2 Samuel 1:8

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ I told him: I’m an Amalekite.

Hebrew Names Version
He said to me, Who are you? I answered him, I am an `Amaleki.

King James Version
And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

Lexham English Bible
Then he said to me, ‘Who are you?' And I said to him, ‘I am an Amalekite.'

English Standard Version
And he said to me, ‘Who are you?' I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.'

New Century Version
"Then Saul asked me, ‘Who are you?' "I told him, ‘I am an Amalekite.'

New English Translation
He asked me, ‘Who are you?' I told him, ‘I'm an Amalekite.'

Amplified Bible
"He asked me, 'Who are you?' I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.'

New American Standard Bible
"Then he said to me, 'Who are you?' And I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
And he said vnto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he said to me, ‘Who are you?' And I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.'

Contemporary English Version
Saul asked me, "Who are you?" "An Amalekite," I answered.

Complete Jewish Bible
He said to me, ‘Who are you?' and I answered, ‘I'm an ‘Amaleki'

Darby Translation
And he said to me, Who art thou? And I said to him, I am an Amalekite.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then Saul asked me who I was. I told him that I was an Amalekite.

George Lamsa Translation
And he said to me, Who are you? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

Good News Translation
He asked who I was, and I told him that I was an Amalekite.

Literal Translation
And he said to me, Who are you? And I said, I am an Amalekite.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he sayde vnto me: What art thou? I sayde vnto him: I am an Amalechite.

American Standard Version
And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

Bible in Basic English
And he said to me, Who are you? And I said, I am an Amalekite.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he sayde vnto me: Who art thou? I aunswered him: I am an Amalekite.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said unto me: Who art thou? And I answered him: I am an Amalekite.

King James Version (1611)
And hee said vnto mee, Who art thou? and I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said to me, Who art thou? and I said, I am an Amalekite.

English Revised Version
And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

Berean Standard Bible
'Who are you?' he asked. So I told him, 'I am an Amalekite.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y seide to hym, Y am a man of Amalech.

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith to me, Who [art] thou? and I say unto him, An Amalekite I [am].'

Update Bible Version
And he said to me, Who are you? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said to me, Who [art] thou? And I answered him, I [am] an Amalekite.

World English Bible
He said to me, Who are you? I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

New King James Version
And he said to me, "Who are you?' So I answered him, "I am an Amalekite.'

New Living Translation
"He responded, ‘Who are you?' "‘I am an Amalekite,' I told him.

New Life Bible
He said to me, ‘Who are you?' And I answered, ‘I am an Amalekite.'

New Revised Standard
And he said to me, ‘Who are you?' I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.'

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I said unto him, An Amalekite, am I.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to me: Who art thou? And I said to him: I am an Amalecite.

Revised Standard Version
And he said to me, 'Who are you?' I answered him, 'I am an Amal'ekite.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"He said to me, 'Who are you?' And I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.'

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

an Amalekite: Genesis 14:7, Exodus 17:8-16, Numbers 24:20, Deuteronomy 25:17-19, 1 Samuel 15:3, 1 Samuel 27:8, 1 Samuel 30:1, 1 Samuel 30:13, 1 Samuel 30:17

Reciprocal: Exodus 17:14 - for I will 2 Samuel 1:13 - General

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.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said unto me, who [art] thou?.... Being willing to know whether a friend or an enemy, which by his coming behind him he could not tell:

and I answered him, I [am] an Amalekite: which he might be; but it is not likely he should tell Saul he was, which would not recommend him to him; though indeed he was now in such circumstances, that the Amalekites had nothing to fear from him; and if he was slain by him, as Josephus f affirms he was, it seems to be a just retaliation on him for sparing any of that race, contrary to the will of God.

f Antiqu. l. 6. c. 14. sect. 7.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 1:8. I am an Amalekite.] Dr. Delaney remarks that an Amalekite took that crown from off the head of Saul, which he had forfeited by his disobedience in the case of Amalek.