Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 1:6
And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
6. As I happened by chance ] He represents himself as accidentally finding Saul, while wandering over Mount Gilboa in the confusion of the rout. See note on 2Sa 1:2.
mount Gilboa ] See note on 1Sa 28:4.
Saul leaned upon his spear ] This is not to be understood of attempted suicide (1Sa 31:4), as though he was leaning upon his spear to pierce himself through. It is a tragic picture of the last scene. The wounded and weary king leans upon his spear the emblem of his royalty for support. His followers are scattered or dead: his pursuers are close at hand. Death, accompanied with all the insolence and mockery of a triumphant foe, stares him in the face.
chariots ] It is not necessary to regard this as a lie of the Amalekite. Parts of the elevated tract may have been accessible to the Philistine chariots. Stanley speaks of “the green strip of table-land, where probably the last struggle was fought” ( Sinai and Pal. p. 345).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And the young man that told him,…. So it seems he was, and therefore could not be Doeg, more likely his son of the two; but there is no reason to believe he was either of them, who cannot be thought to be well disposed to David:
said, as I happened by chance upon Mount Gilboa; who was either a traveller that came that way just as the army was routed, and part had fled to Gilboa; or if a soldier, was not one of those that attended Saul, and was of his bodyguard, but happened on the flight to come to the same spot on Gilboa where Saul was:
behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; that that might pierce him through and die; but this seems not true, for he fell upon his sword for that purpose, 1Sa 31:4;
and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him; the charioteers and cavalry, of which part of the Philistine army consisted; though this also does not agree with the account in the above place; for according to that they were the archers that pressed him hard, and hit him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(6) Upon mount Gilboa.The battle appears to have been joined in the plain of Jezreel, but when the Israelites were routed they naturally fled up the mountain range of Gilboa, though apparently much scattered. It was in this straggling flight that the Amalekite happened upon that part of the mountain where Saul was. The true account of the death of Saul is given in 1Sa. 31:3-6. (See Note on 2Sa. 1:10.) It is uncertain whether the man saw Saul at all before his death, and it is extremely unlikely that he found him without warriors or armour-bearer, wounded and alone.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa The account of Saul’s death here given is largely a fabrication of this Amalekite. The true account is given in the last chapter of the preceding book, and wherein the two accounts differ, that is to be regarded as right and this wrong. This is a much more natural supposition than that the compiler found two contradictory documents, and, not knowing which to prefer, inserted both! The messenger expected that David would be greatly pleased to hear of Saul’s death, and to receive the crown and bracelets of his enemy, and that he would honour the man by whose hand that enemy had fallen.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Sa 1:6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
Ver. 6. As I happened by chance. ] An artificially composed speech, but scarce ever a true word. This Amalekite, which signifieth a licking-people, would, like a cur-dog, have sucked David’s blood only with licking; but was happily disappointed. Indeed, he happening happed upon Saul now dead, and brought away his crown and bracelets, for the which he promised himself some great preferment: but why should he tell so many lies? assuens mendacium mendacio, as Psa 119:69 – viz., that he leaned, or fell, upon his spear, when it was upon his sword, 1Sa 31:4 that he talked to him, when his armourbearer saw him dead first, 1Sa 31:5 that he should desire an uncircumcised Amalekite to do for him that which he would not have done by the uncircumcised Philistines, &c, Hugo observeth that Saul died by that sword wherewith he should have done to death the Amalekites. And another observeth that he is, if not slain, yet despoiled of his ornaments by an Amalekite whom he had spared. So at the hour of death men’s unmortified corruptions shall take their crown from them, – keep them out of heaven. Rom 8:13
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
behold . . . lo. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
As I happened: The story of this young man appears to be wholly a fiction, formed for the purpose of ingratiating himself with David, as the next probable successor to the crown. There is no fact in the case, except for the bringing of the diadem and bracelets of Saul, as a sufficient evidence of his death, which, as he appears to been a plunderer of the slain, he seems to have stripped from the dead body of the unfortunate monarch It is remarkable, that Saul, who had forfeited his crown by his disobedience and ill-timed clemency with respect to the Amalekites, should now have the insignia of royalty stripped from his person by one of those very people. Rth 2:3, 1Sa 6:9, Luk 10:31
mount: 2Sa 1:21, 1Sa 28:4, 1Sa 31:1
Saul: 1Sa 31:2-7
Reciprocal: 2Sa 21:12 – in Gilboa 1Ch 10:1 – mount
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Sa 1:6. Behold, Saul leaned upon his spear Endeavouring to run it through his body. It is plain, that what this Amalekite told David was a made story; for it is expressly said, in the foregoing chapter, that Saul fell upon his sword. Who this Amalekite was does not appear; but, as Delaney observes, there are always a great number of strollers that follow camps, and this lad probably was one of them. Their business is pillage and stripping the dead. This youth, it seems, knew his business, and got the start of the Philistines in the pillage of Saul. Having met with his body, he robbed it of its royal ornaments, and made the best of his way to David with them, in order to ingratiate himself with him, as he was likely to succeed to the throne: and he made up a story of such circumstances as he imagined would appear plausible, and gain Davids favour.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1:6 And the young man that told him said, {b} As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
(b) As I fled the chase.