And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said:
“Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places!
How the mighty have fallen!
Tell it not in Gath,
publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.
“You mountains of Gilboa,
let there be no dew or rain upon you,
nor fields of offerings!
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
“From the blood of the slain,
from the fat of the mighty,
the bow of Jonathan turned not back,
and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
Comment: First Samuel spends a lot of time telling of the multiple changing relationships between Saul and David, So remembering what is often quoted in our culture – ‘You must not speak evil of the dead’ – you wonder what David is going to say. His lamentation is especially sent to the people of Judah because that is the tribal area from which he comes and which is the base of his support to become king.
He commences by calling Saul the ‘Glory of Israel’. As their first king Saul led them to startling victories over the Philistines but victories often turned sour to Saul as the people often saw David as the real conqueror. David does not want the Philistines to gloat over Saul’s death. He writes what seems like a curse on the area where Saul and Jonathan died, highlighting the fact that instead of their victorious swords being rubbed down with oil, ready for the next fight, they remained covered in blood. Neither father nor son had shrunk from their duties to the kingdom of Israel.
Prayer: Your word speaks of ‘being faithful to the end’. May that be true of me, Father God.
As I read it! 