David Grieves for Saul

David Told of Saul's Death

David was in Ziklag when a man came and told him that Saul and his sons had been killed in battle. David asked the man how he knew Saul was dead, and the man said that he was an Amalekite and had come across Saul on the battlefield on Mount Gilboa. According to the man, Saul was leaning on his spear, and Saul asked the Amalekite man to finish him off, so the Amalekite did. The Amalekite took Saul's crown and armband and presented them to David.

David was so overtaken with grief that he tore his clothes, and the men that were with him did so as well. They mourned and fasted for Saul, Jonathan, and all of Israel. David asked the man how he could have killed God's anointed one, and David ordered the man's execution.

The Amalekite man was lying about the circumstances surrounding Saul's death. It is known that Saul died by his own hand, and the man was probably on the battlefield stealing from the dead. Because he was an Amalekite and (according to his story) had killed his anointed king (since he lived under Saul's rule), David executed him.¹

David Mourns for Saul and Jonathan

Afterward, David cried out with a powerful lament for Saul and Jonathan, which begins with: "Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!" (2 Samuel 1:19, ESV®). He continued to speak of his love for Saul and Jonathan. He spoke of what Saul had done for Israel and how the women should mourn Saul for giving them lavish clothing adorned with gold. He remembered Jonathan as his brother that had done so much for him.

King David

David then went to God and asked if he should go to Judah. God told him to go to Hebron (in Judah). David took his wives and men with him and went to Hebron, and the men of Judah came and anointed David to be their king.

David was told what the men of Jabesh-gilead had done by recovering Saul's body and giving him a burial. David praised them and said that he would be good to them.

Judah was just part of Israel, so David's reign did not yet extend over all of Israel. The commander of Saul's army, Abner, took Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, and made him king of Israel.

The Battle at the Pool of Gibeon

Abner, the commander of Ish-bosheth's army, and Joab, the commander of David's army, met at the pool of Gibeon. One army was on one side of the pool, and the other faced them from the other side of the pool. Abner told Joab to let the young men fight. Joab agreed, and twelve men from each side arose and fought. All twenty-four of the young men killed each other. A great battle then occurred between the two armies, with David's forces defeating Abner's.

Asahel, Joab's brother, pursued Abner, and Abner told him to stop, but Asahel continued. Abner struck Asahel with the butt of his spear and drove it through him, and Asahel died right there. The other men chasing Abner stopped where Asahel died, except for Joab and Abishai, Joab's other brother. It was getting dark, and they came to the hill of Ammah. Abner called Joab and asked how long he would pursue his brothers. Joab stopped his men by blowing a trumpet, and they did not continue fighting the other Israelites.

Abner and his men marched all night and morning until they came to Mahanaim. Joab had lost nineteen men besides Asahel. Abner had lost 360 men. They took Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb in Bethlehem. Then, Joab and his men marched all night until they arrived at Hebron the following day.

Abner

There was a long war between David's house and Saul's house. David grew strong, and the house of Saul became weak. David had sons born to him in Hebron: Amnon from Ahinoam, Chileab from Abigail, Absalom from Maacah, Adonijah from Haggith, Shephatiah from Abital, and Ithream from Eglah.

Abner had grown very strong in the house of Saul. One day, Abner slept with one of Saul's concubines, and Ish-bosheth complained to Abner about this. Abner asked Ish-bosheth if Abner was a dog that Ish-bosheth would complain to him about a woman after Abner had done so much for the house of Saul. Ish-bosheth could not reply because he was afraid of Abner.

Then, Abner sent a message to David and said that he would join him. David replied that he could if he brought Saul's daughter, Michal, to whom David had been married. David sent a messenger to Ish-bosheth to send Michal and said that he had paid the bridal price for her and wanted her back. Ish-bosheth took Michal from her husband, Paltiel, whom Saul had given her to. Paltiel was so sad that he went with her until Abner told him to return home, which he did.

Abner spoke to the elders of Israel and the house of Benjamin and told them that David was supposed to be the king. Abner said to them that David was the one God had chosen to deliver Israel from the Philistines. Abner told David that all of Israel and the house of Benjamin agreed that David should be king.

When Abner met David, he told David that he would gather all of Israel to support David as king. David sent Abner away in peace. After this, Joab returned with a raiding party and was told of Abner coming and leaving in peace. Joab went to David and said that Abner was playing a trick on him and only sought to gather intelligence on David's movements. When Joab left David, he sent for Abner, and Abner returned to Hebron, where Joab killed him for killing his brother. David did not know that Joab was going to do this. When David learned of Abner's killing, he cursed Joab's house.

They buried Abner in Hebron, and David ordered Joab to mourn before the body of Abner. David and the people mourned Abner. David did this so all of Israel would know that he had not ordered the death of Abner.

Ish-bosheth's Death

Ish-bosheth heard of Abner's death and became afraid. Two men, Baanah and Rechab, were brothers that led Ish-bosheth's raiding parties. When they came to Ish-bosheth's house, they stabbed him in the stomach. They cut off Ish-bosheth's head and took it to David. David told them about the Amalekite that had come to inform him about the death of Saul and what he had done to that Amalekite. David then executed both of these men, took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in Abner's tomb in Hebron.

Summary

David found out about the death of Saul and Jonathan and mourned them. He executed the man who told him because the man claimed to have killed Saul. David then went to Hebron and was anointed king of Judah. He praised the men of Jabesh-gilead that had buried Saul. Abner took Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, and made him king of Israel.

Abner and Joab met at the pool of Gibeon. There was a great battle, and Abner ran away and killed Joab's brother, Asahel. Abner contacted David and told him that he wanted to serve him. David told him to bring Michal, David's wife, with him. Ish-bosheth released her, and she went with Abner. Joab killed Abner because he had killed Joab's brother. Baanah and Rechab killed Ish-bosheth. They cut off Ish-bosheth's head and presented it to David. David executed them for this.