The Meaning of 2 Samuel 1:4 Explained

2 Samuel 1:4

KJV: 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.

YLT: And David saith unto him, 'What hath been the matter? declare, I pray thee, to me.' And he saith, that 'The people hath fled from the battle, and also a multitude hath fallen of the people, and they die; and also Saul and Jonathan his son have died.'

Darby: And David said to him, What has taken place? I pray thee, tell me. And he said that the people had fled from the battle, and many of the people also had fallen and died, and that Saul and Jonathan his son were dead also.

ASV: And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Samuel 1:4 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 1:4 mean?

And said to him David what is the report tell please me and he answered that have fled the people from the battle and many are fallen of the people and dead and also And Saul and Jonathan his son are dead
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֥יו דָּוִ֛ד מֶה־ הָיָ֥ה ؟ הַדָּבָ֖ר הַגֶּד־ נָ֣א לִ֑י וַ֠יֹּאמֶר אֲשֶׁר־ נָ֨ס הָעָ֜ם מִן־ הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וְגַם־ הַרְבֵּ֞ה נָפַ֤ל מִן־ הָעָם֙ וַיָּמֻ֔תוּ וְגַ֗ם שָׁא֛וּל וִיהוֹנָתָ֥ן בְּנ֖וֹ מֵֽתוּ

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָ֥יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
דָּוִ֛ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
؟ הַדָּבָ֖ר  the  report 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַגֶּד־  tell 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
נָ֣א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
לִ֑י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
וַ֠יֹּאמֶר  and  he  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נָ֨ס  have  fled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
הָעָ֜ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה  the  battle 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
הַרְבֵּ֞ה  many 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
נָפַ֤ל  are  fallen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
הָעָם֙  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וַיָּמֻ֔תוּ  and  dead 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וְגַ֗ם  and  also 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
שָׁא֛וּל  And  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
וִיהוֹנָתָ֥ן  and  Jonathan 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹונָתָן  
Sense: a son of king Saul and a friend of David.
בְּנ֖וֹ  his  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
מֵֽתוּ  are  dead 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.

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