“It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.”
My Notes
What Does 2 Samuel 1:2 Mean?
"It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance." An Amalekite arrives at David's camp with the news of Saul's death. His torn clothes and earth on his head are traditional signs of mourning. He falls before David — obeisance to the man everyone knows will be the next king. The man's story (v. 6-10) claims he killed Saul at Saul's own request, hoping David will reward him for dispatching his enemy.
The Amalekite miscalculates badly. He expects David to celebrate Saul's death. Instead, David mourns, tears his clothes, fasts, and then orders the Amalekite executed for touching "the LORD's anointed" (v. 14-16). The man who brought the news expecting reward receives death instead.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How do you respond when someone who hurt you falls — with celebration or with grief?
- 2.What does David's honoring of Saul 'the LORD's anointed' teach about respecting authority even when it fails?
- 3.When have you expected a reward for something that turned out to be wrong?
- 4.How do you separate your personal pain from your reverence for what God has established?
Devotional
He expected a reward. An Amalekite runs to David with Saul's crown and bracelet, tells a story about killing the king at his own request, and waits for the celebration. He's done the math: David's enemy is dead, David is now king, and I'm the one who made it happen. Surely the new king will be grateful.
He miscalculated everything about David's character.
David tears his clothes. He weeps. He fasts. And then he has the Amalekite killed for claiming to have laid hands on the LORD's anointed. The man who thought he was delivering good news delivered his own death sentence.
David's response reveals something extraordinary about his character: he honored Saul even in death. The man who hunted him for years, tried to murder him multiple times, killed priests on his account, and made his life a living nightmare — David still called him the LORD's anointed. Still wept for him. Still refused to celebrate his death.
This is the heart of a king. Not someone who destroys their enemies and dances on the ashes. Someone who grieves even when grief is for someone who hurt them. Someone whose respect for God's authority extends to honoring the office even when the officer was terrible.
If you've been waiting for someone who oppressed you to fall — and you've been fantasizing about how good it'll feel — David's example challenges that fantasy. The fall of your enemy isn't your party. It's a moment that reveals whether you honor God's sovereignty over all things, even the people who made your life hell.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
It came to pass on the third day,.... After the battle was fought, in which Saul was slain:
that, behold, a man came…
A man came out of the camp - The whole account which this young man gives is a fabrication: in many of the particulars…
Here is, I. David settling again in Ziklag, his own city, after he had rescued his family and friends out of the hands…
on the third day The exact position of Ziklag in the Negeb, or "South country," has not been determined. But if we may…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture