Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, September 4th, 2025
the Week of Proper 17 / Ordinary 22
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

New Living Translation

2 Samuel 1:17

Then David composed a funeral song for Saul and Jonathan,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - David;   Elegy;   Forgiveness;   Friendship;   Jonathan;   Mourning;   Weeping;   Thompson Chain Reference - Jonathan;   Joy-Sorrow;   Lamentations;   Saul, King of Israel;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jonathan;   Saul;   Temple;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - David;   Funeral;   Jonathan;   Saul, king of israel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Friend, Friendship;   Psalms, Theology of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Gilboa;   Jonathan;   Lamentation;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - David;   Lamentations;   Poetry;   Psalms;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Book(s);   Burial;   Gilboa;   Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Israel;   Mourning Customs;   Poetry;   Samuel, Books of;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Jonathan;   Mount gilboa;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Dwelling;   Jonathan;   Scripture;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Da'vid;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - War;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bible, the;   Psalms, Book of;   Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Funeral Oration;   Hafáą­arah;   Ḳinah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
David sang the following lament for Saul and his son Jonathan,
Hebrew Names Version
David lamented with this lamentation over Sha'ul and over Yonatan his son
King James Version
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
Lexham English Bible
Then David sang this funeral song over Saul and over Jonathan his son.
English Standard Version
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son,
New Century Version
David sang a funeral song about Saul and his son Jonathan,
New English Translation
Then David chanted this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan.
Amplified Bible
Then David sang this dirge (funeral song) over Saul and his son Jonathan,
New American Standard Bible
Then David sang this song of mourning over Saul and his son Jonathan,
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Dauid mourned with this lamentation ouer Saul, and ouer Ionathan his sonne,
Legacy Standard Bible
Then David chanted with this funeral lament over Saul and Jonathan his son,
Contemporary English Version
David sang a song in memory of Saul and Jonathan,
Complete Jewish Bible
Then David pronounced this lament over Sha'ul and over Y'honatan his son,
Darby Translation
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son;
Easy-to-Read Version
David sang a sad song about Saul and his son Jonathan.
George Lamsa Translation
And David lamented with this song of mourning over Saul and over Jonathan his son
Good News Translation
David sang this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan,
Literal Translation
And David sang this death-dirge over Saul, and over his son Jonathan;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Dauid mourned this lamentacion ouer Saul and Ionathas his sonne,
American Standard Version
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son
Bible in Basic English
Then David made this song of grief for Saul and Jonathan, his son:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauid mourned with this lamentation ouer Saul and ouer Ionathan his sonne,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son,
King James Version (1611)
And Dauid lamented with this lamentation ouer Saul, and ouer Ionathan his sonne:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son.
English Revised Version
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
Berean Standard Bible
Then David took up this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsooth Dauid biweilide sych a weilyng on Saul, and on Jonathas, his sone;
Young's Literal Translation
And David lamenteth with this lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his son;
Update Bible Version
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son.
Webster's Bible Translation
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his son:
World English Bible
David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son
New King James Version
Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son,
New Life Bible
Then David sang a song of sorrow for Saul and his son Jonathan.
New Revised Standard
David intoned this lamentation over Saul and his son Jonathan.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then chanted David this dirge, - over Saul and over Jonathan his son;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And David made this kind of lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his son.
Revised Standard Version
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son,
THE MESSAGE
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.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then David chanted with this lament over Saul and Jonathan his son,

Contextual Overview

17 Then David composed a funeral song for Saul and Jonathan, 18 and he commanded that it be taught to the people of Judah. It is known as the Song of the Bow, and it is recorded in The Book of Jashar. 19 Your pride and joy, O Israel, lies dead on the hills! Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen! 20 Don't announce the news in Gath, don't proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon, or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice and the pagans will laugh in triumph. 21 O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fruitful fields producing offerings of grain. For there the shield of the mighty heroes was defiled; the shield of Saul will no longer be anointed with oil. 22 The bow of Jonathan was powerful, and the sword of Saul did its mighty work. They shed the blood of their enemies and pierced the bodies of mighty heroes. 23 How beloved and gracious were Saul and Jonathan! They were together in life and in death. They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions. 24 O women of Israel, weep for Saul, for he dressed you in luxurious scarlet clothing, in garments decorated with gold. 25 Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies dead on the hills. 26 How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan! Oh, how much I loved you! And your love for me was deep, deeper than the love of women!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

lamented: 2 Samuel 1:19, Genesis 50:11, 2 Chronicles 35:25, Jeremiah 9:17-21

Reciprocal: Genesis 23:2 - mourn Genesis 50:10 - seven days Psalms 35:14 - I behaved Psalms 59:10 - let Psalms 141:6 - When their judges Ezekiel 32:16 - General Micah 2:4 - and lament

Cross-References

Genesis 9:13
I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.
Job 38:12
"Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east?
Psalms 8:1

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.

O Lord , our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.
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—
Acts 13:47
For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.'"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his son. Composed the following elegy on account of their death, and sung it in a tune agreeable to it, he and the men that were with him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The words lamented and lamentation must be understood in the technical sense of a funeral dirge or mournful elegy. (See similar dirges in 2 Samuel 3:33-34; and 2 Chronicles 35:25.) This and the brief stanza on the death of Abner are the only specimens preserved to us of David’s secular poetry.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 1:17. David lamented — See this lamentation, and the notes on it at the end of this chapter. 2 Samuel 1:21.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile