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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

2 Samuel 1:4

"So what happened?" said David. "What's the news?" He said, "The Israelites have fled the battlefield, leaving a lot of their dead comrades behind. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - David;   Thompson Chain Reference - Defeats;   Israel;   Israel-The Jews;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jonathan;   Saul;   Temple;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ziklag;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Amalekites;   Samuel, the Books of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Court Systems;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Israel;   Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mount gilboa;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Dwelling;   Jonathan;   Scripture;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Da'vid;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hafá¹­arah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“What was the outcome? Tell me,” David asked him.
Hebrew Names Version
David said to him, How went the matter? Please tell me. He answered, The people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Sha'ul and Yonatan his son are dead also.
King James Version
And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
Lexham English Bible
Then David said to him, "How did things go? Please tell me." He answered, "When the army fled from the battle, and many of the people fell; also, Saul and Jonathan his son died."
English Standard Version
And David said to him, "How did it go? Tell me." And he answered, "The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead."
New Century Version
David asked him, "What happened? Please tell me!" The man answered, "The people have run away from the battle, and many of them have fallen and are dead. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also."
New English Translation
David inquired, "How were things going? Tell me!" He replied, "The people fled from the battle and many of them fell dead. Even Saul and his son Jonathan are dead!"
Amplified Bible
David said to him, "How did it go? Please tell me." He answered, "The people have fled from the battle. Also, many of the people have fallen and are dead; Saul and Jonathan his son are also dead."
New American Standard Bible
David said to him, "How did things go? Please tell me." And he said, "The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead; and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Dauid saide vnto him, What is done? I pray thee, tell me. Then he said, that the people is fled from the battel, and many of the people are ouerthrowen, and dead, & also Saul and Ionathan his sonne are dead.
Legacy Standard Bible
And David said to him, "How did things go? Tell me now." And he said, "The people have fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also."
Contemporary English Version
"Who won the battle?" David asked. The man said, "Our army turned and ran, but many were wounded and died. Even King Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."
Complete Jewish Bible
"Tell me, please, how did things go?" asked David. "The people have fled the battle," he answered, "and many of them are wounded or dead. Sha'ul and Y'honatan his son are dead too."
Darby Translation
And David said to him, What has taken place? I pray thee, tell me. And he said that the people had fled from the battle, and many of the people also had fallen and died, and that Saul and Jonathan his son were dead also.
Easy-to-Read Version
David asked him, "Please tell me, who won the battle?" The man answered, "Our people ran away from the battle. Many of them were killed in the battle. Even Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."
George Lamsa Translation
And David said to him, What is the news? Tell me. And he answered, The people fled from the battle, and many of them also have fallen; and Saul and Jonathan his son are also dead.
Good News Translation
"Tell me what happened," David said. "Our army ran away from the battle," he replied, "and many of our men were killed. Saul and his son Jonathan were also killed."
Literal Translation
And David said to him, How did the matter go? Please tell me. And he answered, The people fled from the battle and also a multitude of the people have fallen, and they died, and also Saul and his son Jonathan have died.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Dauid sayde vnto him: Tell me, what is the matter? He sayde: the people is fled from the battayll, and many of the people are fallen: Yee and Saul also is deed and his sonne Ionathas.
American Standard Version
And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, The people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
Bible in Basic English
And David said to him, How did things go? Give me the news. And in answer he said, The people have gone in flight from the fight, and a great number of them are dead; and Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauid sayde vnto him: And what is done I pray thee? tell me. He sayde: The people is fled from the battell, and many of the people are ouerthrowen and dead, and Saul and Ionathan his sonne are dead also.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David said unto him: 'How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me.' And he answered: 'The people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.'
King James Version (1611)
And Dauid said vnto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell mee. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battell, and many of the people also are fallen and dead, and Saul and Ionathan his sonne are dead also.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David said to him, What is the matter? tell me. And he said, The people fled out of the battle, and many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead.
English Revised Version
And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, The people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
Berean Standard Bible
"What was the outcome?" David asked. "Please tell me." "The troops fled from the battle," he replied. "Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Dauid seide to hym, What is the word which is doon; schewe thou to me. And he seide, The puple fledde fro the batel, and many of the puple felden, and ben deed; but also Saul, and Jonathas, his sonne, perischyden.
Young's Literal Translation
And David saith unto him, `What hath been the matter? declare, I pray thee, to me.' And he saith, that `The people hath fled from the battle, and also a multitude hath fallen of the people, and they die; and also Saul and Jonathan his son have died.'
Update Bible Version
And David said to him, How did it go? I pray you, tell me. And he answered, The people fled from the battle, and many of the people also fell and have died; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen, and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
World English Bible
David said to him, How went the matter? Please tell me. He answered, The people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
New King James Version
Then David said to him, "How did the matter go? Please tell me." And he answered, "The people have fled from the battle, many of the people are fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also."
New Living Translation
"What happened?" David demanded. "Tell me how the battle went." The man replied, "Our entire army fled from the battle. Many of the men are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead."
New Life Bible
David said to him, "How did it go? Tell me." And the man said, "The people have run from the battle. Many have fallen and are dead. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also."
New Revised Standard
David said to him, "How did things go? Tell me!" He answered, "The army fled from the battle, but also many of the army fell and died; and Saul and his son Jonathan also died."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And David said unto him - How turned out the matter? tell me, I pray thee. And he said - The people have fled from the battle, yea moreover, many, of the people have fallen, and died, Yea moreover, Saul, and Jonathan his son, are dead.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said unto him: What is the matter that is come to pass? tell me: He said: The people are fled from the battle, and many of the people are fallen and dead: moreover Saul and Jonathan his son are slain.
Revised Standard Version
And David said to him, "How did it go? Tell me." And he answered, "The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead; and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
David said to him, "How did things go? Please tell me." And he said, "The people have fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also."

Contextual Overview

1Shortly after Saul died, David returned to Ziklag from his rout of the Amalekites. Three days later a man showed up unannounced from Saul's army camp. Disheveled and obviously in mourning, he fell to his knees in respect before David. David asked, "What brings you here?" He answered, "I've just escaped from the camp of Israel." "So what happened?" said David. "What's the news?" He said, "The Israelites have fled the battlefield, leaving a lot of their dead comrades behind. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead." David pressed the young soldier for details: "How do you know for sure that Saul and Jonathan are dead?" "I just happened by Mount Gilboa and came on Saul, badly wounded and leaning on his spear, with enemy chariots and horsemen bearing down hard on him. He looked behind him, saw me, and called me to him. ‘Yes sir,' I said, ‘at your service.' He asked me who I was, and I told him, ‘I'm an Amalekite.'" "Come here," he said, "and put me out of my misery. I'm nearly dead already, but my life hangs on." "So I did what he asked—I killed him. I knew he wouldn't last much longer anyway. I removed his royal headband and bracelet, and have brought them to my master. Here they are." In lament, David ripped his clothes to ribbons. All the men with him did the same. They wept and fasted the rest of the day, grieving the death of Saul and his son Jonathan, and also the army of God and the nation Israel, victims in a failed battle. Then David spoke to the young soldier who had brought the report: "Who are you, anyway?" "I'm from an immigrant family—an Amalekite." "Do you mean to say," said David, "that you weren't afraid to up and kill God 's anointed king?" Right then he ordered one of his soldiers, "Strike him dead!" The soldier struck him, and he died. "You asked for it," David told him. "You sealed your death sentence when you said you killed God 's anointed king." Then David sang this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan, and gave orders that everyone in Judah learn it by heart. Yes, it's even inscribed in The Book of Jashar. Oh, oh, Gazelles of Israel, struck down on your hills, the mighty warriors—fallen, fallen! Don't announce it in the city of Gath, don't post the news in the streets of Ashkelon. Don't give those coarse Philistine girls one more excuse for a drunken party! No more dew or rain for you, hills of Gilboa, and not a drop from springs and wells, For there the warriors' shields were dragged through the mud, Saul's shield left there to rot. Jonathan's bow was bold— the bigger they were the harder they fell. Saul's sword was fearless— once out of the scabbard, nothing could stop it. Saul and Jonathan—beloved, beautiful! Together in life, together in death. Swifter than plummeting eagles, stronger than proud lions. Women of Israel, weep for Saul. He dressed you in finest cottons and silks, spared no expense in making you elegant. The mighty warriors—fallen, fallen in the middle of the fight! Jonathan—struck down on your hills! O my dear brother Jonathan, I'm crushed by your death. Your friendship was a miracle-wonder, love far exceeding anything I've known— or ever hope to know. The mighty warriors—fallen, fallen. And the arms of war broken to bits. 3 Shortly after Saul died, David returned to Ziklag from his rout of the Amalekites. Three days later a man showed up unannounced from Saul's army camp. Disheveled and obviously in mourning, he fell to his knees in respect before David. David asked, "What brings you here?" He answered, "I've just escaped from the camp of Israel." 4 "So what happened?" said David. "What's the news?" He said, "The Israelites have fled the battlefield, leaving a lot of their dead comrades behind. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead." 5 David pressed the young soldier for details: "How do you know for sure that Saul and Jonathan are dead?" 6"I just happened by Mount Gilboa and came on Saul, badly wounded and leaning on his spear, with enemy chariots and horsemen bearing down hard on him. He looked behind him, saw me, and called me to him. ‘Yes sir,' I said, ‘at your service.' He asked me who I was, and I told him, ‘I'm an Amalekite.'" 9 "Come here," he said, "and put me out of my misery. I'm nearly dead already, but my life hangs on." 10 "So I did what he asked—I killed him. I knew he wouldn't last much longer anyway. I removed his royal headband and bracelet, and have brought them to my master. Here they are."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

How went: Heb. What was, etc. 1 Samuel 4:16, *marg.

the people: 1 Samuel 31:1-6, 1 Chronicles 10:1-6

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 14:1 - Jonathan 1 Samuel 31:3 - went sore 1 Chronicles 10:3 - went Jeremiah 48:19 - ask

Cross-References

Genesis 1:31
God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good! It was evening, it was morning— Day Six.
Ecclesiastes 11:7
Oh, how sweet the light of day, And how wonderful to live in the sunshine! Even if you live a long time, don't take a single day for granted. Take delight in each light-filled hour, Remembering that there will also be many dark days And that most of what comes your way is smoke.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David said unto him, how went the matter? I pray thee, tell me,.... That is, how went the battle? on which side the victory?

and he answered, that the people are fled from the battle; meaning the people of Israel, they had given way, and turned their backs upon their enemies, and were fled:

and many of the people also are fallen and dead; fell by the sword in the pursuit of them, and were not only wounded, but were slain, and these great numbers of them:

and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also; which are mentioned last, because they fell some of the last; and this part of the account is reserved by the messenger to the last, because it was the article of the greatest importance; the death of these two persons, the one the enemy, and the other the friend of David, and the death of both made way for his accession to the throne.


 
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