2 Samuel 1 & 2 - King David's rule over Judah and Israel. Find out who Saul's son was. 2023

2 Sam 1:2
And it happened on the third day, that behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes torn and dust on his head. And it came about when he came to David that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.

This man came from the camp of Saul with torn clothes and dust on his head. These are common signs of mourning. The torn clothes probably represent a torn heart and unrestrained grief. The significance of the dust on the head is not known for sure.

2 Sam 1:6
And the young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen pursued him closely.

This guy is an Amalekite and is going to tell a story. He is likely trying to ingratiate himself to the new king that had just wiped out many of his people.

2 Sam 1:18
and he told them to teach the sons of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar.

The song of the bow is unknown. It is probably a song that David wrote because it was by a bow and arrow that Saul was slain. It is said to be a song that was written in the Book of Jasher. The Book of Jasher seems to be a lost writing for the most part. There is virtually no confirmation that the Book of Jasher ("the Righteous One") that we have today is that same writing or closely related to it. The English translation we have today appears to be an eighteenth-century forgery.

2 Sam 2:10
Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.

2 Sam 2:11
And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Ish-bosheth was king over Israel for only two years. But he did not take the throne until he took back the land from the Philistines and that took five years.