提要
撒母耳記下繼續敘述以色列的救恩歷史。當大衛正忙著搶救被亞瑪力人奪走的以色列婦人和小孩時，掃羅已在基利波山上送命了。大衛和他的隨員打敗亞瑪力人回到洗革拉後不久，有一個亞瑪力人（他可能不知道大衛才和自己的族人發生衝突）來向大衛報告掃羅和約拿單的死訊。
這個亞瑪力人所描述的過程與撒母耳記上卅一章三至四節的記錄不符，而我們知道，後者是真實的記事。很可能那個亞瑪力人捏造故事──雖然提供了一些確實的細節，但卻歪曲了掃羅死亡的真正過程。從撒母耳記上卅一章我們知道，掃羅是在身受重傷後自殺而死。那個向大衛報信的亞瑪力人可能正藏在基利波山，準備在倒斃的屍身上偷取財物。他可能目睹、也聽見掃羅和為他拿兵器者之間的對話。無論如何，他比非利士人先找到掃羅的屍身，並且取走了掃羅的金冠和手鐲。他指望大衛會因他為大衛殺死大敵而大大的犒賞他（撒下4：10）。
大衛聽到以色列人戰敗、掃羅和他親愛的朋友約拿單陣亡的噩耗，他頭一個反應是撕裂自己的衣裳──哀悼親人的表記。約拿單之死一定使大衛哀慟逾恆，因為正如同大衛的詩歌所表達的（1：26），他的盟友約拿單與他情同手足。雖然約拿單和他的父親對大衛有不同的看法，但約拿單仍然作掃羅忠實的兒子，但大衛的詩歌所述，掃羅和約拿單「死時也不分離」（1：23）。
大衛從不想加害於掃羅，因他尊掃羅為上帝膏立的王。當那個不敬虔的亞瑪力人來報告大衛，說他已經殺了掃羅，大衛知道那是很嚴重的冒犯。從撒母耳膏掃羅那一刻起，掃羅就是分別為聖歸上帝的人了。很明顯的，那個亞瑪力人一點也不尊敬掃羅為上帝所揀選、膏立的王。大衛在盛怒之下，命人將報信的的亞瑪力人殺了。如果他所說的果真是謊言，那個謊言就要了他的命（1：14~15）。
大衛在澎湃的情感下為掃羅和約拿單作了一首優美的輓歌，取名為弓歌──這首歌除了出現在撒母耳記下，也被寫在雅煞珥書上。對雅煞珥書我們所知不多，因為它從未被發現過，我們只知道那是一本關於以色列早期英雄人物的詩歌、故事選集。
大衛要猶大人都學習這首弓歌，好教他們永遠記得上帝賜給以色列人的第一位王和他尊貴的兒子約拿單。這首哀歌的主題是：「大英雄何竟死亡！」（1：19、27）。可悲的是，掃羅看自己為強，結果導致他的滅亡──不只是肉體的死，也是靈性的死。「驕傲在敗壞以先，狂心在跌倒之前」（箴16：18）。
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Overview
2 Samuel is a continuation of Israel's salvation history and picks up where 1 Samuel 31 left off. Saul had died while David was busy with the rescue of the women and children that the Amalekites had stolen away (1 Samuel 30:18-19). Shortly after his return, when they were no doubt trying to rebuild ruined Ziklag and reorganize their lives, another Amalekite, who would not have known that David had just been in conflict with them, came with the news of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan.
The Amalekite's story is not accord with the account in 1 Samuel 31:3-4, which we know to be the true account. It is most probable that the Amalekite messenger fabricated the story, giving some accurate details but lying about the actual way in which Saul had died. We know from the account of 1 Samuel 31 that Saul committed suicide after his mortal injury. It may have been that the Amalekite was waiting or hiding upon Mount Gilboa to rob from the corpses that fell in battle. Possibly he saw, and may have heard, what had transpired between Saul and his armour bearer. In any case, he happened upon the body of Saul before the Philistines and removed his gold crown and bracelet. The Amalekite expected David to look on him with favour for putting an end to his arch enemy and give him a reward in return (2 Samuel 4:10).
David's first reaction to the terrible news of Israel's defeat, and the deaths of king Saul and his beloved friend Jonathan, was to tear his clothes — the sign of mourning for a loved one. The death of Jonathan must have brought him much sorrow, for Jonathan, his covenant partner, was as close as a brother to him, as the song he wrote beautifully expresses (1:26). Jonathan and his father had opposite views about David, yet Jonathan remained a true and faithful son and, as David's song relates, "in their death they were not divided" (1:23).
David never wanted to see any harm come to Saul, for he respected him as God's anointed king. When the ungodly Amalekite messenger told David he had killed Saul, David understood this to be a very serious offense, not only high treason against his king but a religious offense as well. When Samuel anointed Saul, he was from that point on to be considered consecrated to God. That demanded respect; clearly, the Amalekite had no respect for Saul as an anointed king chosen by God. With indignation, David ordered him executed. If it was indeed a lie he told, that lie cost him his life (1:14-15).
Filled with emotion, David wrote a beautiful elegy about Saul and Jonathan entitled "Bow", which, as well as being recorded here, is said to have been included in the Book of Jasher (1:18). Not much is known about this book, for it has never been found; however, it was a collection of stories, poems, and songs about Israel's early heroes.
The "Bow" was to be learned by the children of Judah so that they would always remember fondly the first king God had given them and his noble son Jonathan. The theme of the lamentation song is, "How the mighty have fallen!" (1:19, 27). The sad thing is that because Saul was mighty in his own eyes, it ultimately led to his fall, not only physically, in death, but spiritually as well. "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18).
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