Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 1:15
And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, [and] fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.
And David called one of the young men,…. His servants that attended on him:
and said, go near, [and] fall upon him; by smiting him with his sword:
and he smote him, that he died; his orders were instantly obeyed. Kings and generals of armies had great power in those times and countries to execute a man immediately, without any other judge or jury: what may serve, or David might think would serve, to justify him in doing this, is what follows.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(15) Fall upon him.All question of Davids authority to pronounce a capital sentence is here quite out of place. The Amalekite had just recognised him as king, and therefore acknowledged his authority. But, besides this, David and his band of 600 outlaws were accustomed to live by the sword, and to defend themselves against Philistines, Amalekites, and other foes as best they could; and here stood before them one, by his own confession, guilty of high treason.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Sa 1:15. And he smote him, that he died Though it be a maxim of the Jewish law, that no man should be condemned out of the mouth of one witness, and that no man’s confession should be taken solely against himself; yet Maimonides asserts, that it was the royal prerogative to condemn a man upon the evidence of a single person, or upon the strength of his own confession; and he produces this fact as an instance. See Bishop Patrick. This self-convicted wretch intended to make a merit of his falsehood: but he knew not David; he knew not that a crown would be unwelcome to him, at the price of treason; and that the throne would not tempt him, if to be purchased by parricide. He who himself thrice spared Saul when he had him absolutely in his power, could he forbear punishing the man that boasted of having murdered him?no: he justly ordered his immediate execution for having slain the Lord’s anointed. It is true, he died for a crime which he had not committed; yet well deserved to die, for taking the guilt of it upon him; thus doubly devoted to destruction. David rightly judged, that Saul had no power over his own life, and, consequently, should not have been obeyed in such a command. God and the state had as much right to his life when he was weary of it, as when he most loved it; and further, it behoved David to vindicate his innocence to the world by so public an execution: he might otherwise, perhaps, have been branded with the guilt of employing that wretch to murder his persecutor. Besides this, David had it in view to deter others by this example. He consulted his own safety in this, as Caesar is said, by restoring the statues of Pompey, to have fixed his own. This was a wise lecture to princes, and many of them unquestionably have profited by it. Mr. Saurin, in the second dissertation of his 5th volume, has justified this conduct of David towards the Amalekite, by shewing at large, 1. That the Amalekite deserved death: 2. That David had a right to inflict the punishment of which he had made himself worthy: 3. That no want of formality rendered this rigour unlawful: and, 4. That if the conduct of David towards this murderer be just in itself, it had nothing exceptionable in the motives which led him to it.
REFLECTIONS.Very different from what the Amalekite expected, was David’s reception of his tidings.
1. In the agony of sorrow, he rent his clothes; and all that were with him followed his example; the day is spent in bitter mourning, and they observe a solemn fast until evening. He mourned for Jonathan his friend, but there was hope in his death; he mourned for Saul his enemy, where no hope appeared; and especially over the desolations of Israel, fallen by the sword of the Philistines. Note; (1.) His country’s sufferings are a grief to the true patriot’s heart. (2.) As a good man loves his enemy whilst alive, he is so far from rejoicing at his fall, that he can weep over his grave.
2. He commands immediate execution on the messenger, who hoped to have received high preferment, but suffers the just reward of his deeds. Thus did David express his own detestation of regicide, and testify the sincerity of his grief.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Sa 1:15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, [and] fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.
Ver. 15. And he smote him that he died. ] And alike sped those that murdered Ishbosheth, whom David caused instantly to be put to death, abhorring their treason, though attended with a kingdom. He that betrayed the Rhodes to the Turk was served in like sort, ending his life with shame and torment. So was Earl Godwin here, and Earl Doring in Bohemia by Duke Neda.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Go near: 2Sa 4:10-12, Jdg 8:20, 1Sa 22:17, 1Sa 22:18, 1Ki 2:25, 1Ki 2:34, 1Ki 2:46, Job 5:12, Pro 11:18
Reciprocal: 2Sa 4:12 – slew them 2Sa 18:13 – wrought
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Sa 1:15. He smote him that he died Abarbinel thinks that, as the man was an Amalekite, David supposed that he had killed Saul out of revenge for the slaughter he had made of the Amalekites. But, if not; if the fact were as this Amalekite stated, and Saul bid him despatch him, David rightly judged, that Saul had no power over his own life; and, consequently, should not have been obeyed in such a command: God and the state had as much right to his life when he was weary of it as when he most loved it. And, besides all this, it behooved David to vindicate his own innocence to the world, by so public an execution: he might otherwise, perhaps, have been branded with the guilt of employing that wretch to murder his persecutor. David also, doubtless, had it in view to deter others by this example. He consulted his own safety in this, as Cesar is said, by restoring the statues of Pompey, to have fixed his own. This was a wise lecture to princes, and many of them have unquestionably profited by it. Delaney.