The Meaning of 2 Samuel 1:16 Explained

2 Samuel 1:16

KJV: And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.

YLT: and David saith unto him, 'Thy blood is on thine own head, for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I -- I put to death the anointed of Jehovah.'

Darby: And David said to him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth has testified against thee, saying, I have slain Jehovah's anointed.

ASV: And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain Jehovah's anointed.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And David  said  unto him, Thy blood  [be] upon thy head;  for thy mouth  hath testified  against thee, saying,  I have slain  the LORD'S  anointed. 

What does 2 Samuel 1:16 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 1:1-16 - Touch Not Mine Anointed
The scene changes from Gilboa to Ziklag, whither the tidings were carried by an Amalekite. It is remarkable to notice how David received them. Though he had spent years in the rough life of a freebooter, surrounded by coarse and hardened men, he had not lost the delicacy and refinement of his earlier days. To men like Nabal, he seemed an outlaw; but those who were admitted to the inner circle of David's friendship knew that there was a whole heaven of difference between him and the men who followed him. Let us see to it that by fellowship with God, we keep our nature uncontaminated by the world, its fine edge, not blunted, its bloom not brushed off.
It was genuine grief that made David rend his clothes, and a genuine emotion of horror that led to the execution of this self-confessed regicide. Then from the depths of a guileless heart there poured forth the "Song of the Bow," one of the noblest elegies in any tongue. Let us speak tenderly of the dead. Let God in His infinite pity judge them, while we scatter rose-leaves on their graves. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 1

1  The Amalekite who accused himself of Saul's death is slain
17  David laments Saul and Jonathan with a song

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 1:16 mean?

So said to him David - Your blood [is] on your own head for your own mouth has testified against you saying I have killed - anointed of Yahweh -
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ דָּוִ֔ד [דמיך] (דָּמְךָ֖) עַל־ רֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ כִּ֣י פִ֗יךָ עָנָ֤ה בְךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אָנֹכִ֥י מֹתַ֖תִּי אֶת־ מְשִׁ֥יחַ יְהוָֽה ס

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  So  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָיו֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
דָּוִ֔ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
[דמיך]  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
(דָּמְךָ֖)  Your  blood  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
רֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ  your  own  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
פִ֗יךָ  your  own  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
עָנָ֤ה  has  testified 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
בְךָ֙  against  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מֹתַ֖תִּי  have  killed 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מְשִׁ֥יחַ  anointed 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: מָשִׁיחַ  
Sense: anointed, anointed one.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation