2 Samuel 1:17-27 – The Song Of The Bow

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 2 Jan 2022

Introduction

Unpacking the meanings of the phrases

Applications

    1. Strive for accuracy. Don’t exaggerate their strengths or sugar-coat their faults. It doesn’t help posterity to hear history that is not true. David “commendeth not Saul for his pietie, or any spirituall grace, whereof he was destitute, but for his valour and fortitude: for these beeing the gifts of God, and so good in themselues, may be commended euen in the wicked.”

    2. Keep in mind that what you compose is “for the benefit of the living, not for the dead… [T]he dead [aren’t going to] receive any solace, benefit, or releefe, by such funerall solemnities: but such commendations, and setting forth of the praise of the dead, must altogether redound, and be referred to the praise of God, and to the vse, exhortation, and comfort of the liuing…”

2 Samuel 1:17-27 - Side-by side comparison of versionsA

LXX

Brenton LXX
(Vaticanus)

Douay
(Vulgate)

KJV

NAW

MT

17 Καὶ ἐθρήνησεν Δαυιδ τὸν θρῆνον τοῦτον ἐπὶ Σαουλ καὶ ἐπὶ Ιωναθαν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ

17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son.

17 And David made this kind of lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his son.

17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:

17 Then David lamented this lament over Saul and over Jonathan his son,

17 וַיְקֹנֵןB דָּוִד אֶת-הַקִּינָה הַזֹּאת עַל-שָׁאוּל וְעַל- יְהוֹנָתָן בְּנוֹ:

18 καὶ εἶπεν τοῦ διδάξαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ιουδα X--ἰδοὺ γέγραπται ἐπὶ βιβλίου τοῦ εὐθοῦσ--

18 And he gave orders to teach it the sons of Juda X: behold, it is written in the book of Right.

18 (Also he commanded that they should teach the children of Juda [the use of the] bow, as it is written in the book of the just.) [And he said: Consider, O Israel, for them that are dead, wounded on thy high places.]

18 (Also he badeC them teach the children of Judah the use of the bowD: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)

18 and he said to teach the sons of Judah “The Bow” (See it written out in the book of Jashar.)

18 וַיֹּאמֶר לְלַמֵּד בְּנֵי-יְהוּדָה קָשֶׁת הִנֵּה כְתוּבָה עַל-סֵפֶר הַיָּשָׁרE:

19 Στήλωσον, Ισραηλ, ὑπὲρ τῶν τεθνηκότων ἐπὶ τὰ ὕψη σου τραυματιῶν· πῶς ἔπεσαν δυνατοί.

19 Set up a pillar, O Israel, for the slain that died upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!

19 The illustrious of Israel are slain upon thy mountains: how are the valiant fallen?

19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!

19 The glory of Israel is pierced upon your high places. How did the mighty men fall?

19 הַצְּבִיF יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל- בָּמוֹתֶיךָ חָלָלG אֵיךְH נָפְלוּ גִבּוֹרִים:

20 μὴ ἀναγγείλητε ἐν Γεθ καὶ μὴ εὐαγ­γελίσησθε ἐν ταῖς ἐξόδοις Ἀσκαλῶν­ος, μήποτε εὐφραν­θῶσιν θυγατέρες ἀλλοφύλων, μήποτε ἀγαλλιάσωνται θυγατέρες τῶν ἀπεριτμήτων.

20 Tell it not in Geth, and tell it not as glad tidings in the streets of Ascalon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

20 Tell it not in Geth, publish it not in the streets of Ascalon: lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

20 Y’all, don’t communicate with Gath; don’t announce it in the streets of Ash­kelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines be hap­py, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.

20 אַל-תַּגִּידוּ בְגַת אַל-תְּבַשְּׂרוּ בְּחוּצֹת אַשְׁקְלוֹן פֶּן-תִּשְׂמַחְנָה בְּנוֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּים פֶּן-תַּעֲלֹזְנָה בְּנוֹת הָעֲרֵלִים:

21 ὄρη τὰ ἐν Γελβουε, μὴ καταβῇ δρόσος καὶ μὴ ὑετὸς ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς καὶ ἀγροὶ ἀπαρχῶν, ὅτι ἐκεῖ προσωχθίσθη θυρεὸς δυνατῶν, θυρεὸς Σαουλ οὐκ ἐχρίσθη ἐν ἐλαίῳ.

21 Ye mountains of Gelbue, let not dew no rain descend upon you, nor fields of first-fruits be upon you, for there the shield of the mighty ones has been grievously assailed; the shield of Saul was not anointed with oil.

21 Ye mountains of Gelboe, let neither dew, nor rain come upon you, neither be they fields of firstfruits: for there was cast away the shield of the valiant, the shield of Saul [as though] he had not been anointed with oil.

21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.

21 Mountains in Gilboa, let there be no dew and no rain upon y’all - or the fields of raised-offerings, since it was there that the shield of mighty men was rejected, the shield of Saul without being anointed with the oil.

21 הָרֵי בַגִּלְבֹּעַ אַל-טַל וְאַל-מָטָר עֲלֵיכֶם וּשְׂדֵי תְרוּמֹת כִּי שָׁם נִגְעַלI מָגֵן גִּבּוֹרִים מָגֵן שָׁאוּל בְּלִי מָשִׁיחַ בַּשָּׁמֶן:

22 ἀφ᾿ αἵματος τραυματιῶν, ἀπὸ στέατος δυνατῶν τόξον Ιωναθαν οὐκ ἀπεστράφη [κενὸν] εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, καὶ ῥομφαία Σαουλ οὐκ ἀνέκαμψεν κενή.

22 From the blood of the slain, [andJ] from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan returned not [empty]; and the sword of Saul turned not back empty.

22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the valiant, the arrow of Jonathan never turned back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty.

22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.

22 Jonathan’s bow did not turn back to the rear to avoid the blood of the wounded or the best of the mighty men, nor did Saul’s sword swing back without effect.

22 מִדַּם חֲלָלִים מֵחֵלֶבK גִּבּוֹרִים קֶשֶׁת יְהוֹנָתָן לֹא נָשׂוֹג אָחוֹרL וְחֶרֶב שָׁאוּל לֹא תָשׁוּב רֵיקָם:

23 Σαουλ καὶ Ιωναθαν, οἱ ἠγαπημένοι καὶ ὡραῖοι, [οὐ διακεχωρισμένοι, εὐπρεπεῖς] ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτῶν οὐ διεχωρίσθησαν, ὑπὲρ ἀετοὺς κοῦφοι [καὶ] ὑπὲρ λέοντας ἐκραταιώθησαν.

23 Saul and Jona­than, the beloved and the beautiful, [were not divid­ed: comely were they] in their lifeX, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, [and] they were stronger than lions.

23 Saul and Jonathan, lovely, and comely in their lifeX, even in X death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.

23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

23 Saul and Jonathan were beloved and enjoyable in their lives, and in their death they were not split up, swifter than eagles, mightier than lions!

23 שָׁאוּל וִיהוֹנָתָן הַנֶּאֱהָבִים וְהַנְּעִימִם בְּחַיֵּיהֶם וּבְמוֹתָם לֹא נִפְרָדוּ מִנְּשָׁרִים קַלּוּ מֵאֲרָיוֹת גָּבֵרוּ:

24 θυγατέρες Ισραηλ, ἐπὶ Σαουλ κλαύσατε τὸν ἐνδιδύσκοντα ὑμᾶς κόκκινα μετὰ κόσμου [ὑμῶν], τὸν ἀναφέροντα κόσμον χρυσοῦν ἐπὶ τὰ ἐνδύματα ὑμῶν.

24 Daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you with scarlet together with [your] adorning, who added Mgolden ornaments to your apparel.

24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you with scarlet in delights, who gave ornaments of gold for your attire.

24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

24 Weep, daughters of Israel, over Saul, the one who clothed y’all with scarlet - with luxuries, who set up ornaments of gold on your clothing!

24 בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל-שָׁאוּל בְּכֶינָה הַמַּלְבִּשְׁכֶםN שָׁנִי עִם-עֲדָנִיםO הַמַּעֲלֶה עֲדִי זָהָב עַל לְבוּשְׁכֶן:

25 πῶς ἔπεσαν δυνατοὶ ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ πολέμου· Ιωναθαν ἐπὶ τὰ ὕψη σου τραυματίας.

25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jona­than, [even] the slain one[sP] upon thy high places!

25 How are the valiant fallen in X X battle? Jonathan slain in the high places?

25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.

25 How did the mighty men fall in the midst of the battle? Jonathan is pierced upon your high places!

25 אֵיךְ נָפְלוּ גִבֹּרִים בְּתוֹךְ הַמִּלְחָמָה יְהוֹנָתָן עַל-בָּמוֹתֶיךָ חָלָל:

26 ἀλγῶ ἐπὶ σοί, ἄδελφέ μου Ιωναθαν· ὡραιώθης μοι σφόδρα, ἐθαυμαστώθη ἡ ἀγάπησίς σου ἐμοὶ ὑπὲρ ἀγάπησιν γυναικῶν.

26 I am grieved for thee, my brother Jonathan; thou wast very lovely to me; thy love to me was wonderful beyond the love of women.

26 I grieve for thee, my brother Jonathan: exceeding beautiful, and amiable to me above the love of women. [As the mother loveth her only son, so did I love thee.]

26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderfulQ, passing the love of women.

26 It is a crisis for me concerning you, my brother Jonathan, you were such an enjoyment for me, your love for me was more outstanding than the love of women.

26 צַר-לִי עָלֶיךָ אָחִי יְהוֹנָתָן נָעַמְתָּ לִּי מְאֹד נִפְלְאַתָה אַהֲבָתְךָ לִי מֵאַהֲבַתR נָשִׁים:

27 πῶς ἔπεσαν δυνατοὶ καὶ ἀπώλοντο σκεύη πολεμικά.

27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

27 How are the valiant fallen, and the weapons of war perished?

27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

27 How did the mighty men fall and the instruments of war be lost?

27 אֵיךְ נָפְלוּ גִבּוֹרִים וַיֹּאבְדוּS כְּלֵי מִלְחָמָה: פ


1Matthew Henry also picked up on this possibility, although he didn’t advocate for it.

2Gill noted, “Jarchi and Ben Gersom restrain it to the book of Genesis... but Kimchi, extending it to all the five books of Moses... In the Arabic version it is ... interpreted ‘the book of songs’... Jerome interprets it of ... ‘the book of the righteous prophets, Samuel, Gad, and Nathan’...”

32 Pet. 1:3

4Tsumura alone offered a different interpretation that this location be translated “fields of heights,” as a parallel phrase meaning the same thing as “mountains in Gilboa.” It’s hard to know what to do with a plausible interpretation which apparently no other commentator in the last three thousand years has came up with.

5Numbers 15:17-21 … “When you come into the land to which I bring you, then it will be, when you eat of the bread of the land, that you shall offer up a heave offering to the LORD. You shall offer up a cake of the first of your ground meal as a heave offering; as a heave offering of the threshing floor, so shall you offer it up. Of the first of your ground meal you shall give to the LORD a heave offering throughout your generations.” (NKJV) Other categories of the raised-offering were the right thigh of sacrificial animals (Lev. 7:14-34) and voluntary contributions of precious metals or materials (Ex. 25, 30, 35).

6Willett (citing Martyr for support, and citing Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree) asserted the contrary, that as a prophet, Dav­id did have such supernatural power. Henry argued against Willis, saying, “Not as if David wished that any part of the land of Israel might be barren, but, to express his sorrow for the thing, he speaks with a seeming indignation at the place. Observe... the curse Christ pronounced on the fig-tree, ‘Never fruit grow on thee...’ took effect - the fig-tree withered away: this, on the mountains of Gilboa, did not.” Jameison argued back that, “The curse seems still to lie upon them; for the mountains of Gilboa are naked and sterile.” Gill retorted, “[N]ot to be understood as a real imprecation; for David would never curse any part of the land of Israel... but only as a poetical figure... much less did this in reality take place, as some have feigned... which has been refuted by travellers, particularly Borchard, who, speaking of this mountain, says, that as he was upon it, there was such a violent shower fell, that he was wet through his clothes; and in the year 1273, laying all night upon this hill, there was a great dew fell upon him.”

7This was Abarbinel’s position.

8In this I take issue with Jamieson and Gill, who interpreted this as the mighty men of Israel “casting away” their shields and running away from the battle. Keil & Delitzsch had this to say, “גָּעַל does not mean ‘to throw away...’ but ‘to soil or defile’ (as in the Chaldee), then ‘to abhor.’”

9“‘Not anointed with oil,’ i.e., not cleansed and polished with oil, so that the marks of Saul's blood still adhered to it.”

10Isaiah 21 has some other similarities as a lament poem over unbelievers as well. Nowhere in the Bible besides 2 Sam. 2 is shemen olive oil described as being on a migan handheld-shield.

11Also Willis. Gill was ambivalent on this point, but cited another position articulated by Gersom: “Saul's shield being in continual use, needed not to be anointed, as those did which for a time had been laid aside.”

12Which fact led Tsumura to emphatically state, “The phrase not anointed does not refer to Saul...”

13John Gill (and Keil & Delitzsch and Tsumura) interpreted “bow” as though it meant “arrow” and achieved a meaning parallel to the one I found in the efficacy of Saul’s sword, namely that Jonathan’s arrows pierced through fat and drew blood from enemies. Gill mentioned, however, that Abarbinel supported the alternate interpretation I found, “though Saul and Jonathan saw many of these fall before their eyes, yet ‘for’ or ‘because’ of their blood, they were not intimidated and restrained from fighting; the bow of the one, and the shield of the other, turned not back on that account.”

14“The light motion or swiftness of an eagle (cf. Hab. 1:8), and the strength of a lion (vid., 2Sam. 17:10), were the leading characteristics of the great heroes of antiquity. “ ~Keil & Delitzsch

15Sicut mater unicum amat filium suum, ita ego te diligebam.

16“Most commentators... interpret the words as referring figuratively to Saul and Jonathan…” ~Goldman
“‘The instruments of war’ are not the weapons; but the expression is a figurative one, referring to the heroes by whom war was carried on (vid., Isa. 13:5). Luther has adopted this rendering (die Streitbaren).” ~Keil & Delitzsch
The lone exception I found was Tsumura, who interpreted it as a prepositional phrase (“...the warriors fallen and perished by the weapons of war”), even though there is no prepositional indicator in the Hebrew or Greek, and even though “weapons” is in the position of the subject relative to “perished” in the Hebrew and Greek.

17To these couple of points from Andrew Willett, I can’t help adding a couple more quotables from Matthew Henry exactly a century later: “Charity teaches us to make the best we can of every body and to say nothing of those of whom we can say no good, especially when they are gone... Let the corrupt part of the memory be buried with the corrupt part of the man – earth to earth, ashes to ashes…” and, “The more we love, the more we grieve.”

AMy original chart includes the NASB and NIV, but their copyright restrictions have forced me to remove them from the publicly-available edition of this chart. I have included the ESV in footnotes when it employs a word not already used by the KJV, NASB, or NIV. (NAW is my translation.) When a translation adds words not in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use of italics (or greyed-out text), I put the added words in [square brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different from all the other translations, I underline it. When a version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout. And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I insert an X. (I also place an X at the end of a word if the original word is plural but the English translation is singular.) I occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between the various editions and versions when there are more than two different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea Scroll containing any part of 2 Samuel 1 is 4Q51 Samuela, which is dated around 50BC and contains fragments of vs. 4-13. Where the DSS is legible and agrees with the MT, the MT text is colored purple. Where the DSS or Vulgate supports the LXX with omissions or text not in the MT, I have highlighted with yellow the LXX and its translation into English, and where I have accepted that into my NAW translation, I have marked it with {pointed brackets}.

BThe verb is only found 5 other places in the Hebrew O.T. (2 Sam. 3:33; 2 Chron. 35:25; Jer. 9:17; Ezek. 27:32; 32:16). This is the first instance of this form of poetry in the Bible. Perhaps it is something David invented or at least developed. (Perhaps even picked up from Philistine culture? Did Philistines use bows instead of fingers to play their harps, and could David have incorporated bowing into his harp technique as a result of his sojourn in Philistia? That would be an interesting thing to study and find out.) At any rate, all other instances of this noun and verb in the Bible occur after after 1 Sam.

CNASB = “told,” NIV = “ordered,” ESV uses the most central meaning of the Hebrew word with “said”

DThe Hebrew word qeshet means “bow,” RV, ASV, NKJV, NASB = “[song of the] bow,” NIV = “[this lament of the] bow,” Vulgate = arcum,” Wycliffe = “weilyng,” Geneva = “to shoote,” LXX (except for the Alexandrian edition) & ESV omit the word altogether.

E“Mentioned only here and in Josh. 10:13… a collection of ancient poems commemorating events of national importance.” ~Goldman (Soncino Books of the Bible)
“a prebiblical written source that also included Josh. 10:12-13, and according to the Septuagint text, Solomon’s poem in 1 K. 8:12-13.” ~Tsumura
Willett: “Iasher signifieth, the iust or righteous: so called as some thinke of the persons whereof that booke intreated, namely of the acts of the Patriarchs and iust men. Some of the matter, because it contained a true narration of such things as were written therein. But it is more like to beare the name of Ieshurun, which is the name of Israel, Deut. 32.15. and the Prophet Isai calleth Israel by the same name, c. 44. v. 2. which word also signifieth, the righteous people: this booke was called Iasher, because it was as a publike chronicle and record of Israel… which was continued from time to time by the Prophets, which is now wanting [missing], as many such historicall bookes are.”

FEvery other time this word is used in the Torah, the Historical books, and the Wisdom books, it means “gazelle,” so the 2011 edition of the NIV opts for “gazelle.” Only in the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel (plus one citation in Jer.) does it mean “beauty/glory.” Tsumura noted, “Designating notable people as cattle can be seen also in expressions such as Ug[aritic] ‘gazelle’ (zby) // “bull’ (tr) in the Keret Epic…” but Tsumura proposed that it be translated “the prince” here and interpreted as Saul. The NLT captures the meaning well with the English phrase “pride and joy.” Luther rendered die Edelsten (“the noblest”).

GThis adjective literally means “pierced,” but I have also translated it “wounded” in nearby context.

HThis Hebrew word is not listed among the Interjections in Jouon/Muraoka or Gesenius. Waltke/O’Connor claim that it is a form of the interjection איכה, but cite no other place in scripture where it is so. I am taking it in its normal sense as an interrogative. BDB does cite other places where it can be considered an exclamation: “of lamentation 2 S 1:19, Je 2:21, 9:18, Mi 2:4; or of satisfaction Is 14:4, 14:12, Je 48:39, 51:41, Ob 5 al.; with intensive force = how gladly! Je 3:19, how terribly! 9:6”

IThis is a word about breaking covenant, used only in Lev. 26 before this, and also in Job 21:10 (of cows aborting, the only non-covenantal context); Jer. 14:19, and Ezek. 16:45.

JAlthough there is no conjunction here in the MT or Rahlf’s edition of the LXX, there is a και here in the Vaticanus.

KIn addition to denoting “fat,” this Hebrew word is also translated “callous/dull” (Ps. 17:10) and “finest/best” (Numbers 18:12-32; Psalms 81:16 & 147:14.) in other Hebrew poetry. If a literal interpretation is preferred, perhaps the meaning is that even though there were mighty men wounded all around him bleeding to death with puncture wounds from which subcutaneous fat layers protruded, Jonathan didn’t retreat. Tsumura offered the alternate interpretation of “without” for the mem preposition, rendering, “Without the blood of the slain, without the fat of the warriors, Jonathan’s bow turned not back and Saul’s sword returned not empty.”

LExcept in one case in Micah, every time the verb sug appears in the Hebrew O.T. in a passive form (Niphal or Hophal, there is no Pual), it is accompanied by the word achar “after/behind.” There is an anomaly in the MT in that “bow” is feminine whereas this verb is masculine. Various explanations have been suggested, including “bow” could be considered masculine here (BDB), or this is a “colloquialism,” or this verb is actually an infinitive absolute with no gender designation (Tsumura).

MThe Greek word in the LXX literally means “carried up” which is also the sense of the Hebrew word in the MT.

NThis word has a MASCULINE plural ending, whereas the last word in this verse has a FEMININE plural ending. Perhaps “daughters” could be considered gender-inclusively to refer to all the children of Israel. Alternately, Tsumura noted that this is “an example of ‘gender neutralization,’ which is a characteristic of th spoken Hebrew dialect,” citing Gesenius (section 135.o) and Rendsburg’s Diaglossia in Ancient Hebrew, p.44.

OThis is a rare word, only used here and Ps. 36:9 and Jer. 51:34. It is plural and the preposition “with” is attached to it rather than to the singular “scarlet,” so the NASB and ESV translations are not entirely accurate.

PThis participle is plural in the Vaticanus, but singular (referring to Jonathan, as per the MT) in Ralf’s edition of the LXX

QESV = “extraordinary”

RTargum inserted the word “two,” suggesting that David compared Jonathan against his 2 wives, an unlikely supposition.

SThe only other places in Samuel that this verb occurs is in 1 Sam. 9:3 & 20, and there it is translated “were lost.” Swords would not have “perished/been destroyed” but would rather be seized by the enemy, as Saul’s weapons were (1 Sam. 31:10).

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