- Is there “rhyme or reason” to the specific manner in which the “youth” broke the news of Saul’s and Jonathan’s deaths to David?
- What might the phrase “for a shudder has seized me” mean? Gersonides, a famous medieval biblical exegete, renders the Hebrew: “My armor protects me and does not allow the sword to pierce it.” Which translation do you prefer? Why?
- Note that along with “kriah” — the ritual tearing of one’s garments as an act of mourning, David and those with him also fasted for the fallen. Does the mourning practice manifest itself in modern mourning rituals?
- How do you feel about David’s actions against the Amalekite youth?
- Note the poetry and emotion of II Samuel 1:19-23. These verses, not surprisingly, have been quoted often by many Israelis since the founding of the State.
