"Thy glory, O Is'ra-el is slain upon the high places!
How are the mighty fallen!
Tell it not in Gath,
Publish it not in the streets of As'ke-lon;
Lest the daughters of the Phi-lis'tines rejoice.
Ye mountains of Gil-bo'a,
Let there be no dew nor rain upon you, neither fields of offerings:
For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away,
The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty,
The bow of Jon'a-than turnt not back,
And the sword of Saul returnt not empty.
Saul and Jon'a-than were lovely and pleasant in their lives,
And in their death they were not divided:
They were swifter than eagles,
They were stronger than lions.
Ye daughters of Is'ra-el, weep over Saul,
Who clothed you in scarlet delicately,
Who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
How are the mighty fallen in the midst of battle!
Jon'a-than is slain upon thy high places.
I am distressed for thee, my brother Jon'a-than:
Very pleasant hast thou been unto me:
Thy love to me was wonderful,
Passing the love of women.
How are the mighty fallen,
And the weapons of war perished!
What a remarkable insight into the heart of Da'vid is provided in the words of this beautiful ode! He sang high praises in memory of the man who had made his youth and early manhood a time of constant danger and worry. Is'ra-el had lost a king who, with all his faults, had certain qualities of greatness; and in his tribute to the dead, Da'vid forgot and forgave his faults, while magnifying his virtues. Instead of being gratified by the end of an enemy and rejoicing that his persecutions were over, Da'vid bowed in genuine grief. To his heart, Is'ra-el's shame and the insult to GOD in the triumph of the Phi-lis'tines were more important than the prospects of a safe return to his native land and the probability of immediate advancement to the throne of Is'ra-el. Such nobility is rare in the history of mankind; and is possible only because one makes GOD, and not himself, the center of the universe. This nobility was Da'vid's safeguard against the baneful influences of both adversity and prosperity.
