2 Samuel 1:9

THE MESSAGE

"Come here," he said, "and put me out of my misery. I'm nearly dead already, but my life hangs on."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then he begged me, ‘Stand over me and kill me, for I’m mortally wounded, but my life still lingers.’

Hebrew Names Version
He said to me, Stand, I pray you, beside me, and kill me; for anguish has taken hold of me, because my life is yet whole in me.

King James Version
He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.

Lexham English Bible
He said to me, ‘Please stand over me and kill me, for convulsions have seized me, even though my life is still in me.'

English Standard Version
And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.'

New Century Version
"Then Saul said to me, ‘Please come here and kill me. I am badly hurt and am almost dead already.'

New English Translation
He said to me, ‘Stand over me and finish me off! I'm very dizzy, even though I'm still alive.'

Amplified Bible
"He said to me, 'Stand up facing me and kill me, for [terrible] agony has come over me, yet I still live [and I will be taken alive].'

New American Standard Bible
"And he said to me, 'Please stand next to me and finish me off, for agony has seized me because my life still lingers in me.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then saide hee vnto me, I pray thee come vpon mee, and slay me: for anguish is come vpon me, because my life is yet whole in me.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said to me, ‘Please stand beside me and put me to death, for agony has seized me because my life still lingers in me.'

Contemporary English Version
Then he said, "Kill me! I'm dying, and I'm in terrible pain."

Complete Jewish Bible
He said to me, ‘I'm in agony, and I'm going to die, but I'm still alive. So please, stand next to me; and kill me.'

Darby Translation
He said to me again, Stand, I pray thee, over me, and slay me; for anguish has seized me; for my life is yet whole in me.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then Saul said, ‘Please kill me. I am hurt badly. And I am about to die anyway.'

George Lamsa Translation
Then he said to me, Stand over me and slay me; for anguish has seized me because my life is still whole in me.

Good News Translation
Then he said, ‘Come here and kill me! I have been badly wounded, and I'm about to die.'

Literal Translation
And he said to me, Please stand over me and kill me, for agony has seized me; for all my life is still in me.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he saide vnto me: Come to me, and kyll me, for anguysh hath gotten holde of me: for my life is yet whole within me.

American Standard Version
And he said unto me, Stand, I pray thee, beside me, and slay me; for anguish hath taken hold of me, because my life is yet whole in me.

Bible in Basic English
Then he said to me, Come here to my side, and put me to death, for the pain of death has me in its grip but my life is still strong in me.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
He sayde vnto me agayne: I pray thee come vpon me, and slea me: For anguyshe is come vpon me, because my life is yet whole in me.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said unto me: Stand, I pray thee, beside me, and slay me, for the agony hath taken hold of me; because my life is just yet in me.

King James Version (1611)
He said vnto me againe, Stand, I pray thee, vpon me, and slay me: for anguish is come vpon mee, because my life is yet whole in me.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said to me, Stand, I pray thee, over me, and slay me, for a dreadful darkness has come upon me, for all my life is in me.

English Revised Version
And he said unto me, Stand, I pray thee, beside me, and slay me, for anguish hath taken hold of me; because my life is yet whole in me.

Berean Standard Bible
Then he begged me, 'Stand over me and kill me, for agony has seized me but my life still lingers.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he spak to me, Stonde thou on me, and sle me; for angwischis holden me, and yit al my lijf is in me.

Young's Literal Translation
`And he saith unto me, Stand, I pray thee, over me, and put me to death, for seized me hath the arrow, for all my soul [is] still in me.

Update Bible Version
And he said to me, Stand, I pray you, beside me, and slay me; for anguish has taken hold of me, because my life is yet whole in me.

Webster's Bible Translation
He said to me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life [is] yet whole in me.

World English Bible
He said to me, Stand, I pray you, beside me, and kill me; for anguish has taken hold of me, because my life is yet whole in me.

New King James Version
He said to me again, "Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.'

New Living Translation
"Then he begged me, ‘Come over here and put me out of my misery, for I am in terrible pain and want to die.'

New Life Bible
Then he said to me, ‘I beg you, stand beside me and kill me. I am in pain, and yet I am still alive.'

New Revised Standard
He said to me, ‘Come, stand over me and kill me; for convulsions have seized me, and yet my life still lingers.'

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said unto me, I pray thee, take thy stand by me, and put me to death, for the cramp hath seized me, - even for as long as my life shall be in me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to me: Stand over me, and kill me: for anguish is come upon me, and as yet my whole life is in me.

Revised Standard Version
And he said to me, 'Stand beside me and slay me; for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Then he said to me, 'Please stand beside me and kill me, for agony has seized me because my life still lingers in me.'

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

anguish: etc. or, my coat of mail, or, my embroidered coat hindereth me, that my, etc

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 31:4 - Saul 1 Chronicles 10:4 - Saul took Revelation 9:6 - shall men

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.

Genesis 1:6
God spoke: "Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!" God made sky. He separated the water under sky from the water above sky. And there it was: he named sky the Heavens; It was evening, it was morning— Day Two.

Genesis 1:9
God spoke: "Separate! Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place; Land, appear!" And there it was. God named the land Earth. He named the pooled water Ocean. God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:11
God spoke: "Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants, Every sort of fruit-bearing tree." And there it was. Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. God saw that it was good. It was evening, it was morning— Day Three.

Genesis 1:29
Then God said, "I've given you every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth And every kind of fruit-bearing tree, given them to you for food. To all animals and all birds, everything that moves and breathes, I give whatever grows out of the ground for food." And there it was.

Jonah 1:9
He told them, "I'm a Hebrew. I worship God , the God of heaven who made sea and land."

2 Peter 3:5
They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God's word. Then God's word brought the chaos back in a flood that destroyed the world. The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgment and destruction of the desecrating skeptics.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said unto me again, stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me,.... Which it can hardly be thought Saul would say; since he might as well have died by the hands of the uncircumcised Philistines, which he endeavoured to avoid, as by the hands of an Amalekite:

for anguish is come upon me; or trembling, as the Targum, not through fear of death, but through fear of falling into the hands of the Philistines, and of being ill used by them. Some render the words, "my embroidered coat", or "breastplate", or "coat of mail", holds me g, or hinders me from being pierced through with the sword or spear; so Ben Gersom h:

because my life [is] yet whole in me: for though he had been wounded by the archers, yet he did not apprehend he had received any mortal wound, but his life was whole in him; and therefore feared he should fall into their hands alive, and be ill treated by them.

g היבץ "tunica scutulata", Braunius; "ocellata chlamys", Junius Tremellius, Piscator "thorax villosus seu pelliceus", Texelii Phoenix, p. 210. h Vid. Braunium de Vest. Sacredot. Heb. l. 1. c. 17. sect. 9.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Anguish - The Hebrew word used here occurs nowhere else, and is of doubtful meaning (compare the margin). The rabbis interpret it as a cramp or giddiness.