Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 1:4
And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
4. How went the matter? ] Lit. What was the affair? the same phrase as that used by Eli in 1Sa 4:16. The form of the Amalekite’s answer also closely corresponds to that of the man of Benjamin there. The rout, the slaughter among the people, the death of the leaders, are mentioned in an ascending climax.
many of the people ] No contradiction to 1Sa 31:6, where “ all his men” refers to Saul’s immediate body-guard.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He mentions only these two, as those who seemed most to obstruct Davids coming to the crown.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And David said unto him, how went the matter? I pray thee, tell me,…. That is, how went the battle? on which side the victory?
and he answered, that the people are fled from the battle; meaning the people of Israel, they had given way, and turned their backs upon their enemies, and were fled:
and many of the people also are fallen and dead; fell by the sword in the pursuit of them, and were not only wounded, but were slain, and these great numbers of them:
and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also; which are mentioned last, because they fell some of the last; and this part of the account is reserved by the messenger to the last, because it was the article of the greatest importance; the death of these two persons, the one the enemy, and the other the friend of David, and the death of both made way for his accession to the throne.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
4. The people are fled This announcement of the bitter tidings is climacteric, like that of 1Sa 4:17, where see note.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Sa 1:4 And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
Ver. 4. How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. ] He was very desirous to hear what was the issue of the battle, and how it went with the poor people of God; and hence this earnest inquiry. So 1Sa 4:13 . See Trapp on “ 1Sa 4:13 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
he answered. He thought he brought news which would be welcomed.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
How went: Heb. What was, etc. 1Sa 4:16, *marg.
the people: 1Sa 31:1-6, 1Ch 10:1-6
Reciprocal: 1Sa 14:1 – Jonathan 1Sa 31:3 – went sore 1Ch 10:3 – went Jer 48:19 – ask