Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, September 4th, 2025
the Week of Proper 17 / Ordinary 22
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

2 Samuel 1:16

"You have condemned yourself," David said, "for you yourself confessed that you killed the Lord 's anointed one."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blood;   David;   Forgiveness;   Government;   Homicide;   Regicide;   Thompson Chain Reference - Blood;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Murder;   Punishments;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jonathan;   Saul;   Temple;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - David;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Samuel, First and Second, Theology of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Gilboa;   Ziklag;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Murder;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Court Systems;   Messiah;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Israel;   Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Blood;   Head;   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;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Head;  

Encyclopedias:

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

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood is on your own head because your own mouth testified against you by saying, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”
Hebrew Names Version
David said to him, Your blood be on your head; for your mouth has testified against you, saying, I have slain the LORD's anointed.
King James Version
And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord 's anointed.
Lexham English Bible
David said to him, "Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you by saying, ‘I killed Yahweh's anointed one!'"
English Standard Version
And David said to him, "Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord 's anointed.'"
New Century Version
David had said to the Amalekite, "You are responsible for your own death. You confessed by saying, ‘I have killed the Lord 's appointed king.'"
New English Translation
David said to him, "Your blood be on your own head! Your own mouth has testified against you, saying ‘I have put the Lord 's anointed to death.'"
Amplified Bible
David said to the [fallen] man, "Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the LORD'S anointed.'"
New American Standard Bible
And David said to him, "Your blood is on your head, because your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have finished off the LORD'S anointed.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then said Dauid vnto him, Thy blood be vpon thine owne head: for thine owne mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I haue slaine the Lords Anoynted.
Legacy Standard Bible
And David said to him, "Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has answered against you, saying, ‘I have put the anointed of Yahweh to death.'"
Complete Jewish Bible
David said to him, "Your blood is on your own head. Your own mouth convicted you when you said, ‘I killed Adonai 's anointed.'"
Darby Translation
And David said to him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth has testified against thee, saying, I have slain Jehovah's anointed.
George Lamsa Translation
And David said to him, Your blood be upon your head; for your mouth has testified against you, for you have said, I have slain the LORDS anointed.
Good News Translation
and David said to the Amalekite, "You brought this on yourself. You condemned yourself when you confessed that you killed the one whom the Lord chose to be king."
Literal Translation
And David said to him, Your blood be on your own head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, I caused to die the anointed of Jehovah.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde Dauid vnto him: Thy bloude be vpon thyne owne heade. For thy mouth hath spoken against thyselfe and sayde: I haue slayne the anoynted of the LORDE.
American Standard Version
And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain Jehovah's anointed.
Bible in Basic English
And David said to him, May your blood be on your head; for your mouth has given witness against you, saying, I have put to death the man marked with the holy oil.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then said Dauid vnto him, Thy blood be vpon thyne owne head: For thyne owne mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I haue slayne the lordes annoynted.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David said unto him: 'Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying: I have slain the LORD'S anointed.'
King James Version (1611)
And Dauid said vnto him, Thy blood be vpon thy head: for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I haue slaine the Lords Annoynted.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David said to him, Thy blood be upon thine own head; for thy mouth has testified against thee, saying, I have slain the anointed of the Lord.
English Revised Version
And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD’S anointed.
Berean Standard Bible
For David had said to the Amalekite, "Your blood be on your own head because your own mouth testified against you, saying, 'I killed the LORD's anointed.'"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Dauid seide to hym, Thi blood be on thin heed; for thi mouth spak ayens thee, and seide, Y killide the crist of the Lord.
Young's Literal Translation
and David saith unto him, `Thy blood [is] on thine own head, for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I -- I put to death the anointed of Jehovah.'
Update Bible Version
And David said to him, Your blood be on your head; for your mouth has testified against you, saying, I have slain Yahweh's anointed.
Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to him, Thy blood [be] upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.
World English Bible
David said to him, Your blood be on your head; for your mouth has testified against you, saying, I have slain Yahweh's anointed.
New King James Version
So David said to him, "Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, "I have killed the LORD's anointed."'
New Life Bible
David said to him, "Your blood is on your head. Because your mouth has spoken against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord's chosen one.'"
New Revised Standard
David said to him, "Your blood be on your head; for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord 's anointed.'"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And David said unto him, Thy blood, be upon thine own head, - for, thine own mouth, hath testified against thee, saying, I myself, put to death the Anointed of Yahweh.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to him: Thy blood be upon thy own head: for thy own mouth hath spoken against thee, saying: I have slain the Lord’s anointed.
Revised Standard Version
And David said to him, "Your blood be upon your head; for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have slain the LORD'S anointed.'"
THE MESSAGE
"You asked for it," David told him. "You sealed your death sentence when you said you killed God 's anointed king."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
David said to him, "Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the LORD'S anointed.'"

Contextual Overview

11 David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord 's army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day. 13 Then David said to the young man who had brought the news, "Where are you from?" And he replied, "I am a foreigner, an Amalekite, who lives in your land." 14 "Why were you not afraid to kill the Lord 's anointed one?" David asked. 15 Then David said to one of his men, "Kill him!" So the man thrust his sword into the Amalekite and killed him. 16 "You have condemned yourself," David said, "for you yourself confessed that you killed the Lord 's anointed one."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Thy blood: Genesis 9:5, Genesis 9:6, Leviticus 20:9, Leviticus 20:11-13, Leviticus 20:16, Leviticus 20:27, Deuteronomy 19:10, Joshua 2:19, Judges 9:24, 1 Samuel 26:9, 1 Kings 2:32, 1 Kings 2:33, 1 Kings 2:37, Ezekiel 18:13, Ezekiel 33:5, Matthew 27:25, Acts 20:26

mouth: 2 Samuel 1:10, Job 15:6, Proverbs 6:2, Luke 19:22, Romans 3:19

Reciprocal: Genesis 37:26 - conceal 1 Samuel 26:11 - that I should 2 Samuel 3:29 - rest 2 Samuel 16:8 - the blood 2 Samuel 18:13 - wrought Ecclesiastes 10:12 - but Ezekiel 33:4 - his blood Hosea 12:14 - therefore Acts 18:6 - Your

Cross-References

Genesis 1:7
And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens.
Genesis 1:8
God called the space "sky." And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day.
Genesis 1:9
Then God said, "Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear." And that is what happened.
Genesis 1:12
The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:14
Then God said, "Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years.
Deuteronomy 4:19
And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don't be seduced into worshiping them. The Lord your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth.
Job 31:26
"Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies, or the moon walking down its silver pathway,
Job 38:7
as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
Psalms 8:3
When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place—
Psalms 19:6
The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David said unto him, thy blood [be] upon thy head,.... The blood that he had shed, let him suffer for it; for as he had shed blood, his blood ought to be shed, according to the law of God; and for proof of this, that he had so done, he appeals to his own confession:

for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord's anointed; and what might serve to confirm the truth of what he had said were the crown and bracelet which he brought along with him; and besides he was an Amalekite, of a nation that was devoted to destruction; and, as Abarbinel thinks, David might suppose that he killed Saul to take vengeance on him for what he had done to their nation; but, after all, both he and Maimonides n allow the punishment of him was not strictly according to law, but was a temporary decree, an extraordinary case, and an act of royal authority; for in common cases a man was not to be condemned and put to death upon his own confession, since it is possible he may not be in his right mind o; but David chose to exercise severity in this case, partly to show his respect to Saul, and to ingratiate himself into the favour of his friends, and partly to deter men from attempting to assassinate princes, who himself was now about to ascend the throne.

n Hilchot Sanhedrin, c. 18. sect. 6. o T. Bab. Yehamot, fol. 25. 2. Maimon. ibid.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

David might well think his sentence just though severe, for he had more than once expressed the deliberate opinion that none could lift up his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless (see 1 Samuel 24:6; 1 Samuel 26:9, 1 Samuel 26:11, 1 Samuel 26:16).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 1:16. Thy blood be upon thy head — If he killed Saul, as he said he did, then he deserved death; at that time it was not known to the contrary, and this man was executed on his own confession.


 
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