saul's death, and being shocked at the sin and shame of slaying the Lord's anointed, he condemns the man to death. 3 . Being left to his own reflections on the sad event which had happened to Israel,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 1:19-27

David's lamentation over Saul and Jonathan. In this lamentation there is— I. A DECLARATION OF THE CAUSE OF MOURNING . "O pride of Israel, on thy high places slain! Alas! fallen are the heroes." ( 2 Samuel 1:19 .) This is the keynote. It contains "the theme of the entire ode." 1 . Men of rich endowments are the ornament, beauty, and glory of a people. 2 . Such men are sometimes stricken down suddenly and under unexpected circumstances. "Not on the level... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 1:27

How are the mighty fallen! This lament, which occurs three times, is the central thought of the elegy. Glorious and noble in their pest lives, the heroes had now fallen, not as Wolfe fell at Quebec, with the shout of victory in his ears, but in the lost battle. And David seeks relief for his distress in dwelling upon the sad contrast between the splendid victories which Saul had won for Israel when first chosen to be king, and the terrible defeat by which life and kingdom had now been lost. ... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 2 Samuel 1:25-27

2 Samuel 1:25-27. O Jonathan, slain in thy high places He says thy, for they were in Jonathan’s country; and, had not his father disinherited him by his sins, in his dominions. Thus David’s grief, which began with Jonathan, naturally ends with him. It is well known that we lament ourselves in the loss of our friends; and David was no way solicitous to conceal this circumstance. I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan In the former part of this lamentation David celebrates Jonathan... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 1:1-27

1:1-4:12 CIVIL WAR AFTER SAUL’S DEATHMourning for Saul and Jonathan (1:1-27)David learnt of Saul’s death from one of Saul’s own men, an Amalekite who had become a citizen of Israel (1:1-4; see v. 13). The man clearly thought that by adding a few details to the story and by bringing Saul’s crown to David, he could win David’s favour (5-10; cf. 4:10).As long as Saul lived, David had regarded him as the Lord’s anointed king and had consistently refused to harm him (cf. 1 Samuel 24:6; 1 Samuel... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 2 Samuel 1:27

How, &c. Render: "How [is it that] mighty ones have fallen, and weapons of war have perished". read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 2 Samuel 1:1-27

1. David’s discovery of Saul and Jonathan’s deaths ch. 11 Samuel 31 and 2 Samuel 1 record the transition that took place in the royal leadership of Israel. 1 Samuel 31 contains the factual account of Saul’s death. One writer saw no reason why both accounts could not be true. [Note: See Leon Wood, Israel’s United Monarchy, p. 168] read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 2 Samuel 1:17-27

David’s lament for Saul and Jonathan 1:17-27Students of David’s lament over Saul and Jonathan’s deaths have called it the Song of the Bow (cf. 2 Samuel 1:22). Laments over the deaths of individuals are not uncommon in the Old Testament (cf. 1 Kings 13:30; Jeremiah 22:18; Jeremiah 34:5; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Ezekiel 32:2-15). The only other of David’s laments over an individual’s death recorded in Scripture were for Abner, Saul’s commander-in-chief (2 Samuel 3:33-34), and David’s son Absalom (2... read more

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