Theological Commentary: Click Here
This passage
gives us two very interesting choices for David. The first choice is the death of the
Amalekite. Reading this story after
finishing 1 Samuel 31 should cause us to pause.
After all, wasn’t Saul killed by his own sword? Didn’t the Philistines gather him and his
things up and put them on display? How
then are we to take these words of the Amalekite?
The truth is
that this Amalekite is likely lying. He
probably knows that Saul was trying to kill David. He probably thinks that he can earn himself a
position with David if he claims to be the one who killed Saul. Unfortunately, he doesn’t realize that at
least twice David had the opportunity to kill Saul himself and never did. As a result, the Amalekite is killed. Whether David kills him because he knows that
he is lying or because he respected Saul’s life is unclear. Either way, this Amalekite was probably the
first and last person to claim he killed Saul!
This leads
us to the second interesting choice that David makes. David mourns the life of Saul and his sons,
especially Jonathan. For those who know
David, this isn’t an unusual choice.
This absolutely fits with David and how he lived.
What makes this
choice unusual is just how unworldly this choice is. Most people would be cheering the death of an
opponent. Most people would be cheering
the death of someone who desires you to be dead. Most people would be focused on their
opportunity to become king. Not
David. David is mourning the loss
because he isn’t focused on himself and his desires. David mourns because it is the right thing to
do.
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