(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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2 Samuel 1:1–10, “Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance. And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. 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. And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead? 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. And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I. And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.”
David was unaware of the outcome of the battle between Israel and the Philistines. He had to go south from his place in Ziklag while Gilboa was three days march in the north. When he arrived home he rested for two days and, on the third day, a man came from Saul’s camp. The man had earth on his head and his clothes were torn to show that he was in mourning. When the man arrived, David asked him where he had come from and the man told him that he had come from Israel’s battle camp. David, of course, was interested in the outcome of the battle and he wanted to know what had happened to Saul. This man told David that Saul and his sons were dead. It is obvious that the man was looking for some kind of reward. David asked the man how he knew that Saul was dead and the man told him that he had seen Saul wounded and ready to die when Saul asked him to kill him. Obviously the man had seen the battle and knew some of the details even though he hadn’t been on Mount Gilboa with Saul during Saul’s last moments. This man, who was a foreigner, an Amalekite, claimed the credit for killing Saul. He had gone to the site of the final battle after the Philistines had gone home and taken Saul’s crown and his royal armband to show that Saul was dead. By this stage the Amalekite must have been feeling pretty pleased with himself.
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