626
Patriarchs and Prophets
from his head and the golden bracelets from his arm he had brought
to David. He confidently expected that these tidings would be hailed
with joy, and that a rich reward would be his for the part that he had
acted.
But “David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise
all the men that were with him: and they mourned, and wept, and
fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people
of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by
the sword.”
The first shock of the fearful tidings past, David’s thoughts returned
to the stranger herald, and the crime of which, according to his own
statement, he was guilty. The chief demanded of the young man,
“Whence art thou?” And he answered, “I am the son of a stranger, an
Amalekite. And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to
stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” Twice David
had had Saul in his power; but when urged to slay him, he had refused
to lift his hand against him who had been consecrated by the command
of God to rule over Israel. Yet the Amalekite feared not to boast that he
had slain the king of Israel. He had accused himself of a crime worthy
of death, and the penalty was inflicted at once. David said, “Thy blood
be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I
have slain the Lord’s anointed.”
David’s grief at the death of Saul was sincere and deep, evincing
the generosity of a noble nature. He did not exult in the fall of his
enemy. The obstacle that had barred his access to the throne of Israel
[696]
was removed, but at this he did not rejoice. Death had obliterated the
remembrance of Saul’s distrust and cruelty, and now nothing in his
history was thought of but that which was noble and kingly. The name
of Saul was linked with that of Jonathan, whose friendship had been
so true and so unselfish.
The song in which David gave utterance to the feelings of his
heart became a treasure to his nation, and to the people of God in all
subsequent ages: