1:1 David had great faith in God. He waited for God to fulfill his promises. The book of 1 Samuel tells of David’s struggles as he waited to become king of Israel (Samuel had anointed David as king of Israel many years earlier). King Saul became jealous of David because the people were praising him for his accomplishments. Eventually, Saul’s jealousy became so intense that he tried to kill David. As a result, David had to run and hide. For many years David hid from Saul in enemy territory and in the barren wilderness south and east of Jerusalem. David may have wondered when God’s promise that he would be king would come true, but his struggles prepared him for the great responsibilities he would later face. The book of 2 Samuel tells how David was finally rewarded for his patience and consistent faith in God.
1:1 When Saul died, David and his men were still living in Ziklag, a Philistine city. Because Saul had driven him out of Israel, David had pretended to be loyal to Achish, a Philistine ruler (1 Samuel 27). There he was safe from Saul.
1:11, 12 David and his men were visibly shaken over Saul’s death. “They mourned, and wept, and fasted until even.” This showed their genuine sorrow over the loss of their king, their friend Jonathan, and the other soldiers of Israel who died that day. They were not ashamed to grieve. Today, some people consider expressing emotions to be a sign of weakness. Those who wish to appear strong try to hide their feelings. But mourning can help us deal with our intense sorrow when a loved one dies.
1:13 The man identified himself as an Amalekite from Saul’s camp (1:2). He may have been an Amalekite under Israelite jurisdiction, but more likely he was a battlefield scavenger. Obviously the man was lying both about his identity and about what happened on the battlefield. (Compare his story with the account in 1 Samuel 31:3, 4.) Because he had Saul’s crown with him, something the Philistines wouldn’t have left behind, we can infer that he found Saul dead on the battlefield before the Philistines arrived (1 Samuel 31:8).
A life of deceit leads to disaster. The man lied to gain some personal reward for killing David’s rival, but he misread David’s character. If David had rewarded him for murdering the king, David would have shared his guilt. Instead, David had the messenger killed. Lying can bring disaster upon the liar, even for something he or she has not done.
1:13 The Amalekites were a fierce nomadic tribe that frequently conducted surprise raids on Canaanite villages. They had been Israel’s enemies since Moses’ time. David had just destroyed an Amalekite band of raiders who had burned his city and kidnapped its women and children (1 Samuel 30:1-20). This man was probably unaware of David’s recent confrontations with the Amalekites, or he may not have come. Instead, he incurred David’s wrath by posing as an enemy of Israel and claiming to have killed God’s chosen king.
1:14-16 Although Saul had been trying to kill him for many years, David did not rejoice upon learning of Saul’s death. In spite of all that Saul had done, David maintained respect for Saul’s position as God’s anointed servant. When looking at our own leaders—religious or civil—we may be tempted to become angry, despairing, or fearful. However, in spite of the shortcomings of our leaders, we should maintain respect for the positions they hold.
1:15, 16 Why did David consider it a crime to kill the king, even though Saul was his enemy? David believed that God anointed Saul, and only God could remove him from office. If it became casual or commonplace to assassinate the king, the whole society would become chaotic. It was God’s job, not David’s, to judge Saul’s sins (Leviticus 19:18). We must realize that God has placed rulers in authority over us, and we should respect their positions (Romans 13:1-7).
1:17, 18 David was a talented musician. He played the harp (1 Samuel 16:23), he brought music into the worship services of the Temple (1 Chronicles 25), and he wrote many of the psalms. Here we are told that he wrote a lament in memory of Saul and his son Jonathan, David’s closest friend. Music played an important role in Israel’s history. (For other famous songs in the Bible, see the chart in Exodus 15, p. 157.)
1:17-27 Saul had caused much trouble for David, but when he died, David composed a song in memory of the king and his son. David had every reason to hate Saul, but he chose not to. Instead, he chose to look at the good Saul had done and to ignore the times when Saul had attacked him. It takes courage to lay aside hatred and hurt and to respect the positive side of another person, especially an enemy.
1:26 David was not implying that he had a sexual relationship with Jonathan. Homosexual acts were absolutely forbidden in Israel. Leviticus 18:22 calls homosexuality an “abomination,” and Leviticus 20:13 decrees the death penalty for those who practice homosexuality. David was simply restating the deep brotherhood and faithful friendship he had with Jonathan. (For more on their friendship, see the note on 1 Samuel 18:1-4.)